The Detroit Red Wings haven’t given up on center Nate Danielson.
“He’s still figuring out the game here, and I think he’s got a tremendous toolbox,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said.
At the same time, Danielson is going to have to give them a lot more if he wants to be an NHL regular.
Assigned to the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday, Danielson, 21, had gone 11 consecutive games without registering a point. It had been 13 games since he scored a goal.
UPDATE: The #RedWings have assigned forward Nate Danielson to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. pic.twitter.com/lfU4Rutzj5
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 6, 2026
“Nate is going to have to produce some offense over time,” McLellan said. “He’s got to put it all together.”
He was a healthy scratch as the Red Wings were in Ottawa on Monday to face the Senators. If the press box was going to continue to be his locale at the NHL level, getting him back to the AHL, where he’ll probably play top-six minutes, is the wisest alternative.
“Sometimes the goals that you get when you’re 20 and when you’re 40 – you look at JVR – they’re a little bit greasy,” McLellan said. “I hate when people use words like grinding-type goals. They’re rebounds, they’re tip-ins. There’s something off of a goaltender that you happen to be in the right spot, and you whack it in.
“It’s not always just the playmaking and the sweet finishes and that type of stuff. And I think there’s more of those goals in Danny or plays in Danny, and that’ll come out over time. We’ll help them with that.
“But, you know, we want to make sure he maintains a level of offensive confidence as well. And he’s got to participate in that a bit too.”
That latter reason is why, for the time being, Grand Rapids is the best place for Danielson to be playing.
Why Wouldn’t The Red Wings Send Down Kasper?
The oft-asked question, and it’s certainly legit to pose it, is why wasn’t struggling forward Marco Kasper the one to go down to the minors?
Kasper hasn’t scored since a two-goal game at Los Angeles on October 30. He’s accumulated three assists in the past 33 games.
The game, though, isn’t just about offense. Kasper contributes elements to the Red Wings’ cause that Danielson wasn’t.
Loving the physicality from Marco Kasper today#LGRW 👻
— Derek Frazier (@FrazierDerekJr) January 3, 2026
Kasper leads the Red Wings with 96 hits. That’s 30 more than any other forward on the team. His 26 shot blocks are tied for fifth among the club’s forwards. He can kill penalties and win pucks back with his tenacity.
Kasper also has a track record. He scored 19 goals in the NHL last season. Danielson doesn’t have that level of production on his resume.
Yes, Kasper absolutely needs to improve his offensive game. But he has done it in the past, and that buys him a Mulligan that Danielson hasn’t yet earned.