Chicago Hockey Now’s Nate Brown has written that he expects University of Michigan standout Frank Nazar to be in the Chicago Blackhawks’ lineup next fall. On Easter Sunday, Nazar made the case himself by demonstrating how entertainingly slick he can be offensively in helping Michigan down Michigan St. to reach the Frozen Four.

As the video below shows, Nazar (Chicago, 13th overall, 2022) delivered a puck through his legs to set up Gavin Brindley (Columbus Blue Jackets, 33th overall, 2023) for the team’s fourth goal in a 5-2 win.

The presumption is the Blackhawks will offer Nazar a contract as soon as Michigan’s season is over.  The Wolverines will play Boston College on Thursday, April 11 (8:30 p.m., ET, ESPN2) in the Frozen Four semifinal at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. Denver and Boston University are playing in the other semifinal.

“There’s no fooling anymore,” Brown wrote on Chicago Hockey Now. “Frank Nazar is the real deal and will be a strong candidate to not only get that entry-level deal–but also a real shot at the Blackhawks opening night lineup come October.”

This pass from @umichhockey's Frank Nazar is

: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/Ih4ArLQKeh

— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) April 1, 2024

Red Wings g  Case You Missed It

• Red Wings prospects Shai Buium (Denver) and Kienan Draper (Michigan) will both be playing in the Frozen Four NCAA champion starting April 11.
• Detroit top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa hasn’t lost Grand Rapids Griffins in regulation since Jan. 12. He has earned at least one point for his team in 17 consecutive games.
• Detroit is 0-2-2 on this road trip. Is the team in a state of denial? Bob Duff weighs in.

Red Wings Next Game

The clock is ticking for the Red Wings. With only eight games remaining, every game is a must-win contest, including tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Coach Jon Cooper’s Tampa Bay is 8-1-1 in their last 10, but Detroit has beaten the Lightning twice this season.

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Montreal: Premium prospect Lane Hutson helped Boston University reach the Frozen Four with a 6-3 win against Minnesota. Hutson had the GWG in that game. His Terriers will play Denver on April 11. Defenseman Hutson has 49 points in 37 games.  Montreal Canadiens.

Nashville: Matthew Wood, the Nashville Predators’ 2023 first round pick, is changing schools to continue his NCAA career. After playing two seasons at the University of Connecticut, he is entering the transfer portal.

Philadelphia:  PHN takes a look at the Philadelphia Flyers‘ playoff odds and the possible scenarios if they make the postseason.

Pittsburgh: Dan Kingerski tries to make sense of why the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost in regulation 19 times after leading in the game. That’s certainly at the heart of the team’s struggles this season.

The post The Daily: Michigan’s Nazar Makes Must-See Pass; Preds’ Draftee Transferring appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The first round of the NHL entry draft is to take place on Thursday, July 7 in Montreal. At 8th overall, the Detroit Red Wings will be making their first-round selection. Based on talking to scouts, GMs and other hockey people, as well as studying the mock drafts of top NHL draft experts, Detroit Hockey Now is looking at players who could potentially be Detroit’s selection. Today, we look at USA U-18 center/wing Frank Nazar. 

Frank Nazar

Some players on USA’s Under-18 team registered more goals and others posted more assists, but Frank Nazar II did lead his team in one unofficial category.

“In the two years, he’s probably the guy who turned the most heads,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, USA Hockey’s Director of Hockey Operations.

Nazar offers a bit of magic, an extra layer of fireworks, and a “wow” factor that always caught scouts’ attention

“He didn’t come in with a lot of acclaim but he’s a guy who proves he’s gifted beyond any player,” Vanbiesbrouck said. “He has a lot of compete in him. Wins a lot of races. He gets a lot of breakaways.”

Frank Nazar was introduced to hockey by his father, Frank, who used to own a parking garage in downtown Detroit where people going to @DetroitRedWings games would park. That was the start of the @USAHockeyNTDP forward's Red Wings fandom. #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/gxAwddy9te

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) July 2, 2022

Nazar netted 28 goals and blended in 42 assists for 70 points in 56 games. That left him third on the team in points.

“I could see him going in the top 10 in the draft,” Vanbiesbrouck said. “How many right-shot centers are available in this draft? They are hard to come by.”

Why Might The Red Wings Select Nazar?

Nazar is a Michigan native. He’s one of the most gifted players available in the draft.  Offensively, he makes plays that can’t be taught. His sense of anticipation is uncanny.

