From the moment they land on the NHL's radar, the prospects know what burning question they'll soon be faced with.
'Who,' an inquisitive beat reporter might ask, 'do you model your game after?'
It's usually an amalgamation of styles more than a candid comparable - but names such as Crosby, MacKinnon, Matthews and Draisaitl are typically heard most often these days.
But for one right-shooting Red Deer native, his focus remains in-province, at one of the best and most unheralded two-way centres in the game.
"Elias Lindholm," says Nate Danielson, without hesitation, when presented with the age-old query. "I like to watch him and Nick Suzuki, because I think they're similar players and I have a lot of the same traits. They're both very skilled 200-foot centremen that are both very reliable and responsible in both ends of the rink.
"Then, you look at the numbers that Lindholm has put up over the past couple years …
"That's what I want to be - someone that takes pride in playing a solid defensive game, as well as being a skilled, dynamic presence in the offensive zone as well."
You couldn't ask for a better role model.
We all know what Lindholm means to the Flames and the versatility he brings as a pivotal 5-on-5 contributor, and ace on both special teams units. In fact, there was even a point last year when he was close to taking a spin on D thanks to a penalty-filled first period against the New York Rangers.
Danielson, obviously, isn't clamoring for blueline duty anytime soon, but when it comes to his ability at a top-flight pivot, there's no denying his Lindholm-like finesse, dexterity and charisma.
Pulling a ton of Nate Danielson clips for a profile on him I'm writing for @mckeenshockey, and the more I watch, the more I'm convinced that he's one of the most underrated players for the 2023 draft
Just watch all the different ways he gets involved in this ONE shift (29 black) pic.twitter.com/0x0ZK2lIOc
While it was a tough season for the Brandon Wheat Kings, Danielson emerged as the team's top talent, leading his WHL squad with 33 goals and 78 points in 68 games.
"I set a goal for myself to hit 35 goals and 80 points. Obviously, I got close - and looking back, I really feel that I should've done it," Danielson said. "But that's hockey. If I got another two goals, it wouldn't have changed anything about how I look back on my season.
"The biggest thing I focused on this year isn't even something you can measure.
"It was about work ethic. I wanted to get better every day and really push myself. I wanted to come to the rink and have that work ethic, to constantly drive myself to achieve, I guess, a higher standard.
"In the end, I think I was pretty consistent with it. Everyone has little droughts throughout the year, but I thought I minimized those and gave myself the best opportunity to be successful."
From there, the results did the talking.
The 6-foot-2, 185-lb. forward not only established himself as one of the WHL's elite game-breakers, he did so while rounding out the aforementioned '200-foot game' that makes him one of the most intriguing players in a draft loaded with top-end centres.
In fact, an argument could be made that if the Wheat Kings had deeper goal-scoring depth, his numbers could be even better thanks to his rapid ascent as an innovative playmaker.
But we digress.
What is certain is that Danielson - ranked seventh among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting - is the total package. With pro size, impeccable speed, a high hockey IQ, and the velvety hands to cap it all off, there's no telling what his ceiling is.
In the Fast and the Furious universe, NOS (a.k.a Nitrous Oxide) is the gas Dom Toretto puts in all of his cars to go super duper fast.
"Skating is probably the strongest part of my game," he said. "It's not always about speed, either - it's about knowing where to be on the ice, positionally, in all three zones.
"Then, when I get the chance, my ability to come through the middle with speed and transition quickly is where I can make a lot happen offensively.
"I'm going to be working on that and my shot quite a bit this summer. That's where the game's going. Players with good shots, you're going to be able to score more. I've got a shooting tarp at home in the garage and I spend a long time out there.
"The two biggest things are accuracy and changing your angles. If you can constantly evolve your game so that you're always doing it better, harder and quicker, you're going to have success.
