Nate Danielson
Two-way center capable of playing up and down the lineup
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 185 lbs.
Shoots: Right
Position: Center
Team: Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Nationality: Canada
The Draft Prospectus Ranking: #20
While every GM wants to find that dynamic center to lead their top line out for the next decade, it’s equally important to balance the lineup with solid two-way forwards. While Nate Danielson is capable of high-end plays, he’s a gritty, no-nonsense center playing a 200-foot game.
With a September 2004 birthday, Danielson was just shy of being eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft, but will likely be a first-round pick in 2023. Named captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings during his draft season, Danielson brings leadership to the locker room along with consistency to his play.
Danielson got off to a slow start to the season as Brandon struggled to maintain pace with the rest of the WHL. Following the mid-December holiday break, Danielson began to pick up his play, finishing the season with 78 points (33 goals, 45 assists) in 68 games.
“Strong two-way centre who has deceptive quickness in his skating and hands, which allows him to get the puck into advantageous positions to shoot or to pass. Has an intense approach to the details in the game and a desire to excel.” - Craig Button, TSN
Around that time, it looked like Danielson may be falling out of first-round contention, but a late-season surge had him right back near top-20 contention.
You won’t find Danielson lighting up the scoreboard at any point in his career, as he only managed a single multi-goal game in 2023, but his contributions go much further than the score sheet shows. Danielson makes up for his teammates in areas where they struggle. He’ll support them in either the offensive or defensive zone as an outlet or pulling a puck from the corner during a board battle.
Though he wasn’t a member of the Canadian roster at the 2023 World Junior Championship, Danielson was invited to the team's summer camp, where he was one of only three first-year draft-eligible players out of 48, joined by Adam Fantilli and Koehn Ziemmer.
🥅 Though he’s not a potent point producer, Danielson can carry his weight in the offensive end of the ice at any level. How much that weight is, has yet to be determined.
Since the mid-season mark, Danielson has become much more aggressive in his offensive play. He began cutting toward the net much more rather than remaining on the perimeter, which seemed to turn his season around production-wise.
Danielson’s skating would qualify as average, but it works for his style. He’s not a player who’ll fly past defenders in transition, but succeeds more playing within the offensive structure in the opponent's end. He’s quicker than he is faster, allowing him to pivot with the puck as he looks to drive play.
His puck skills are his greatest offensive asset, but not in the usual sense of dangling around opponents making highlight reel plays. He’s much simpler with the puck yet remarkably efficient. Simplicity is the key to his game, as he proves that often less can be more.
While more of a playmaker than a power-forward, Danielson has tremendous size to stave off defenders while carrying the puck. As one of the older prospects in this draft, turning 19 only three months later, it’s unlikely he’ll add more height but can surely add muscle to his current 185 lbs frame.
When allowed to display his shot, Danielson can really fire the puck home. While not high-end, he has an above-average shot which he likes to use between the circles. He’s capable of picking corners and beating nearly any goaltender, clean.
🏒 Danielson stands out as one of the defensive forwards in this year's draft. Similar to Calum Ritchie, his game is built from the defensive end, typically generating his offense from defense.
He’s tremendously supportive of his teammates when pinned inside their own end. He likes to assist in puck battles, whether that’s looking to pull out the puck or go body-to-body with bigger defenders in the corners. Regardless of the opponent, Danielson doesn't stray away from the physical aspect of the game.
During man-down situations, Danielson is typically the first forward his coach will turn to on the bench to begin the penalty kill. His stick is consistently active, looking to disrupt passing lanes and using his defensive awareness to read the opposition and jump the ensuing pass.
📊 While he’s nearly a lock to come off the board in the first round, it’s difficult to project Danielson any higher than 15. While he has a future NHL center written all over him, it’s difficult to tell if that will be in a top-6 role. He’d fit ideally in as a high-end third-line center.
Depending on how far he was to fall, I could see a team like the Buffalo Sabres making a run at Danielson. They’re a team who has struggled mightily over the years, accruing high draft picks. While they’ve accumulated some high-end talent in recent drafts, they could use a middle-6 center who can help lock down the opposition's top line.
When comparing defensive-minded forwards to current NHL players, the first names that come to mind are Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, and Aleksander Barkov. While I wouldn’t quite put Danielson into that elite category just yet, he reminds me of Phillip Danault with more potential offensive upside but maybe not as strong defensively.
I see Danielson being drafted somewhere between 18-25. I just don’t think he has the explosiveness to garner a selection much higher. He’ll spend next year back with the Wheat Kings, and if his offensive game can grow, it would not surprise me to see him as a top-6 center in the NHL someday.
📈 📉 Rankings by Top Publications and Insiders
Sportsnet: 15
TSN/Bob McKenzie: 15
TSN/Craig Button: 18
EliteProspects: 26
The Hockey News: 30