Through two games in the American Hockey League, Mattias Norlinder has already matched his two points he earned in six games a year ago. What stands out more than the points themselves is the fact that he looks like a completely different player.
Last year, Norlinder in the AHL was tentative. He wasn’t using the skills that made him a top prospect, and his adjustment to the smaller ice surface meant that his defence was not where it needed to be, either.
This year, Norlinder is jumping up into the play, he’s trying to make plays, and the result is a player who once again looks like a future NHLer.