In Mattias Norlinder, the Montreal Canadiens have a very talented young defenseman with great offensive potential. However, there is no telling what kind of career he will have in the NHL. Patrik Bexell, a Swedish blogger who covers the Canadiens' prospects in Sweden, has been watching Norlinder closely for the past few years.
"We had high expectations for another defenseman from Frolunda a few years ago in Rasmus Dahlin. He lived up to expectations in his first NHL season. I don't think Norlinder would be that far off from Dahlin, if he ever plays for the Habs this year."
Recall that Dahlin was the first pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He has accumulated a total of 107 points, including 18 goals, in 197 games with the Buffalo Sabres since his arrival in the NHL. He's only 21 years old, so he'll only get better. If Norlinder can be mentioned in the same sentence as this one, it just raised the hype level for the young man a few rungs.