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A day after he was scratched from the lineup, the Detroit Red Wings assigned Nate Danielson to the minors.
It's a reflection on the fact that since making the Wings out of training camp, the 21-year-old has shown he could use some more seasoning with the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he joins the hottest team in the AHL. The Wings announced the decision on Tuesday, Jan. 6. They next play on Thursday, when they host the Vancouver Canucks (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit).
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Danielson has seven points and a minus-7 rating in 28 appearances with the Wings (25-15-4). He played around 12 minutes in each of the games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but before that, his ice time was closer to nine minutes per game.
More: Detroit Red Wings shuffle lines, deal themselves 5-3 win over Senators
Detroit Red Wings center Nate Danielson (29) skates with the puck against Toronto Maple Leafs center Scott Laughton (24) during the first period at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025.
When the coaching staff shuffled all but one line after the Wings sleepwalked through a 4-1 loss to the Penguins last weekend, Danielson was on the outs. He slipped further down the depth chart when the team recalled John Leonard from the minors and put him in the lineup in what turned out to be a 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday. The Wings were off Tuesday.
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Danielson (No. 9, 2023) was one of three recent first-round picks who made the team out of camp in October, along with Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (No. 15, 2024) and defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka (No. 17, 2023). Brandsegg-Nygård was sent to the Griffins after producing one assist in nine games.
While it may sting initially for Danielson, he lands in a great situation. The Griffins sit atop the AHL standings at 28-1-1-1, leading the league in goals for (121) and against (54). Leonard was their leading scorer, with 32 points in 23 games. With the Griffins, Danielson can be a go-to guy playing high minutes and in all situations.
The assignment is also an indication the Wings plan to keep Leonard, 27. He has two goals and two assists in eight games − if he plays one more game with the Wings, he'd have to be put on waivers to be sent back to GR.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Detroit Red Wings assigned Nate Danielson to minors
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