Red Wings’ Michael Brandsegg-Nygård has emerged as a serious Calder Trophy threat
When the Detroit Red Wings drafted Michael Brandsegg-Nygård 15th overall in 2024, they knew they were getting a near-NHL-ready winger. His two-way game was mature, his hockey sense was solid, and he knew how to wire a shot better than most his age.
But did anyone expect him to play at more than a 50-point pace in his first NHL campaign?
The Norwegian superstar is off to an incredible start in Detroit. He had one point in 14 games with the big club a year ago, but he primarily played with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, where he had 20 goals and 44 points. But this year, the numbers have been much better than expected. The 2026 IIHF World Championship bronze medalist is up to eight points through 12 games, highlighted by a trio of multi-point outings. He failed to get on the scoresheet in three of the past four games, but he’s still tracking for 56 points this year.
MBN has blown expectations out of the water already. And here’s the thing: his game isn’t about driving offense. Sure, Brandsegg-Nygård is capable of creating quality chances, but he’s much more dangerous away from the puck.
For starters, he’s hitting everyone in sight. Kiefer Sherwood set the all-time single-season hits record back in 2024-25 with 462. Yakov Trenin moved into second with 413 last year in Minnesota. Right now, Brandsegg-Nygård is tracking for 378 over the full season – that would put him fourth behind Jeremy Lauzon (383 in 2023-24). There’s still plenty of time for Brandsegg-Nygård to have his point production fall a bit, but he could be the only player of the bunch to get more than 370 hits and 45 points in a season.
MBN is tied for third in rookie scoring – but look at the names around him. Everyone expected James Hagens, Ivar Stenberg, Trevor Connelly and Gavin McKenna to be up near the top of the freshman scoring charts. But MBN, who never had more than 44 points at any level, was expected to be more of an all-around threat who was better as a real world player than someone who’d help you out in fantasy hockey. We had him as the 15th-ranked prospect in the preseason Calder Trophy rankings – he’s much closer to the top three right now.
But, realistically, he’s doing a bit of everything. Red Wings fans wanted a forward who could hit hard and strike fear into opponents consistently. And he does that while still being a weapon offensively. Brandsegg-Nygård boasts a team-leading 2.9 points-per-60 at 5-on-5 (being productive on the second line helps there) while also creating space for everyone else. He’s a true power forward in every sense of the phrase, while also being strong defensively, too. Brandsegg-Nygård is second among all Wings forwards with at least seven games played with an expected goals-against-per-60 with -0.42 (minus is good, in this case).
Brandsegg-Nygård has primarily played with Alex DeBrincat and Emmitt Finnie on Detroit’s second line, with the trio boasting a 62.2 expected goals-for percentage. That’s good for 10th in the NHL among lines with at least 60 minutes played together this year. MBN’s presence has made that trio so dangerous; DeBrincat is the shooter, Finnie is the energy guy and MBN is the one making life miserable for everyone else.
What makes Brandsegg-Nygård so interesting is how difficult he makes himself to play against. He’s one of the most active skaters out there, just moving at full pace all the time. If he wants to move you, he will. And with a shot release like his, combined with good hockey sense and puck-handling, there are plenty of long-term projectable tools here. Not only can Brandsegg-Nygård get a good shot off, but he’s excellent as a generator, too. He’s averaging 8.35 shots per 60 at 5-on-5 – that’s good for third on the Wings.
Defensively, there’s so much to love. Brandsegg-Nygård consistently takes smart angles to neutralize transition threats while keeping an active stick to end passing lanes. He also acts like more of a center in the D-zone, always rushing back to chase opponents and take space away. Brandsegg-Nygård is a well-balanced skater with a powerful stride once up to speed, and his edgework allows him to cut back cleanly along the walls. Brandsegg-Nygård’s first-step quickness is average at best, but he makes up for it by being physically dominant, and that’s fine.
“He’s a hard guy that you want on your team,” Anaheim Ducks prospect and fellow Norwegian Stian Solberg said prior to the 2024 NHL Draft. “He likes to shoot the puck, he’s a great skater, he can pass really well. He plays hard with his body, and he creates a lot of energy.”
The Red Wings are in an… interesting spot this year. The team has had a topsy-turvy start, with a realistic Wildcard spot within grasp. There’s still the Dylan Larkin saga looming over their heads with no end in sight. But there’s no doubt MBN has made this team significantly more dangerous this season. He had some growing pains in his limited action a year ago, but already looks like a permanent fixture in Detroit’s top six.
The numbers are good, the eye test is great – the hype is legit. All his offense has come at 5-on-5, too. Sure, the Wings entered the season without a high-end scoring forward in the prospect system. But Brandsegg-Nygård seems to be proving people wrong right now, doesn’t he?
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