Patience is a virtue. It’s what every general manager (GM) and scout has to dial in; it’s a part of their job. It’s much easier said than done because the road is not always smooth, and the path isn’t always straight. When discussing players’ development, it takes adaptability and adjustments to enter the NHL; it’s never easy fishing. But what about the journey there? How does the player progress through the ranks, eventually making the NHL?
Every prospect is different, and Arizona Coyotes‘ 2023 third-round pick Noel Nordh is proving his worth in the early stages of his career. The rate of finding prospects who will be instrumental players is arguably one of the most difficult things to do in all of sports. The players are just 17 or 18 years of age, and it’s hard to know what type of player they’ll be at the NHL level years down the road. For Nordh, though, he’s been on a tear in a draft that he wasn’t particularly talked about often. First-round picks Dmitri Simashev and Daniil But took much of the spotlight and fame. So what has Nordh done to impress, and is it sustainable for the rest of the season?
What Scouts Said About Nordh
Every NHL draft sees the next generation of hockey players fulfill their dreams, making the NHL. Of course, there is undoubtedly a difference between the first-overall selection to the last pick in the draft; the value can’t be matched. There also is no guarantee that the player even plays a game for the team, though having more draft picks enhances the possibility of prominent players. GM Bill Armstrong accumulated 12 draft picks and used every one of them, and Nordh looks like a diamond in the rough. Here’s what the scouts said about the Swedish forward before the draft panned out in Nashville.
Nordh is a good quick passer with good physical tools and application, and good scanning habits. His upside is mainly as a defensive contributor and play-connector, and he could develop into a versatile third-line contributor.
Sebastian High – dobberprospects.com
When he’s (Nordh) not carrying the puck himself he often crashes the net or finds openings to be a playable option. The fact that he has strength and speed makes him kind of hard to stop. I like that Nordh does his backcheck and does not stand passive in his own zone, too. He has a high potential but could, of course, continue to develop his offensive toolbox to be a bigger weapon.
Fredrik Haak (From September 23rd, 2022 Scouting Report of Noel Nordh, FCHockey, September 23, 2022)
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Noel Nordh is a smart, offensive forward. He is proven quite capable at taking the puck from the boards to the middle, mostly with smart small-area passing plays. He has value on both a power play and a penalty kill. His defensive play and competitiveness are also good
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With all these scouting assessments, it was evident he was highly regarded and likely on many people’s radars. However, the Coyotes were able to snag him with the 72nd overall selection, and with his searing start, Armstrong and the rest of the scouting staff look like they’ve come away with a steal.
Comparing His Rapid Start to Other Top Prospects
The 2023 NHL Draft housed a multitude of prospects from the WHL (Western Hockey League) all the way to the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League). Nordh is currently playing in the J20 Nationell and the HockeyAllsvenskan, where he’s shown promising play. So far, he’s amassed ten points with Brynas IF in the J20 Nationell and six points in 11 HockeyAllsvenskan games. The HockeyAllsvenskan is Sweden’s second-best league, behind the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
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As mentioned above, Nordh was taken in the third round behind several players who also played in the leagues he did. One is a top-ten draft pick, and St. Louis Blue, Dalibor Dvorsky. Dvorksy played in both leagues last year, and while it’s still early in the season, the numbers are drastically different. In ten J20 Nationell games, he notched 21 points, and while playing in the HockeyAllsvenskan, he recorded 14 points in 38 games. Currently, Nordh is projected to double that total and have 28 points in 52 games in the HockeyAllsvenskan.
It’s also fair to mention this is Nordh’s draft year plus one, so he certainly has more experience than a player like Dvorksy last season. However, it’s exciting to see a player like Nordh prove the stereotypes wrong, and late-round picks can blossom into great or even elite players. It’s still extremely early, but Nordh continues to put up points in one of the better leagues of the hockey world.
Nordh Looking to Continue Hot Streak
Having such a hot start, it’s sometimes expected for him to excel throughout the rest of the season, but that would be foolish. However, it’s encouraging to see such a young prospect get off to the start he has. With Brynas IF, he has a contract until the 2024-25 season, so the biggest item for the 18-year-old Swedish forward will be to constantly improve his game. The Coyotes have a glut of prospects in the system, and if anyone wants to sniff the NHL roster, they’ll have to go above and beyond, and that’s what Nordh will have to do.