{"id":578895,"date":"2026-05-19T19:21:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T19:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/578895\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T19:21:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T19:21:16","slug":"next-up-in-hockeytown-michael-brandsegg-nygard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/578895\/","title":{"rendered":"Next Up in Hockeytown: Michael Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite having two short stints on the Red Wings this season that didn\u2019t yield much, Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd had dominated the AHL playoffs both physically and on the stat sheet. The Grand Rapids Griffins recently punched their ticket to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs, scoring two goals and tallying an assist across four games.<\/p>\n

The AHL doesn\u2019t keep track of the hits, but there is no doubt Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd would be amongst the AHL\u2019s best in the stat. He doesn\u2019t shy away from the physical play that comes in the postseason, and it\u2019s led to him coming out of the first round as one of the best Griffins.<\/p>\n

All of this came after a very productive debut season in North America, recording 20 goals and 44 points in 60 games. Outproducing even Marco Kasper\u2019s season in the AHL by a pretty comfortable margin (Kasper\u2019s best season saw him score 14 goals and 35 points in 71 games). There\u2019s reason to be excited about Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd, especially if Detroit can surround him with some legitimate talent.<\/p>\n

So why does MBN fit the current needs of the Red Wings so well? <\/p>\n

Helping the Current Roster Needs<\/p>\n

\"\"Michael Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd during his time in Sweden | Photo: Daniel Eriksson \/ BILDBYR\u00c5N<\/p>\n

Even when Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd was drafted, it was largely to address some of the issues with the current roster. Out of his draft, Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd was described as a high-motor player with the strength to punish teams with both his body and his shot. The brute strength is something the Red Wings really lacked, especially up front, both in their prospect pool and on the current roster. The 2025-26 Red Wings, more than any other Detroit team in recent memory, struggled with some of the things MBN brings to the table. <\/p>\n

The biggest need for the Red Wings is getting harder to play against. Detroit was one of the worst teams in the league at even strength by nearly every advanced metric. There is obviously layers as to why that was the case. Some fans point to Detroit\u2019s lack of physicality and hits as a reason they were so easy to play keep-away from. Others may point to the lack of speed on this roster aside from a few key bodies. Both of which, MBN brings in spades. <\/p>\n

Even when surrounded by a pretty bad bottom six, MBN had a 52% xGF and 62.7% SF, meaning he was pretty comfortably dominating the play while he was on the ice. It didn\u2019t translate to offense obviously, but part of that was due to Detroit being ranked 31st in the league for finishing by hockeystats.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The reason MBN has such positive analytics despite the poor team around him was that he brings what Detroit lacks, as mentioned, the speed and physicality to punish other teams.<\/p>\n

Getting the Most Out of Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd<\/p>\n

\"NHLRed Wings forward Emmitt Finnie (right) skating against Matt Barzal (left) | AP Photo\/Ryan Sun<\/p>\n

The biggest problem with Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd last season was that he was simply surrounded by players who weren\u2019t good enough to get the most out of him. Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd only spent ~24:00 minutes total alongside one of the Red Wings 60+ point scorers. Simply put, that\u2019s not good enough for a rookie. <\/p>\n

The proof is in the pudding. Andrew Copp, Marco Kasper, J.T. Compher, and Emmitt Finnie all struggled when placed in depth roles and looked much better after getting time in the top six around genuine talent. Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd is no different; he needs to be around talent next season, and I think there is a pretty obvious line that could get a lot out of him.<\/p>\n

Steve Yzerman needs to add a top-six forward full stop. He also made it clear that he is a firm believer in Marco Kasper next season. All signs point to the top six featuring one new addition, Marco Kasper, Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, and Patrick Kane. That leaves a pretty solid third line to be built around MBN.<\/p>\n

The first piece is Andrew Copp. He\u2019s a gritty, playmaking center who is responsible defensively and able to take on any matchup. Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd is a shooter, and Copp is a great option down the middle to be the guy feeding him while still maintaining defensive integrity.<\/p>\n

On the left wing, there would be Emmitt Finnie. After a great rookie season, his pace and two-way potential are a great fit next to Copp and MBN. Finnie has no problem throwing hits and creating rush chances which Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd strives with.<\/p>\n

It would create a third line that not only fans but Steve Yzerman would love. In his postseason presser, Yzerman mentioned wanting a checking line or maybe a shutdown line for the third line, and this one can do both. Each player is responsible and gritty enough to throw hits and hold it down defensively while transitioning the puck offensively.<\/p>\n

The coaching staff would love it, and I think it\u2019s exactly how Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd can be let loose next season to help Detroit\u2019s depth in a big way.<\/p>\n

More to Read<\/p>\n

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