Nordmark’s defining features include some of the most important attributes a scoring winger in the NHL can possess: quick, heavy release, vision, and hockey sense. His deficiencies include consistency, skating, and willingness to physically engage. If he’s not in a scoring role, he’s unlikely to succeed in the NHL. However, if the Ducks can refine his motor and tenacity, they’ll have a bona fide star on their hands. These are the kinds of gambles teams are asked to take by their fanbases in the late first round and into the middle rounds of the draft. He’ll either become a Kyle Connor-type offensive juggernaut or an Arthur Kaliyev-type inconsistent, one-dimensional player. There appears to be no in-between, but it was a good bet for the Ducks to make at that point in the draft, given the well-rounded nature of their current pipeline and young core.
