Nate Danielsonl What’s different for him at this Red Wings camp
Detroit Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson, Sept. 25, 2025 in Detroit.
Youngsters again showed off their skill set in another opportunity to make their case to the Detroit Red Wings.
The Wings’ second exhibition match, on Thursday, Sept. 25 at Little Caesars, featured prospects Emmitt Finnie on the top line and Axel Sandin Pellikka on the top defensive pairing. Several of the up-and-comers who played in the first game reappeared against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Wings picked up their second victory, winning, 5-2.
“They had, again, a real good hunting mentality,” coach Todd McLellan said. “The tenacity from one job to the next was evident, I thought. It wasn’t go do some work here and then casually come out of it and be done. I thought we were connected on the ice, five guys working together with a plan, so that was good to see.”
Preseason lineups are a mix of veterans, minor-leaguers and prospects – Moritz Seider, for example, played with Jacob Truscott, who is at camp on a tryout. But the games afford an opportunity to see how someone such as Finnie, a 20-year-old 2023 seventh-round pick, handles himself with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
The answer: Very well. Finnie was robbed on a tremendous chance driving the puck to the net early in the second period, denied when Buffalo goalie Alexandar Georgiev extended his left leg to block the puck.
It was newcomer Mason Appleton who was first to put the Wings on the scoreboard, picking up a goal 12 seconds into a penalty for too many men, making easy work of a behind-the-goal line pass from Andrew Copp. Copp also had a goal, late in the second period.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård showed off his shot during a power play midway through the second period, taking a pass from Sandin Pellikka and sending a rising shot into Buffalo’s net.
Larkin scored midway through the second period – and Finnie was right by the net in case of a rebound.
Seider was credited for the goal that made it 4-2 when a Sabres player knocked it past Georgiev.
Noah Ostlund and Josh Doan scored for the Sabres. Cam Talbot and Michal Postava, a newcomer signed to play for the Grand Rapids Griffins, split the net duties, light as they were – Talbot gave up two goals on eight shots in a little more than half the game. Postava made nine saves in his first taste of the NHL.
“I’m not thinking if it’s a preseason or postseason game, I try 100% every game,” Postava said. “I would say (it) worked well today and I need to continue.”
The Wings play again Friday, hitting the road to face the Penguins in Pittsburgh (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit).
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