Danielson eager for 1st pro season heading into Red Wings training camp

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings aren’t holding a roster spot open for Nate Danielson this season.

They will give the 19-year-old every opportunity to win one in training camp next month, however.

The Red Wings need young forwards to step up and provide depth scoring in 2024-25, and Danielson, selected by Detroit with the No. 9 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, showed during the team's development camp in July that he’s ready to take a shot.

“He had a tremendous season, and he tested No. 1 here (in conditioning tests),” Red Wings assistant director of player development Dan Cleary said. “Nate is a serious, driven kid, and he’s starting to come out of his shell. He works hard and he looks good -- there’s not much else to say.”

Danielson is coming off his fourth season in the Western Hockey League, where he had 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists) in 54 games with Brandon and Portland, and 24 points (seven goals, 17 points) in 18 playoff games to help Portland reach the WHL final. He also had three points (one goal, two assists) in five games for Canada in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Most notable were the two American Hockey League playoff games he got into with Grand Rapids, his first taste of playing as a pro.

“That was good experience for me,” Danielson said during developmental camp. “Making that jump to pro next year, I know the speed of the game. Everyone is older, bigger and stronger, so knowing what to expect definitely helps.”

Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman knows his team has to find more offense within the system, so players like Danielson and forwards Carter Mazur and Marco Kasper, who both played for Grand Rapids last season, will get a good look during training camp.

"They're going to have to really take a step and that's possible if they have a good summer and preseason," Yzerman said. "We anticipate most of those kids at least starting in [Grand Rapids], but I don't have a hard and fast guideline.

“If we're in camp and they look like they're going to play, we'll find a spot for them."

Danielson performed well in camp last year and said he sees no reason he can’t do it again.

“Every year, you try to improve,” he said. “I’ve improved since (last year) as a person and as a player with all of the new experiences I’ve had.”

At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, he could benefit from a full season in the Red Wings strength program, and a full season in the AHL would provide experience he couldn’t get in the WHL.

But Danielson said his sights are set even higher.

“I believe in myself," he said. "I think I can make it.”