Noel Nordh – 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Noel Nordh

2022-23 Team: Brynas IF J20 / J20 Nationell
Date of Birth: Jan 25, 2005
Place of Birth: Soderhamn, Sweden
Height: 6-foot-2, Weight: 194 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Right/ Left Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: First-year eligible

Rankings

Oftentimes, a top prospect will make or break their draft stock based on how they perform on the international stage. A strong showing amongst the top talent of your class can showcase just how developed your skills really are, and how you hold up under pressure.

Related: 2023 NHL Draft Guide

During the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Noel Nordh made his case by scoring three goals in five games while acting as a driver on both ends of the ice for Team Sweden. The 6-foot-2 winger was hard to miss based on size alone, but this strong play with the puck and powerful skating showcased that he was far more than just a big body. This play helped lead Sweden to Silver in the tournament.

Following this performance, Nordh started the 2022-23 season playing against men in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with Brynas IF for 10 games, before eventually taking on 38 games with their J20 team. While he only posted a single goal in the SHL, he would score 13 goals and 27 points for their J20 affiliate, which is impressive given he just turned 18 in January.

Now, are these performances enough to move Nordh into the conversation for a first-round draft pick? No. However, he has managed to increase his stock in recent months, and if this play continues, he could be one of the big surprises on draft night.

Other THW Draft Profiles

Noel Nordh – NHL Draft Projection

Based purely on skill and potential, I see Nordh firmly as a third-round selection, who should hear his name called around the 70th to 80th overall range of the draft. He has a great toolkit that NHL general managers love, and it’s easy to project how these skills could be refined into a nightly bottom-six winger who acts as a defensive specialist that you throw out when a team needs a steady presence to calm things down, like on the penalty-kill.

2023 NHL Entry Draft Guide Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli
With NHL-projectable size and a great toolkit, Noel Nordh could surprise people on draft day. (The Hockey Writers)

So, with this in mind, I believe we might be undervaluing where Nordh will be selected on draft day. NHL general managers tend to fall in love with big-bodied players that possess projectable toolkits like his, and this coulc cause his stock to rise unexpectedly into the second round.

Now, even at that point in the draft, there really isn’t much risk with selecting Nordh. He has everything you look for in a future NHL power forward, and if a team can refine his abilities they could have a perfect bottom-six winger.

Quotables

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)

Strengths

  • NHL caliber size and strength
  • Understands what it takes to be an effective power forward
  • Strong defensive game
  • Nonstop motor

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

  • Lacks high-end scoring potential

NHL Potential

As mentioned earlier, Nordh doesn’t have a toolkit that screams top-six winger, but he has everything to be a dominant bottom-six player who takes on 15 minutes of ice time each night. Even if he doesn’t have the strongest scoring ceiling, he still could chip in 10 goals and 30-plus points each season if he is given time to develop his toolkit.

However, we will need to see what he does with his playing time over the next few seasons to really get the full picture. If he continues playing against men in the SHL or eventually decides to move to the American Hockey League (AHL) this will help to showcase how ready he will be for the NHL or if he will need another four to five years to take that step in his career.

Risk-Reward

Risk – 2/5, Reward – 3/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 5/10, Defense – 7/10

Noel Nordh Stats