Prospect Info: 64th Overall, Mattias Norlinder LD

[Habssince89]

The poise/IQ/skating combination gives him a high floor. I think he can be at the very least a mobile bottom pairing guy who can make safe plays and strong breakouts. But he obviously has offensive potential as well. He looks like a good pick in hindsight.

 

[Goldenhands]

Really makes you wonder wtf Quebec is doing.

Last top D prospect coming from the Q is Dobson and he is not even a Quebecer...

You have guys like Savard, Letang, Vlasic having good NHL carreers but thats about it, you know something is wrong when Gaston Therrien is the president of the Midget AAA league...

 

[A55P2]

Last top D prospect coming from the Q is Dobson and he is not even a Quebecer...

You have guys like Savard, Letang, Vlasic having good NHL carreers but thats about it, you know something is wrong when Gaston Therrien is the president of the Midget AAA league...

Honestly, hockey canada should invest in having some coaches from Nordic countries come in and rip apart the whole program, it's structure, goals, etc.

 

[montreal]

Wonder if he is a dark horse to make the team. After all, he's already playing with men and acquitting himself well. Or is Leskinen sufficiently talented and presumed closer to a starting position with the big team?

There is a need for more puck movers at the back, especially if this team sees itself as a skating team. If we cannot trade for one or sign one, let's promote one.

he won't even be at camp, he spent the bulk of last year playing in the J20, the top Swedish junior league, he only played 14 games in 2nd league (Allsvenskan, their version of the AHL). He just turned 19 in April so it sounds like the plan is for him to play a full year in Allsvenskan unless he gets promoted to the SHL, maybe a shot at Team Sweden for the WJC's although with how stacked their blueline is and him missing the summer showcase camp/tournament that doesn't help matters.

Not to compare them as players but the last Swedish defensemen we drafted was Nygren who also was an overager but he was 2 years older compared to Norlinder being 1 year older. Nygren at 18 played in Division 1 which is below Allsvenskan but above J20. Nygren put up good numbers there but Norlinder put up a solid 6 pts in 14 games with Allsvenskan. The next year Nygren played 9 SHL games and split the year between the Allsvenskan and Division 1 where he put up a over a ppg. So hopefully Norlinder puts up impressive numbers in Allsvenskan and maybe a few SHL games.

Will be interesting to see what kind of season he has and what the plans are for him after that as his contract is up at the end of next season with Modo but the Habs can take their time with him if they want.

 

[Montreal Impact FC]

Last top D prospect coming from the Q is Dobson and he is not even a Quebecer...

You have guys like Savard, Letang, Vlasic having good NHL carreers but thats about it, you know something is wrong when Gaston Therrien is the president of the Midget AAA league...

hahahaha lolll big time.

 

[Guns n Roses]

Honestly, hockey canada should invest in having some coaches from Nordic countries come in and rip apart the whole program, it's structure, goals, etc.

Pretty sad when other countries have to teach us how to play a sport we invented.

 

[Toene]

Only in the last 2 drafts... Dahlin, Broberg, Boqvist, Soderstrom, Bjornfot, Norlinder, Sandin, Lunkvist Johansson, Lundmark ect... Crazy all the talent Sweden is producing on the back end!!!

Liljegren.

 

[Hfbsux]

Last top D prospect coming from the Q is Dobson and he is not even a Quebecer...

You have guys like Savard, Letang, Vlasic having good NHL carreers but thats about it, you know something is wrong when Gaston Therrien is the president of the Midget AAA league...

What?!? That's just Pejorative Slured.

 

[Hfbsux]

Liljegren.

3 drafts ago and not really high on him... Sandin tho.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

Pretty sad when other countries have to teach us how to play a sport we invented.

Au contraire, that means we were successful in our invention! Many countries could not resist their attraction to it.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Honestly, hockey canada should invest in having some coaches from Nordic countries come in and rip apart the whole program, it's structure, goals, etc.

My solution to the CHL is to allow more overagers and increase the age a bit. Let each team have 6 players from the 20-23 range for example. This means less 16 year olds and only the good ones make the roster. I also think the CHL should pay the the guys in the 20-23 range to create incentive for them to stay in the CHL vs go to the AHL and get demoted to the ECHL (or play university hockey). There are some CHL teams that can't afford to pay players but if you limit it to 6 max, I think they can survive.

I think this creates more of a physical league and helps the development of the top talent in the 17, 18, 19 ranges which is where you see the most growth. Raise the competition and they will raise their games.

 

[domiwroze]

Finland, Russia, Sweden all have men leagues to graduate from those junior leagues to compete with adults and learn faster. Here in America we have what is called, the NHL. The gap between the 2 is way too large and it's either play against lesser player or struggle to play 20games in the NHL.

Also, in Quebec we don't play contact hockey before a certain age to remove the sens of competition. So young D that are skilled are more tempted to move to a foward position

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

he is not even a Quebecer...

Well he is from Summerside, it's mostly french acadien/Quebecers

there's no way he doesn't speak french if he's from Summerside

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[Vachon23]

That is something really nice. I hope he can stay with Enström next year to. It can just be benefits for him to learn how to be a pro with a guy that played 700 games in the NHL and averaging 22:45minutes by game.

 

[montreal]

That is something really nice. I hope he can stay with Enström next year to. It can just be benefits for him to learn how to be a pro with a guy that played 700 games in the NHL and averaging 22:45minutes by game.

