All stats courtesy of hockeyreference.com.
Next up on my list is forward Joakim Nordstrom! Nordstrom appeared in 70 games for the Bruins last season, in which he produced seven goals and five assists. He then played in 23 of the team’s playoff games on their run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, through which he tallied three goals and five assists. Drafted in the third round (90th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, Nordstrom has appeared in 353 career NHL games, over which he has recorded 27 goals and 34 assists. The 27-year-old left wing and center has joined the Bruins as a free agent during the 2018 offseason, and he has played for a total of three organizations over his six season NHL career. His North American professional career has spanned slightly over seven seasons, as he came over from AIK of the SHL midway through the 2012-13 season.
When looking back on his season as a whole, Nordstrom exceeded expectations with his play. At times, many fans (including myself) were guilty of being frustrated and saying he was worthless and/or easily replaceable, but that wasn’t true. His skillset may be found in many other players, but he was able to play up and down the lineup and plug gaps when injuries occurred, and not just any player can do that. He’s not flashy, but he is very responsible defensively and he’s a great penalty killer, as well as a fast skater and decent puckhandler. He’s also a valuable team player, and he’s a smart player both with and away from the puck. He can be streaky and often disappears for extended stretches of time, but given his ability to play up and down the lineup and overall skillset, his cap hit is quite reasonable at just $1 million. It helped matters that he had his best offseason in years last season, although that was probably helped by the fact that he played as high as the second line at times when injuries hit, but when you consider that his point total probably should’ve been significantly higher. Overall, his season should be looked at as a success as I think he exceeded the expectations of most people (including myself), and he played a much bigger role in the Bruins staying afloat when the injury bug took out nearly every good player than many gave him credit for. For that alone, he should be appreciated and thought of as a good add and valuable member of the roster, even if he doesn’t play all the time next season (which is a possibility).
As for what we can expect out of Nordstrom next season, it’ll be more of the same, although he may not put up those numbers again. That’s not great news given he only put up 12 points last season, but it was his best season in years so I guess we should just be happy he produced that many. It should also be mentioned that if some prospects have a good camp and prove themselves to be better options in the lineup than him, he may not be playing every game, and his numbers will surely diminish if that happens. Regardless of how much he plays or his point totals, when he is in the lineup, he’ll still be the same defensively-responsible, strong penalty killing player who can provide a little in the way of offensive production but who is streaky. He’ll also still be a great skater, and while he isn’t a physical player and can get knocked off the puck pretty easily, he isn’t afraid to block shots, which is a bonus. I think it’s also likely that he’ll find himself in the lineup on a consistent basis as the Bruins’ don’t appear to have a lot of NHL-ready forward prospects, especially wings, and it also seems more likely that Backes gets pushed out of the lineup before him. But, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens over the course of this upcoming season.
Hockey Addict 