“I see a lot of Michael Peca in him,” Vanbiesbrouck said. “That’s saying something. I’ve always liked the Michael Peca type player. The leader. Key guy. Does anything you wanted him to.”

Peca played 864 NHL games and could match-up with the NHL’s best.

Nazar is also headed to the University of Michigan. That’s where Detroit captain Dylan Larkin went and that worked out well for the Red Wings.

"Just using my high compete and my skills to help that team win each night… that's something I'm going to try to bring to whatever team drafts me."

Get to know Frank Nazar, a top-ranked prospect in the 2022 #NHLDraft! pic.twitter.com/DodKYBeEj2

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) July 5, 2022

Why Won’t The Red Wings Select Nazar?

Even if Nazar is ranked No. 8 on Detroit’s draft rankings, it seems plausible that a player ahead of Nazar will also be available when Detroit picks.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki was unbelievable at the U-18 World tournament and he could be available at No. 8. Big forward Cutter Gauthier might be available. Nothing has leaked out of the Detroit camp.  However, it seems like the Red Wings would be interested in center Marco Kasper.

GM Steve Yzerman said he will make the first-round pick on the basis of ability and not positional need. But it is not a secret that the Red Wings are looking to add some bigger skilled forwards. Nazar is 5-foot-10, 175 pounds.

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The post Red Wings Draft Prospectus: Could Frank Nazar III Be Detroit’s Pick at No. 8? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Moritz Seider’s presence on the Detroit Red Wings’ roster is proof that general manager Steve Yzerman doesn’t follow the crowd when it comes draft pick evaluation. Yzerman took Moritz Seider at No. 6 when experts had him going much later.

TSN Draft Expert Bob McKenzie, who polls NHL scouts and general managers, had Seider ranked 16th in his final 2019 draft ranking.

That”s why it’s tricky to guess what the Red Wings will do with their first-round draft pick. Plus, you can’t be sure who will even be available because every team’s draft list is different. But with more than a month to go before the draft, here are six players the Red Wings might consider if they are available.

The post Six Potential Stars Who Could be The Steve Yzerman Pick at No. 8 | DHN+ appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Marco D’Amico of Montreal Hockey Now, known for his draft analysis, predicts the Detroit Red Wings will select Michigan native Frank Nazar with the No. 8 pick.

D’Amico’s mock draft factors in a simulation of tonight’s draft lottery. In the D’Amico simulation, the  Seattle Kraken win the lottery and the right to pick No. 1. The Montreal Canadiens pick No. 2. As a result, the Red Wing would stay at No. 8. The NHL Draft Lottery will be held tonight (6:30 p.m., ESPN). The Red Wings have a 54.4% chance of staying at No. 8, and an 84.4% chance of drafting either No. 8 or No. 9. The 2022 NHL draft is July 7-8 in Montreal.

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Nazar is a Steve Yzerman-sized center for the U.S. National Team Development Program. He’s a fast and gifted player headed to the University of Michigan.

“He uses his high Hockey IQ to read plays and make the opposition pay dearly for their mistakes,” D’Amico writes. “… Nazar will continue to grow and learn the rigors of the center position before making the jump to the NHL, much like Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin did many years ago.

Geekie to Verbeek?

D’Amico’s mock draft has 6-foot-4 center Conor Geekie of the Winnipeg Ice going to the Buffalo Sabres in the pick after Detroit’s selection. In theory, Geekie could be the replacement for Jack Eichel. The rub on Geekie is his skating needs improvement.

“Geekie has the best overall potential at this rank,” D’Amico writes, “and could truly emerge as a top C if he is able to continue improving his skating over the next few years.

Frank Nazar ties the game at two and he's fired up, heck of a defensive play by Chesley at the other end #U18Worlds pic.twitter.com/ObgC3MBRLU

— Brandon Holmes (@BHolmes_Hockey) May 1, 2022

The mock draft predicts Swedish dynamic standout Jonathan Lekkerimaki going at No. 10 to Pat Verbeek’s Anaheim Ducks.

“Anaheim would solidify the forward position for a long while, giving franchise centerman Trevor Zegras a running man to create havoc in the offensive zone with for years to come,” D’Amico writes.

The Red Wings are connected to Geekie and Lekkerimaki because they project to go in the vicinity of the No. 8 pick.

The post New Mock Draft Projects Red Wings Drafting Slick Center Frank Nazar appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.