The Detroit Red Wings signed 2024 first round pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to a three-year, $975,000 entry level contract

Two weeks ago, the Detroit Red Wings drafted Michael Brandsegg-Nygard with the 15th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Now, they’ve signed him to a contract.

Detroit inked Brandsegg-Nygard to a three-year, $975,000 entry level contract Thursday, making him the 14th first round pick from the draft to sign an NHL deal. Known for his big shot and battle-winning mindset, Brandsegg-Nygard is one of the top winger prospects in the Red Wings organization.

Brandsegg-Nygard, who is the highest drafted Norwegian player in NHL history, is expected to play for Skelleftea AIK in the SHL next season. He’ll be on the same team as a 2023 first round pick, defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka, who also signed his entry level deal this offseason.

Signing so soon after the draft might be unexpected for Brandsegg-Nygard considering that he’s not bound for North American ice next season. But, because he’s 18 this year, he has two years of contract slide eligibility. This means that if he does not play nine NHL games in his 18- or 19-year-old season, then he does not use a year of his contract term. So while Brandsegg-Nygard’s contract is signed to go through 2026-27, he could really be on his entry-level deal until 2028-29 because of the slide rule. Detroit had no rush to sign him, but this ensures he is able to play for the club when needed.

After the draft, Brandsegg-Nygard took part in Detroit’s prospect Development Camp, where he showed the tenacious play style that had scouts so high on him. As THN’s Sam Stockton wrote:

In the three-on-three tournament, the attributes ascribed to Brandsegg-Nygard in pre-draft conversation began to come out. He was hard on the puck, and his shot looked dangerous (particularly on a beautiful snipe from close range). Even in the context of a three-on-three game in the summer, I liked the instinct Brandsegg-Nygard showed to drive toward the net with the puck on his stick.

Those traits are already a solid baseline for Brandsegg-Nygard to work with, but he’ll look to grow even more with a Skelleftea team that just won the SHL championship back in April. And with his signature on a new contract, he might bring his game to Detroit someday soon.