Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson will play tonight on a line with Carter Mazur and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, and Danielson told the Hockey News’s Michael Whitaker that he’s feeling better after missing seven months with a stress fracture in his upper leg:
“I think it’s been pretty good,” Danielson said of his play after Saturday’s morning skate. “I think it’s been nice to get into more games and get back into game mode over the summer. But it’s gotten better as the games have gone on. I feel like every time you play, you want to make a good impression,” he continued. “Obviously, it’s the last preseason game; I just want to have a good game and continue to grow.”
Danielson, who had three goals and 12 assists in 18 games with the Griffins last season, wants to capitalize more on his scoring chances, something Grand Rapids coach Dan Watson also emphasized earlier this month during the Prospects Tournament.
Watson said he’d like to see Danielson be more selfish with the puck and bear down on his scoring chances, something the young forward acknowledges he wants to do.
“I feel like I’ve heard that before,” Danielson said. “I think sometimes I tend to look for another pass, but I think I’m always trying to make the right play, whether it’s a pass or a shot. I think it’s just about getting into the mindset that if I have a shot, take it, especially in this League. If you look for that pass, that’s often when they can get a stick on it.”
Wings coach Todd McLellan believes that the young center can indeed provide offense and goals as the Wings look to shore up their scoring:
“Nate does have to find ways to get on the scoresheet, and I think it’s in his toolset to do that,” McLellan said. “And we’re gonna need him to do that; obviously, we lost some goals this year.”
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“But we don’t want him to do it recklessly or carelessly; we want him to do it smart,” he said. “We think he can combine his diligent game with a real strong offensive game. We think he’s a complete player, and we’ll need to continue to see that whole game from him.”
