Where Do Red Wings’ Young NHL Hopefuls Stand After Training Camp?

Even with so many filled roster spots ahead of them, the trio of Carter Mazur, Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson came into Traverse City looking to impress and potentially earn a spot in the lineup. All three impressed to varying levels throughout the week. All three provided push from the bottom that made camp competitive.

But how do these three — and other roster hopefuls — stack up after training camp? Let’s take a closer look.

Marco Kasper

Kasper wowed almost immediately with what he did in his offseason training, filling out with muscle in an effort, he said, to build more of a man’s frame.

“We were talking in the room yesterday, he doesn’t even look like the same athlete as last year at this time at camp,” Lalonde praised Friday. “He built some confidence from his growth in (Grand Rapids) last year, and I think that playoff run was very valuable for him. He’s got some attitude into camp this year, which is certainly a positive.”

Mentally, Kasper is also a different person. That confidence Lalonde mentioned — it shows in the way Kasper is more trusting of his own abilities. He believes that doing his best is all he can do, and that’s enough. He’s just putting a good effort forward, and that’s something Detroit likes to see.

And viewing Kasper’s game, there really isn’t a whole lot that you couldn’t like. He plays with pace and effort. His draft day commodity shot is good enough that teammates and coaches have taken notice. Kasper has also been chippy with the veterans like Chiasson, who he argued with after one drill Friday. But a few reps later, Kasper was right next to Chiasson absorbing some mentorship. That’s the kind of mature dynamic — as an equal, more so than a student — that Lalonde likes to see.

“Watching all those guys is great,” Kasper told reporters Saturday. “… But we young guys try to give it our best and to make it hard for all the other guys, but also just push everybody on the team and push for a spot as well.” Later on, he spoke of how sports is all about how much players want it and how much they work for it. This all speaks volumes about character and competition.

“I would like those guys obviously to be respectful to the veterans, but to be fighting for their spots,” Lalonde said Friday. “That’s the reality of growing. We want that push from them.”

After a productive camp, Kasper will get some serious preseason looks. He spent a lot of time in training camp between Cross Hanas and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, and he appeared to be steps ahead of his linemates. Now that preseason hockey gives Lalonde and his staff more room to experiment past the confines of old lines, Kasper might be able to show his impact with a line featuring NHL talent.

Carter Mazur

Much like Kasper, Mazur made his first impression of training camp before it even began. He hit the training regimen hard this summer, getting himself in great shape to compete for a roster spot. He had everyone from Steve Yzerman to Lalonde to teammates singing praises.

On the ice, Mazur wasn’t too different. He showed consistent competitive drive, good defensive play and of course, his hard shot. In fact, his shot impressed some of the NHL regulars, including Kane. His Red Wings three-on-three tournament teammate said Mazur’s quick release could surprise some goaltenders this season. Teammates often go loose on the praise in the preseason, but getting such specific props from a guy like Kane is a nice endorsement. And when he got a chance to put everything on display in the Red & White Game, Mazur played a complete game that could fit up and down the lineup, which bodes well for his trust for call-ups.

“Especially noticeable today,” Lalonde said Sunday. “Very good start to camp for him.”

To Lalonde, it’s worth wondering where Mazur might be if he hadn’t missed last training camp with a leg injury. Mazur still had a great rookie season with 17 goals and 37 points in 60 games, but this can’t replace the teaching that goes into a training camp to make players better at understanding the game. Even so, Mazur is responding well to this year’s crash course.

In a similar way to Kasper, it feels as though preseason will give a better window into where Mazur might be at when he gets to play with more NHL-ready talent. And considering the versatility of Mazur’s scrappy game, he could fit in a lot of different combinations. That can only be a good thing right now as he tries to crack the lineup.

Nate Danielson

Danielson has yet to play a full professional season, but in last season’s training camp he really shined. With his blend of speedy offense and 200-foot defensive commitment, Danielson appears to be a star in the making. So, expectations were considerably high for him this training camp.

As far as meeting expectations, Danielson did an adequate job, but he might have been outshined by the more professionally experienced Mazur and Kasper. Danielson did play most of his minutes between Alex Chiasson and Isaac Ratcliffe — two NHL experienced players who are trying to make the roster — so he has that going for him. And even if he played minimal five-on-five ice time in the Red & White Game, he was involved in the play when he was out there.

