Many solid European skaters will be chosen in the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Some of the top-ranked talents include forward Ivan Demidov, center Konsta Helenius, defenseman Adam Jiricek, and winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygård. Brandsegg-Nygård specifically is one of the top talents from Norway in this upcoming class, along with blueliner Stian Solberg. He has been tied to a few different teams who could potentially draft him. If he is available for the Washington Capitals with the 17th overall selection, general manager (GM) Brian MacLellan could possibly pick him. He is one of the wingers, like Liam Greentree, who could go around where the Capitals currently reside in the first round.
Growing His Game Overseas
Brandsegg-Nygård was born on Oct. 5, 2005, in Oslo, Norway. During his time growing his game over the years, he suited up in various leagues. He spent a lot of time in the Vålerenga program. He debuted with their U16 squad during the 2018-19 season, where he only played four games and produced two goals and one assist for three points. 2019-20 saw Brandsegg-Nygård split his time between the Vålerenga U16 team and their U18 group. For Vålerenga U16, he scored 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points in 15 games. When he donned the U18 sweater, he tallied seven points in 15 contests (three goals and four assists).
Brandsegg-Nygård played between the Vålerenga U16, U18, and U21 groups over the span of the 2020-21 season. 2021-22 had him playing for both the U18 and U20 teams. He also played in eight contests for the Vålerenga team in the EliteHockey Ligaen (EHL). During these two regular seasons, he put up the following stats:
- 2020-21 Vålerenga U16: two goals and one assist for three points in two games
- 2020-21 Vålerenga U18: 16 goals and five assists for 21 points in eight games
- 2020-21 Vålerenga U21: two assists in two games
- 2021-22 Vålerenga U18: 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in seven games
- 2021-22 Vålerenga U20: 24 goals and 18 assists for 42 points in 25 games
- 2021-22 Vålerenga (EHL): no points in eight games
Additionally, Brandsegg-Nygård played in some postseason games for each of the Vålerenga clubs in 2021-22. He posted the following on those runs:
- 2021-22 Vålerenga U18: two goals and six assists for eight points in four games
- 2021-22 Vålerenga U20: two goals and four assists for six points in four games
- 2021-22 Vålerenga (EHL): no points in one game
After spending a few seasons in the Vålerenga program, 2022-23 saw Brandsegg-Nygård head over to the Mora IK program. He was able to suit up for their J18, J20, and HockeyAllsvenskan teams. For J18, he chalked up 10 points (five goals and five assists) in four games. As a member of the J20 Mora IK roster, he accrued 38 points in 35 games (17 goals and 21 assists). As for his time with the HockeyAllsvenskan, he potted one goal and two assists for three points in 11 games.
This most recent hockey season saw Brandsegg-Nygård mostly play for Mora IK in the HockeyAllsvenskan. He played in seven contests for the J20 club, where he posted five goals and seven assists for 12 points. He suited up for 41 games for Mora IK in HockeyAllsvenskan. In that span, he accumulated eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points. The team also made it into the playoff qualifications. In 12 postseason appearances, Brandsegg-Nygård tallied four goals and six assists for 10 points.
Strengths of Brandsegg-Nygård’s Game
Brandsegg-Nygård has a lot of strengths that make him a great addition to the draft board of any NHL general manager. Writer Jesse Courville-Lynch talked about how multiple offensive assets make him one of the most complete talents in the 2024 Draft class. He wrote, “Brandsegg-Nygård might be one of the most complete players in the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry Draft. While some players usually have one strength with their offensive game that stands out to many scouts, he has several strengths and doesn’t neglect any of them.” He specifically mentions some of Brandsegg-Nygård’s strengths are his “unpredictable shot,” “hockey IQ,” and “ability to create open space,” among other attributes.
When looking at NHL comparables, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News mentions four specific names with the potential impact Brandsegg-Nygård could have on an NHL roster. He brings up how he is also dependable both defensively and physically. Loucks wrote, “I would think of Brandsegg-Nygard as more of a Lawson Crouse or a Mason Marchment type of player. One who is physical and responsible defensibly but also can contribute offensively and can play on the second power play unit. Or think of him as a player that is a mix of Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno. A power forward and high Hockey IQ forward who can produce in the top-six or top-nine.”
Related: Top 5 Power Forwards in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft
Being compared to NHL talents like Crouse and Eriksson-Ek is a big deal. Crouse, who is currently a part of the Utah Hockey Club, made a name for himself with the Arizona Coyotes for parts of eight seasons. He has been impactful on the score sheet and a nice piece on those Coyotes teams. Crouse put up the following while in Arizona:
- 2016-17: five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 72 games
- 2017-18: one goal in 11 games
- 2018-19: 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points in 81 games
- 2019-20: 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points in 66 games
- 2020-21: four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 51 games
- 2021-22: 20 goals and 14 assists for 34 points in 65 games
- 2022-23: 24 goals and 21 assists for 45 points in 77 games
- 2023-24: 23 goals and 19 assists for 42 points in 81 games
As for Eriksson-Ek, he is someone who was not producing as much offensively but has more recently notched some more points for the Minnesota Wild. His regular season point totals through his time with the Wild are below:
- 2016-17: three goals and four assists for seven points in 15 games
- 2017-18: six goals and 10 assists for 16 points in 75 games
- 2018-19: seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in 58 games
- 2019-20: eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points in 62 games
- 2020-21: 19 goals and 11 assists for 30 points in 56 games
- 2021-22: 26 goals and 23 assists for 49 points in 77 games
- 2022-23: 23 goals and 38 assists for 61 points in 78 games
- 2023-24: 30 goals and 34 assists for 64 points in 77 games
In both cases with Crouse and Eriksson-Ek, their offense took a little bit of time to show up in the NHL. Their production got better in recent history, but they are now both key pieces to their respective offenses. It might take a little time for Brandsegg-Nygård to do the same. Whichever team drafts him, both management and the fans of that franchise need to make sure he is given enough time to transition his game over to North America.
As for his defensive play, Courville-Lynch thinks that it should not take long for Brandsegg-Nygård to make the transition to the NHL game. He wrote in Brandsegg-Nygård’s draft profile, “It also helps that he is viewed as one of the strongest defensive-minded forwards in the upcoming draft, so translating his game from Europe to North America shouldn’t be too difficult.”
The Prospect of Being Picked at 17
There is a chance that Brandsegg-Nygård is selected before the Capitals are up at pick 17. If they trade up for him or he falls to 17 and MacLellan picks him, they are getting a nice forward with the potential to be a player like Eriksson-Ek or Crouse. Loucks also brought up Foligno and Marchment. If he has a career similar to any of these players, the Capitals are getting a good one. He might not be as talked about as some of the other names in the 2024 NHL Draft, but by no means does that mean he is not going to be a good player who will be impactful in the league. Like with all other draft-eligible talents, the hockey world will soon know where Brandsegg-Nygård lands. If it is the Capitals, it is a potential win for the organization.
