Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis performs the difficult task of naming a potential NHL rookie to watch on each and every one of the NHL’s 32 teams. The Detroit Red Wings’ candidate for Ellis is still a rookie, technically speaking, because he’s played under 25 NHL games, but his name might still surprise you:
Detroit Red Wings: Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, RW, 20
The strong, two-way forward is easily one of the best players to come out of Norway in recent memory, so it was nice to see him have a strong performance at the World Championship. Brandsegg-Nygård helped Norway win bronze, building on an excellent first year with the Griffins in the AHL. He proved he could dominate shifts with his two-way game and his excellent release, and his off-puck game is already so established for a player his age. The 6-foot-1, 207-pound winger is as competitive as they come, and he showed that during his 14-game run with the big club last season. Brandsegg-Nygård will definitely have a shot to spend the year in Red Wings’ bottom six all year long.
There are people surprised by this?
Who else would it be?