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Mattias Norlinder

Mattias Norlinder Signs Two-Year Deal In Sweden

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As expected, former Canadiens defense prospect Mattias Norlinder will continue his career in his native Sweden. The 24-year-old inked a two-year deal with MoDo Hockey of the Swedish Hockey League yesterday, per a club announcement.

Montreal didn’t issue a qualifying offer to Norlinder when he was set to become a restricted free agent earlier this summer, relinquishing his NHL signing rights. But the team still had interest in retaining the blue liner as late as last week, when his agent told Swedish media that the Habs had made Norlinder an offer to return.

Norlinder declined a return to Montreal, though, instead choosing to return to the organization where he spent most of his development. Citing a desire for more offensive freedom, he reportedly reached an agreement with MoDo earlier in the week.

However, the deal wasn’t finished because they lacked the funds to sign him. After a short crowd-funding campaign, they garnered enough cash to land him.

The Canadiens brought Norlinder into the organization with the No. 64 overall pick in the 2019 draft. They let him bake for two more seasons in Sweden with MoDo and Frölunda HC before signing him to his entry-level contract during the 2021 offseason.

Montreal loaned Norlinder back to Frölunda in the SHL for 2021-22, which is when the first cracks in an otherwise solid development path up to that point began to emerge. The smooth-skating defender had been a reliable two-way presence to start his professional career overseas and had the point totals to back it up. However, he managed just two assists in 21 games with Frölunda during his first season under contract with the Habs.

The Canadiens recalled Norlinder from his loan after Frölunda’s season ended, giving him his first taste of NHL action. He was limited to 12:18 per game through six contests but managed to record his first and only NHL point and an assist, as well as a +2 rating, 2 PIMs, two shots, three blocks, and four hits.

Norlinder never got a recall after that initial NHL stint. He spent the final two seasons of his ELC strictly in the minors on assignment to the AHL’s Laval Rocket, where he struggled to the tune of nine points and a -14 rating in 50 games last season.

He’ll now look to rebuild his value with a resurgent offensive campaign. If he wants to return stateside, doing so could still land him NHL interest when his contract with MoDo runs out in 2026.

East Notes: Marchand, Hollowell, Norlinder

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While Jeremy Swayman’s contract situation is rightfully getting the attention in Boston right now, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News highlights the other contract of note the Bruins will have to work out, which is an extension for Brad Marchand.  At the time he signed his team-friendly deal that carries a $6.25MM AAV, the talk was about how their top players left some money on the table to keep the core together.  Since then, David Pastrnak ($11.25MM AAV) and Charlie McAvoy ($9.5MM AAV) have signed pricey deals with Swayman believed to be looking for $8MM or more as well.  While Marchand is nearing the end of his career (he’ll be 37 when his next contract starts), Campbell wonders if he could be inclined to look to maximize his potential earnings this time around.  He adds that there have been no discussions about an extension between the two sides so far.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • With the Penguins lacking right-shot depth on the back end, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if free agent addition Mac Hollowell could be this year’s version of Ryan Shea. Shea didn’t have any NHL experience heading into last season but wound up playing in 31 games.  Hollowell does have six games at the top level under his belt with Toronto in 2022-23 but spent last season with AHL Hartford, notching 44 points in 64 games.  Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas is familiar with Hollowell from their time in Toronto which could help his cause this coming season.
  • Free agent defenseman Mattias Norlinder has decided to decline the offer the Canadiens made to him over the weekend, relays Expressen’s Gunnar Nordstrom. Montreal non-tendered the 24-year-old in June after a quiet season with AHL Laval that saw him record just nine points in 50 games.  Norlinder’s agent indicated that his client’s preference was to play in an environment that would allow him more freedom offensively which has him wanting to play with MoDo, an organization he spent several years with previously.  However, the team lacks the budget to sign him and announced the creation of a crowdfunding campaign to raise $1MM SEK (a little under $100K in USD) to be able to get Norlinder signed.

