The countdown to the regular season has started and the Boston Bruins will be seeing the return of many familiar faces and some new ones. For Joakim Nordstrom the major question is- does he fit into the picture? Boston lost both Tim Schaller and Riley Nash this offseason, so would the Swedish forward fill one of those vacant spots? That will depend on how well he does during training camp. The competition will be fierce and the Bruins have a lot of talent. So much depth means one thing: Cassidy is going to have to make some tough decisions. So let’s get to know more about the player from Stockholm.
Scandinavian Invasion
(Photo Credits: Associated Press)
The 6’1″ 189 lbs Nordström started his early career playing for the Swedish Ice Hockey Club Södertälje SK before being signed by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013. He was also part of the team that won the 2015 Stanley Cup Championship. A quick peek at his stats: in 282 career games played he has 20 goals and 29 assists. He had a career-high 10 goals in 71 games with 14 assists while playing for the Carolina Hurricanes. While he may not have the same numbers as Riley Nash, what he could bring to the team is some solid skating. Not to mention being a decent penalty killer (which the Bruins can always use).
“I think my biggest asset as a player is my skating. I know the Bruins want to play fast, so that is, obviously, something I can help with…I played a lot of PK, so that’s, obviously, something that I wanted to bring to the table, as well. I don’t want to limit myself to just be a special-teams guy, so hopefully I can take my game to the next level here with the Bruins.”
?The Bruins signed forward Joakim Nordstrom to a two-year deal with an AAV of $1 million. Check out some of his highlights from last season: pic.twitter.com/3FxAFNg4Pn
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) July 2, 2018
What’s Next
(Photo Credits: Gregg Forwerck/NHL/GETTY IMAGES)
Nordström is quick but if you ask any ‘Canes fan, his offensive play is something that needs some tweaking. Especially if he wants to play on the 4th-line. What the Swedish player is good at is reading and setting up plays, but has trouble finishing around the net. What he lacks offensively, he makes up for in his PK (penalty kill), which bodes well for the Bruins.
Will he replace Nash? Possibly. He may not dazzle fans with his hockey skills but he’ll prove to be a versatile player who may be slotted as either a center or winger. For Cassidy, Nordström does seem like he would be a great Nash 2.0. But nothing is ever etched in stone. When speaking with Providence Journal’s Mark Divver, Cassidy shared his thoughts on newly signed Chris Wagner and Nordström:
“We hope those two guys can give us what (Nash and Schaller) gave us. We feel they can”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fYJMzcOwVo&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt4FmEd4Ipg&w=560&h=315]