Via Red Wings Prospects on Twitter, Nitten.no’s Wegard Bakkehaug took part in an interview with Red Wings 2024 draft pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. Here’s a rough translation thereof, and:
As you and I discussed the other day, the Red Wings signed MBN to an entry-level contract at only 18 years of age so that they can control his playing destinations. According to Brandsegg-Nygard, he’s going to attend training camp, though he expects to play with Skelleftea AIK of the SHL when all is said and done:
Brandsegg-Nygard travels to a new Red Wings camp–could play in the AHL
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard will battle for an NHL job at the Detroit Red Wings’ training camp this autumn, but he could also end up playing in the AHL or SHL.
This week Michael Brandsegg-Nygard signed a so-called “entry-level contract” with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.
The 18-year-old was informed that the Detroit Red Wings wanted to sign him already during development camp following the NHL draft in Las Vegas, and after some negotiations, the contract was signed this week.
“There was nothing to wonder about. I’m very satisfied with the agreement,” says Brandsegg-Nygard to nitten.no.
How was the development camp?
“It was good to see my level [of play] compared to the others who were drafted. It was also great to be trained by and meet legends such as Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall. The last few weeks have been a dream come true. It’s been incredibly exciting and one of the coolest things I’ve experienced.”
Back to the U.S.
Now the 18-year-old from Oslo is taking a summer vacation in Marbella with his girlfriend. While he’s talking to nitten.no, he’s engaging in a morning session at the gym wit his friend Casper Haugen Evensen, who’s vacationing in the same place.
And the next big question everyone wants an answer to is this: where will the Norwegian star play next season?
“The Red Wings want me to come back to training camp to try and battle for a spot on the team. It’s obviously going to be very, very difficult. I’m going to do everything I can, and everyone wants to play in the NHL, but it’s a very difficult goal right now. I doubt it will happen,” says the 18-year-old.
What’s apparent now is that Brandsegg-Nygard will travel to Sweden in August to train with Skelleftea AIK before returning to Detroit for training camp in September.
AHL or SHL?
Should he not end up with an NHL job on the first try, the former Valerenga player doesn’t know whether he’ll end up in the USA or Sweden.
“There may be some AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, but it’s still a bit unclear. I just have to see what happens,” says Brandsegg-Nygard.
What about Skelleftea?
“There are opportunities there, maybe that’s where I think I’ll play.”
Is it the Red Wings who will decide?
“They decide, but they have said that they won’t force me to do something that I don’t want to do myself. Now I’m not really certain. I have to take it as it comes,” replies the 18-year-old.
Skelleftea sports manager Erik Forssell told Norran on Friday that he hopes and believes that Brandsegg-Nygard will play for the Swedish champions next season, but that’s now the Red Wings’ decision.
I’m fairly certain that MBN will end up with Skelleftea as well–it’s probably the best place for him to take the next step in his development after playing in the Allsvenskan this past season–but the entry-level contract leaves open a window for MBN to play in the AHL if the Red Wings decide that it’s a better place for him to develop.
That’s why signing players to an entry-level contract less than a month after drafting them sometimes makes great business sense, especially if they’re European–it gives your NHL team control over their playing destinations, because you own their rights.