Atlantic Notes: Swayman, Morello, Norlinder

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Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman is one of the top remaining restricted free agents with the calendar set to flip to September tomorrow.  Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald suggests that it’s not time yet for any side to be concerned that a deal isn’t in place.  He noted that it took until the eve of training camp for David Pastrnak to sign his post-entry-level contract and it stands to reason that at this point, Swayman’s camp will be looking to use that as a possible pressure point as well.  It was recently reported that Swayman was seeking a long-term agreement around the $8.5MM mark while Boston was coming in at a little over $6MM.  That’s quite a gap to try to bridge so it wouldn’t be surprising to see this one drag out to the start of camp if not even a little longer than that.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Still with the Bruins, prospect Jonathan Morello has decided on his new college commitment. After decommitting from Clarkson, PuckPreps reports (Twitter link) that the 18-year-old will play for Boston University when he begins his college career.  Morello was a fifth-round pick by Boston back in June, going 154th overall after a solid showing with OJHL St. Michael’s where he had 57 points in 50 games during the regular season while adding 21 more in 11 playoff contests.  He will play for USHL Dubuque this season.
  • Despite non-tendering Mattias Norlinder earlier this summer, the Canadiens have made an offer to bring the defenseman back, his agent Claes Elefalk told Aftonbladet’s Hans Abrahamsson and Tomas Ros. Norlinder was a third-round pick by Montreal back in 2019 but aside from a six-game NHL stint, he has played exclusively in the minors since coming to North America in the 2021-22 campaign.  Last season, the 24-year-old had nine points in 50 games with AHL Laval.  Norlinder is believed to have an offer on the table from SHL Modo; he played in their junior system for several years before being drafted.  It’s expected that he will make a decision on where to sign next week.

Canadiens Activate David Savard Off Injured Reserve

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The Canadiens activated defenseman David Savard off injured reserve Sunday, per a team release. He will return to the lineup tonight against the Predators after a 22-game absence due to a hand fracture. To stay under the 23-player roster limit, the Canadiens assigned defenseman Mattias Norlinder to AHL Laval.

Savard has played just five games this season, sustaining the fracture on October 23 late in a game against the Sabres. The 33-year-old has registered two assists and posted middling possession numbers in a short sample, controlling 44.7% of expected goals when paired with Mike Matheson, per MoneyPuck.

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis is expected to reinstate Savard in a top-pairing role in his return to the lineup. Doing so will provide some relief for 22-year-old Justin Barron, who’s seen some tough assignments alongside Matheson in Savard’s absence and will now line up against slightly easier competition in a second-pairing role.

Savard is in his third season with the Habs after signing a four-year, $14MM contract as a free agent in 2021. The 2021 Stanley Cup champion with Tampa Bay has missed 20 games each in the past two seasons with various injuries, and he last played a full 82-game season in 2018-19 as a member of the Blue Jackets. Since signing in Montreal, Savard has served the rebuilding squad well, averaging 21:32 per game and logging six goals, 33 assists, and 39 points in 129 games.

Norlinder, who does not require waivers, heads back to the minors after a nearly three-week stint on the NHL roster. He did not appear in a game, however, instead sitting as a healthy scratch for nine straight contests. It’s puzzling not to see the 23-year-old inserted into the lineup after he had a strong training camp, although he’s sputtered out of the gate to start the season in Laval. In 14 games before the callup, Norlinder had just two points and a -15 rating. He’s played six NHL games since Montreal selected him 64th overall in the 2019 draft, all coming in the 2021-22 campaign. He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer upon the conclusion of his entry-level contract, but he’s looking like a non-tender candidate and could find himself seeking a contract elsewhere.

Canadiens Recall Mattias Norlinder; Place Jordan Harris On IR

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In earlier reporting today, it was discovered that Montreal Canadiens’s defenseman, Jordan Harris, would be out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. With a full 23-man roster, the Canadiens have chosen to place Harris on the injured reserve, giving them the ability to recall defenseman Mattias Norlinder from their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Harris completed his first full rookie campaign last year for Montreal, scoring four goals and 13 assists in 65 games. Harris joins a growing list of young and promising Canadien defensemen and is playing on the first year of a tw0-year, $2.8MM extension signed last February.

