It's time to bring back Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
The boy is ready!
Two months ago, 2024 first round pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygard looked like he needed a fresh start. In his first nine games with the Detroit Red Wings, MBN tallied just one point - an assist - before the team reassigned him to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Since then, he’s been on what some might call a tear. To be fair, the Griffins are on another level of their own. They’re in them idst of the best season in AHL history right now with a 29-2-1-1 record.
Yes, you read that right: they’ve only lost in regulation twice. This effort is due in no small part to players like John Leonard and Sheldon Dries, but MBN is far from a passenger on this roster. In 27 games with the Griffins, the 20-year-old forward has stacked up an impressive 21 points — fourth in team scoring and fifth in goals.
It’s time to bring him back to Detroit.
First: Why the Wings sent MBN down
If MBN is as good as he seems, you might wonder why the Red Wings sent him down. The short answer is that a hard reset can help restore confidence in a player. MBN, like the rest of the team at the start of the season, couldn’t buy a goal to save his life. Still, his presence was noticeable. He led the team in hits and imposed his will up and down the lineup. With just a little bit of confidence to his game, he could be quite the fearsome goal-scoring threat.
The longer answer is that it’s a numbers game.
Detroit’s salary situation, explained
Every rookie signed to an entry-level contract is granted a three-year deal. Teams can “slide” a year of that contract and avoid the re-signing period if the player plays nine games or less in a season. MBN hit his nine-game limit earlier this season. This season Red Wings have burned the first-year ELCs of Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Emmitt Finnie, and Nate Danielson.
At the end of that three-year term, all three of those players will be due for a raise.
Finding the money for the three aforementioned players as well as MBN will require some salary cap gymnastics. Having said that, it’s fair to note that the salary cap is due for an increase over the next three seasons. Still, it’s important that the team considers where they’re at and what they still need. This is the team’s current salary situation over the next three seasons:
On one hand, the team is due for some salary relief in the form of Ben Chiarot, Andrew Copp, and J.T. Compher coming off the books. On the other, key contributors like Simon Edvinsson are due for big raises. To top it all off, the team will need to replace Chiarot, Copp, and Compher with depth contributors. There’s a chance they can properly draft and develop some of these players (looking at you, Carter Bear), but they’ll likely target free agents with others.
Free agents, historically, are not the cheapest solution.
So, the question remains: is it worth it to call up MBN knowing this salary cap situation?
The answer is yes
The Ken Holland era was frequently criticized for “over-ripening” their prospects by keeping them in the AHL for a year or two longer than needed. This trend, thankfully, has not continued in the Yzerman era. We’ve seen four (yes, four) rookie debuts this year alone! If MBN has shown beyond a reasonable doubt that he’s got what it takes to produce at the NHL level, he should be given a chance to prove that.
If his stint in the AHL is any indication, yes, he’s ready.
With that said, I’m far from an expert on the Griffins. I reached out to Elaine Shircliff, who covers the Griffins on the Graced by Rain podcast. This is what she had to say about MBN’s performance so far:
“[MBN] has been on an incline since he arrived in Grand Rapids this season. I’m pretty sure he gives a good number of players in the Central nightmares with the strength in which he lays hits. He’s also done a good job of forcing turnovers at the blue line and behind the net. To be honest, even though he has a lot of offensive upside, sometimes I forget he’s a forward and not a defender.”
You don’t have to just take Elaine’s word for it, though. Hockeytown West host Brandon Cooke had this to say about MBN’s development.
“Not every kid takes getting sent down with a positive attitude but he showed up day one ready to work his hardest and continues to do so night in and night out. He continues to be the vibe that this team echos. He hunts the puck, hits everything that moves, and plays the structure that the coaches expect.”
Take a look at this crazy goal he scored against the Toronto Marlies (check around the 1:30 mark):
The combination of vision, awareness, and shot strength alone makes him a threat in the offensive zone. Imagine what he could do if he can put it all together in Detroit.
MBN’s potential moving forward
Sooner or later, the Wings are going to have to contend with a life without Patrick Kane. While he’s shown no signs of slowing down on the scoresheet (26 points in 30 games), one day, he’ll play his final game in the Winged Wheel. Before that day arrives, the Wings need a contingency plan. Someone will need to step up.
Now, I’m not saying that MBN is going to be able to perfectly replicate what Kane has done. But, as it stands, MBN seems like the perfect candidate to shoulder some of that offensive burden. MBN has shown flashes of his true potential with his booming shot and physicality. He’s not going to play the same style as Kane, either. His shoot first, hit second mentality is quite different from Kane’s passing and playmaking abilities. But MBN adds some extra snarl to the lineup with a knack for the net.
Pairing MBN with a playmaker would work wonders for his scoring. Maybe you put him on a line with Larkin and see what he can do up there. Or maybe you slot him in somewhere on the bottom-six and see if he can drive the bus on his own. The good thing about a guy like MBN is that he’s versatile enough to play anywhere on the lineup.
“Should MBN get another shot at the lineup this season?” Cooke added on. “ I say why not? Get him back in the lineup and see how he’s grown during this stint. If they don’t like what he brings to the table, send him back to Grand Rapids.”
The question then remains: when will we next see him sport the Winged Wheel?