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He's not currently listed on the roster for Modo, his younger brother is as he's been on the team the past few years. So I don't know if he's going to retire or just taking his time re-signing, as I'm surprised he would go from the NHL to Allsvenskan, although it's not like he needs the money and I'm sure getting to play with his brother is why he was there last year.

 

[Darz]

Wow.....gotta like hearing things like that.

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

Last top D prospect coming from the Q is Dobson and he is not even a Quebecer...

You have guys like Savard, Letang, Vlasic having good NHL carreers but thats about it, you know something is wrong when Gaston Therrien is the president of the Midget AAA league...

Therrien was president for a single season then they canned him. Or so I've heard. Stupid ridiculous choice, I guess they thought they'd get media exposure.

 

[habergeon]

Look in the NHL, Sweden product alote of quality defenseman

I don't know the policy on putting external links, so please delete if not allowed, but here is a great article in the Athletic on Sweden's innovative development program.

Grassroots to Gold: Sweden uses innovative thinking to...

Grassroots programs will always yield such amazing results. USA Hockey is another leader.

 

[QuebecPride]

Last top D prospect coming from the Q is Dobson and he is not even a Quebecer...

You have guys like Savard, Letang, Vlasic having good NHL carreers but thats about it, you know something is wrong when Gaston Therrien is the president of the Midget AAA league...

Québec has developed his fair share of defenders, some have hit bumps on the road, but there is a good list of up-and-comers on defense. Off the top of my head:

Thomas Chabot, Samuel Girard, Samuel Morin, P-O Joseph, Guillaume Brisebois, Jérémy Lauzon, Zachary Lauzon, Nicolas Beaudin, Philippe Myers (I'll grant you he's from NB), Jérémy Roy (if he can catch a break injury wise), Thomas Grégoire, Samuel Bolduc.

There is for sure work to be done in terms of development, but you would have bad fate to say Québec hasn't developed a defender recently. 3 out of those already are in the NHL and a couple are on the cusp (Morin, Brisebois, Roy, J. Lauzon), while the others are quite promising.

 

[Mrb1p]

I don't know the policy on putting external links, so please delete if not allowed, but here is a great article in the Athletic on Sweden's innovative development program.

Grassroots to Gold: Sweden uses innovative thinking to...

Grassroots programs will always yield such amazing results. USA Hockey is another leader.

To be fair, Sweden needs to sort out their forward and goaltending situation first. Theyve had great success with defenders, sure, but Pettersson, Forsberg, Lindholm, Landeskog and Bill Nylander in the last 10 years is pathetic.

 

[CapSpace]

Pretty sad when other countries have to teach us how to play a sport we invented.

That's what happens when you put your head deep inside your own ass to contemplate your belly button from the interior.

 

[Goldenhands]

Québec has developed his fair share of defenders, some have hit bumps on the road, but there is a good list of up-and-comers on defense. Off the top of my head:

Thomas Chabot, Samuel Girard, Samuel Morin, P-O Joseph, Guillaume Brisebois, Jérémy Lauzon, Zachary Lauzon, Nicolas Beaudin, Philippe Myers (I'll grant you he's from NB), Jérémy Roy (if he can catch a break injury wise), Thomas Grégoire, Samuel Bolduc.

There is for sure work to be done in terms of development, but you would have bad fate to say Québec hasn't developed a defender recently. 3 out of those already are in the NHL and a couple are on the cusp (Morin, Brisebois, Roy, J. Lauzon), while the others are quite promising.

Thats why PO Joseph just got traded and was not even good enough to crack a weak left side on TCJ? Lauzon was a 7th defenseman on the Bruins last playoffs, Brisebois played 8 games in the NHL last season as a 21 yrs old and has average AHL stats, Samuel Morin is basically the equivalent of McCarron at the D position, very slow progression and obscure future....

Outside of Chabot, Girard and maybe Beaudin, thats a bunch of marginal prospects out there...

 

[QuebecPride]

Thats why PO Joseph just got traded and was not even good enough to crack a weak left side on TCJ? Lauzon was a 7th defenseman on the Bruins last playoffs, Brisebois played 8 games in the NHL last season as a 21 yrs old and has average AHL stats, Samuel Morin is basically the equivalent of McCarron at the D position, very slow progression and obscure future....

Outside of Chabot, Girard and maybe Beaudin, thats a bunch of marginal prospects out there...

Exactly what I thought, bad fate. Joseph was traded to a contender in Drummond, just like Dobson was in Rouyn. Nothing wrong with that. Also nothing wrong with the fact that he didn't make Team Canada for WJC as a 18 year old. Of course he's not an elite tier prospect à la Dobson or Byram, but he has very good chances to make it in the NHL.

Lauzon was a 7th defenseman on the best team in the NHL as a 21 year old. What. A. Scrub.

I'm not saying these will all turn out to be all-stars, but most of them will have a career. If you want to spew your hate, go ahead, but be ready for counter-arguments.

In your initial enumeration, you forgot two of the best young offensive defensemen in the NHL in Chabot and Girard. Québec's defense could challenge any country not named Canada in terms of depth and quality. The province is not the hockey development hotbed it used for many factors including lack of quality coaching. But it's still not too shabby.

 

[Roadhouse]

Québec's defense could challenge any country not named Canada in terms of depth and quality.

I'd be curious to see what feedback comes at you if you posted this on the main board.

QC vs. USA? QC vs. Sweden?

I don't know man, I think it's a bit of a stretch. And I say this as a proud QC ex-pat (born in Rouyn, raised in Radisson, deux Dictées PGL provinciales, graduated in Gaspé @ CE Pouliot).