Although Harris joined the team for their loss on Saturday at the hands of the Boston Bruins, he had actually missed the last couple of games before that with an upper-body injury. Seeing his playmaking ability slip a bit compared to last season, Harris has three assists in 16 games played this year, as well as carrying a -7 rating.

In Harris’ absence, Norlinder will get the opportunity to slide into the lineup over the next several games. He has not played in the NHL since the 2021-22 regular season, tallying one assist in six games for the Canadiens.

As the 64th overall selection by Montreal in the 2019 NHL Draft, Norlinder has played in 87 games for the Rocket over the last three seasons, scoring four goals and 19 assists in that time. Playing for Frolunda HC during his draft year, Norlinder has yet to see his strong skating ability or vision separate him from the pack in the AHL up to this point.

Not much of a playmaker during his time in the SHL, Norlinder had always been a strong defender at every level before making the jump to North America. If he is able to get back into the Montreal lineup during the callup, Norlinder will have to bring some of that expertise back into his game to have any staying power.

Montreal Canadiens Announce Rookie Camp Roster

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After months of quiet on the ice, rookie camps usually give hockey fans the much-anticipated signal that the season is drawing close. This year, it also signifies a return to normalcy in the schedule and off-ice operations, with the regular season beginning on time and full media access restored in locker rooms. Today, the Montreal Canadiens announced their roster for rookie camp, which will begin September 14 at the Bell Centre.

As per the team announcement, the roster consists of 28 players (15 forwards, 10 defensemen, and three goaltenders). Six of those 28 players were members of Montreal’s 2022 draft class: first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovský, right wing Filip Mešár (26th overall), center Owen Beck (33rd overall), left wing Cedrick Guindon (127th overall), center Jared Davidson (130th overall), and defenseman Miguël Tourigny (216th overall).

Additionally, the team invited four players to rookie camp on a try-out basis: right wing Pierrick Dubé, right wing John Parker-Jones, and goalies Antoine Coulombe and Riley Mercer.

The main story of the camp will be Slafkovsky’s performance. The Slovak winger’s spectacular international play this season shot him all the way up to first overall on the draft board, but it would be quite a large jump for the 18-year-old to shift from a middle-six role in the Finnish Liiga to full-time NHL minutes. Slafkovsky will play for the Canadiens organization in North America this season in all likelihood, but his rookie camp performance will be important in leaving a good first impression. Whether or not he starts in the NHL or in the AHL with the Laval Rocket remains to be seen.

There’s also the matter of which young Canadiens defensemen will make the team out of camp. Four candidates jump out on their rookie camp roster as players who could show they deserve an NHL look right away: Justin Barron, Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, and Mattias Norlinder. All four except Guhle made their NHL debuts already last season, while Guhle is coming off a WHL championship with the Edmonton Oil Kings and the playoff MVP award. With at least two NHL spots available for these rookies, it should be good competition all throughout rookie camp, training camp, and preseason.

Mattias Norlinder Returned To SHL

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The Montreal Canadiens are focused on development now, which means Mattias Norlinder’s time in North America has come to an end for now. The young defenseman has been returned to Frolunda HC for the remainder of the SHL season.

Norlinder, 21, actually already played one game with them this season, but has also suited up six times for the Laval Rocket and six times for the Canadiens. A third-round pick in 2019, his future looks bright, but not close enough to warrant him staying with Montreal for the rest of this season. The AHL was technically an option, given he does not have a European Assignment Clause, but all parties have agreed the best thing for his development is a return to Sweden.

It will allow him to play a larger role in a comfortable setting, given his history with the club, and come back to Canadiens training camp next year hopefully ready to step directly into the NHL. In 37 games last season, Norlinder recorded ten points with Frolunda, but was a real difference-maker in a short playoff run. He had one point in his six games with Montreal.

In a lost season for the Canadiens, new front office boss Jeff Gorton has to look forward. A move like this could signal that more changes are coming for the team, who have lost seven in a row and sit second-last in the entire league.

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