What stands out about Danielson is a trait common in Yzerman Era draft picks — his defensive responsibility and his hockey sense. Danielson knows where to be, and he puts as much effort into his defense as he does his scoring. Being well-rounded lends itself to getting NHL ice time. In a larger passage answering a question about how players find their “B” game to lean on when their primary contributions aren’t there, Lalonde credited a couple of prospects with having these assets.

“What gets us excited about Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson up the middle is they have a 200-foot game,” Lalonde said Sunday. “We’ll continue to build both parts of that — the offensive and defensive parts of it — but I think you have to learn it. And unfortunately, some guys have to learn it the hard way, where they don’t ever figure it out. It’s our job to develop that and grow that.”

Lalonde raved earlier in the week about Danielson’s defensive play and puck support. Those two traits are evident even when the scoring might not be so automatic. And while a 200-foot identity can sometimes be highlighted when a player sn’t so noticeable on the attack, with Danielson the sense of a complete game is genuine.

“Lot of skill. Kind of reminds me a little of (Connor) Bedard the way he plays and the way he stickhandles and shoots,” Kane said Thursday of Danielson’s game. “He’s a high-end prospect as well, but it looks like he’s got a bright future.”

Bedard is a generous comparison, although the Calder winner once said that Danielson was one of the toughest players he ever went up against in the WHL. But with respect to Danielson’s playmaking and hockey IQ, those high compliments are significant.

Overall, the Red Wings know that Danielson is coming. They know he’s going to be an impact player, but it’s just a matter of when. Red Wings assistant director of player development Dan Cleary said Sunday that he senses some time in Grand Rapids for Danielson, getting used to the pro game and its expectations. But what’s clear is that Danielson is coming soon. If this training camp and preseason were a movie trailer, a lot of Red Wings players, coaches and staff would be buying tickets.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard

It’s been an underwhelming camp for MBN, but that might be more so due to the image built up in others’ minds of what he should be than what Detroit expected. He’s an 18 year old in his first NHL camp, and even if he has pro elements to his game, there’s a lot of adjustment. Even communicating has been difficult.

“He still battles with the language barrier, which is real,” Lalonde said Sunday. “And I think North American hockey is a little bit of an adjustment, a little (less) time and space probably than he’s used to, but I thought he did very well and improved as the camp went on. Obviously, (he’ll) get some preseason games here. It’ll be important.”

Funny enough, the Norwegian-speaking Brandsegg-Nygard has had no problem communicating with Austrian-speaking linemate Kasper. Kasper told reporters Saturday that the two converse in Swedish as a connecting language. He also took the time to give a scouting report on Brandsegg-Nygard’s game, praising his shot and his offensive mind.

With teammates, many Swedish speakers, that barrier hasn’t been so pronounced. But you could see clear signs in Traverse City that MBN wasn’t understanding some practices and needed extra coaching. That isn’t a bad thing — it’s better he learns these things now than in the future, and this crash course of a training camp is helping him progress. Even before training camp, the Red Wings tempered expectations for their youngest quote-unquote hopeful.

“With Michael, we’re just gonna sit back and watch,” assistant general manager Kris Draper said during an intermission interview during the Red Wings’ first game against Dallas last week. “We’re gonna sit back, watch and evaluate, and give him a lot of opportunity to show what he can do. And then from there, you watch, you evaluate, and then you make decisions. But we’re not going to put any added pressure on him. It’s the same situation as a handful of our other first rounders that have kind of come through here and played up here. Just go out, do your best. We want you to compete. We want you to play hard. We want you to do what you do.”

The early returns of training camp show that Brandsegg-Nygard isn’t ready just yet, but he’s still going to get a chance to prove his abilities in preseason play. There, he might be able to show off his signature shot and his checking ability that analysts have so glowingly praised. I get the sense that he’s bound for a return to Skelleftea regardless of how these games play out, but that’s not an indictment of his game more than it is a reality of acclimating an 18-year-old to the toughest hockey league in the world.

Brandsegg-Nygard might not be cracking the NHL lineup, but that doesn’t mean he has fallen behind. It just means he isn’t ahead.