Detroit — The Red Wings were already sold on Nate Danielson, their first-round pick (ninth overall) in last month’s NHL Entry Draft, but the one extra piece of information was nice to hear.
Kris Draper, the Wings’ assistant general manager/director of amateur scouting, heard an interview with top overall draft pick Connor Bedard. The subject was players who did a good job defending Bedard, the scoring phenom that was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks.
The answer cemented everything Draper felt about Danielson.
“He said Danielson was one of the toughest players to play against,” Draper said. “That kind of stands out in an interview. When we heard that, it was something that put a little smile on our face.”
Bedard reaffirmed it during an interview with reporters before the draft.
“He was probably the guy that maybe gave me the hardest game,” Bedard said. “He’s so fast, so skilled. If you turn it over or something, he’s going to go down and do something. He’s a great player.”
Danielson and Bedard met at hockey camps in Canada as both were progressing into junior standouts. With both playing in the Western Hockey League, they faced each other often and were able to maintain contact and a friendship.
Both, incidentally, were roommates at the draft in Nashville.
“I’m super happy for him,” Bedard said after hearing of Danielson going to the Wings. “We first met when I was 15 and he was 16. We did some training in Toronto and we hit it off right away, had a lot of fun together.
“He’s someone I’m really close with. To be able to be here with him and a lot of friends, and to hear the news that he got taken (by the Wings) is so incredible. He’s a special player and great person.”
Danielson appreciates the praise from Bedard, who many scouts feel will be a generational NHL talent.
“Me and Connor got to be pretty good buddies over the last couple of years,” Danielson said. “Having someone as good as him say something like that is cool to hear. When I go up against him, I’m not really trying to key on him. I kind of try to play my own game.
“But it’s nice to hear that from him.”
Danielson has heard all the extreme expectations surrounding Bedard, and the hype about Bedard’s debut in the NHL. It would seem a heavy burden on any 18-year-old hockey player. But Danielson doesn’t feel it’ll bother Bedard, who has been in the public eye for many years.
“He’s an unbelievable player and I expect him to have another good year next year,” Danielson said. “He’s sort of been someone who has dealt with high expectations his whole life and has always found a way to exceed them.”
The expectations from Wings fans are that Danielson will provide a sound, top-line level of two-way play that he’s shown in junior hockey.
Playing for Brandon in the WHL, Danielson (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) had 78 points (33 goals, 45 assists) but many scouts felt he could have had more if his teammates had converted more of Danielson’s feathery passes. Danielson also won nearly 53% of his faceoffs, and his skating helped take his defensive game to another level.
During the three-on-three portion of the development camp, Danielson’s ability to thrive in open ice and create offensively was evident.
“Nate has talent, you can see that out there,” said Dan Cleary, the Wings’ director of player development. “He’s a smart player. He’s a real nice kid, quiet. He has to come out of his shell a little bit.”
It might be that Danielson’s head was still spinning from waiting to hear his name called at the draft, to realizing he’s been picked by an NHL team, to hopping on a plane, arriving in Detroit for a camp and meeting more of the Red Wings’ front office and coaching staff.
Even toward the end of the five-day camp, Danielson admitted it was a whirlwind.
“It’s been pretty go, go, go from the draft,” Danielson said. “I’m sure once I get home for a couple of days and relax, I’m sure it’ll sink in then. But it’s been fun. Coming from Nashville and making my way here, meeting everyone here. It’s been a lot, but it’s been a real good time.
“Now the real work starts.”
Danielson’s main objective during the camp was to “soak in” all the information the Wings provided, be it nutrition, hockey skills, weight room training or finances.
“There’s a ton of great people here, a lot to learn from everyone here,” Danielson said. “I’ve been trying to do that. The message so far has been just getting bigger and stronger (physically). I want to put on weight (in the offseason).”
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan