Nelson's versatility could make him valuable at 2023 NHL Draft

The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The first round will be June 28 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 are June 29 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at center Danny Nelson with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Danny Nelson of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team may have an edge unlike any other forward eligible for the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

That's because in addition to being an offensive threat, the left-handed center is also a proven defenseman, a position he played for one season out of need at Maple Grove High School in Minnesota in 2021-22.

"It was kind of what my team needed at that point and some of my coaches knew I had a little bit of experience playing that season before in the high school elite league, so they asked if I was willing to go do that for the team," said Nelson, who played the left point. "I think it definitely helps my game as a forward, especially center, because I'm low in the zone below the dots. It was a really good experience, and it helped me to see the ice from back there. It didn't really hurt me to play one year on defense."

Nelson is committed to the University of Notre Dame next season and expected to play the position of his choice, forward.

"[Notre Dame] kind of said whatever I wanted to play, I could do, but I chose forward because that's kind of where I felt most comfortable and they were perfectly OK with that," Nelson said.

The big question is, will an NHL team select Nelson in the 2023 draft with the intention of playing him on defense or maybe even using him as a swingman?

"It'll be interesting to see where he goes in the draft and with who, because Danny also played defense and opened up a lot of people's eyes," said Pat Cullen of NHL Central Scouting. "It's been talked about a little bit in our scouting circles ... what will the team that picks him have in mind? Will they use them as a forward or a defenseman?

"I think he's such a good athlete, such a smart player, that somewhere along the way somebody will figure it out."

Nelson said it makes no difference to him if it means earning an NHL roster spot.

"To me, it doesn't really matter if I have to play defense to get into an NHL lineup," he said. "I feel that ultimately I'll do whatever my coach wants me to do, or the team wants me to do."

NHL Central Scouting director David Gregory said Nelson is a solid option in the draft because of his two-way acumen.

"He has a complete game," Gregory said. "You can tell by how he positions himself and how he helps out down low so you can transition and get to offense. He has deceiving speed because he's got a longer stride and he's a big guy but can really get going and handle the puck at pace. He can play in almost any situation, so he's going to be attractive to a lot of teams for the fact that this is a guy who can play up and down your lineup and has the skill to be a top player as well."

Nelson (6-foot-3, 212 pounds), No. 22 on Video: NHL Draft: Best of Danny Nelson presented by BioSteel, was one of the more versatile players on the NTDP roster this season and certainly one of the better defensive forwards while playing a key role on face-offs.

At the 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, Nelson ranked eighth among all skaters with a 57.8 percent face-off winning percentage (48-for-83) in seven games to help the United States to a gold medal.

"The U-18 Worlds was a great example of how he's grown his game," NTDP U-18 coach Dan Muse said. "He was asked in that tournament to take on some pretty tough assignments, a lot of penalty kill, a lot of the hard jobs, a lot of defensive-zone starts and a lot of critical face-offs in the defensive zone.

"Those are tough jobs and he did it with a smile on his face, going out there and saying, 'I'm going to find a way to help this team win every day,' and he did."

Nelson had seven points (four goals, three assists) and averaged 13:32 of ice time in a bottom-six role at the U-18 Worlds.

"I kind of like being able to do anything my coach wants me to do, and I feel like I can play in any position," Nelson said. "That's kind of something I take pride in. Being able to go out there in the defensive zone, get a big draw and winning it, blocking a shot, or looking to gain the offensive zone to score a goal.

"When I'm at my best, I'm a skilled power forward who is moving his feet and using his legs to drive his line."

Nelson had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 21 games against NCAA competition this season.

"One of the things he was working on this year was getting off that shot from more on the inside and the U-18 Worlds was a great example, where he was creating his offense with more that power forward around the net and getting to the inside," Muse said. "He should be really proud of the season he had and really proud of the way he finished because he made some major contributions to this team to be able to get a gold medal."

Photo credits: Rena Laverty, NTDP

Listen: Video: NHL Draft: Best of Danny Nelson