Omaha Lancers acquire Nate Celski from Muskegon for draft pick

Omaha added a 6-foot-3 defenseman on July 14, sending a 2027 USHL Phase II fourth-round selection to Muskegon for Nate Celski. General manager Marc Fritsche said the move was made to “solidify our back end,” and called Celski “a very good defender with a tremendous upside.”

That price tells the story. Omaha did not give up a roster player or a premium pick; it paid with a future Phase II selection, a later-round asset from the second half of the USHL’s annual draft process. The league held its 2026 Phase I Draft on May 4 and Phase II Draft on May 5, and its trade deadline is set for February 23, so this was a summer decision made well after the draft cycle and before training camp begins to shape every roster spot.

Celski brings immediate blue-line depth. Muskegon lists him as a 2008-born defenseman from Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds. He was in his first season with the Lumberjacks after being selected in the second round of the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft, and he arrived with a track record from White Bear Lake High School, where he played 55 games across two seasons before junior hockey.

His first USHL season offered enough production to make him a meaningful add for Omaha. Elite Prospects lists Celski with 27 games played and three assists for three points in 2025-26, a modest scoring line that fits a player brought in to stabilize the defensive side rather than drive offense. For the Lancers, that kind of profile can matter as much as point totals, especially when the front office is looking for reliability on the back end before the year turns serious.

The deal also fits Muskegon’s habit of cycling talent through a strong development pipeline. The Lumberjacks noted in late June that the organization had reached 70 all-time NHL Draft picks over its 15-year history, a marker of how often the program turns young players into valuable assets. Moving Celski for a future pick keeps that pattern going, while Omaha gets a defender it believes can help now.

For the Lancers, the bet is clear: a later-round pick in 2027 carries uncertain value, while a 6-foot-3 right-now defenseman with USHL experience can reshape the blue line before the season even starts.