It seemed like Joakim Nordstrom was struggling to find his role within the lineup for the Boston Bruins throughout his first season with the team. This shouldn’t have come as a huge surprise, given he needed some time to form chemistry with his third different NHL team.
Nordstrom failed to set the world alight with the Chicago Blackhawks, mainly due to somewhat limited opportunities on their roster. Moving over to the Carolina Hurricanes, he saw significantly more ice-time but still didn’t appear to be set for any sort of major breakthrough.
Continuing that trend, and having scored just 12 points in 70 regular season games, Joakim Nordstrom was considered an afterthought as the Boston Bruins prepared for the playoffs.