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Observations:

March 2015 – Through 31 games with the Blackhawks in 2014-15, Nordstrom has no goals and just two assists. This inconsistency and overall lack of production has led to him bouncing between the big club and the farm throughout the season. Despite recently being limited to a fourth line role, Nordstrom has gained the trust of Coach Quenneville, averaging more than a minute of ice time on the PK per game in March. Nordstrom’s offensive game is still developing, but it is a good sign for his fantasy prospects that he is carving out a role on one of the best teams in the league. It will be interesting to see if he holds on to this role when we start playing for keeps in April. Matt Donohue

November 2014 – Despite a promising finish to the 2013-14 season that saw Nordstrom appear in seven playoff games with the Blackhawks, he was one of the final cuts coming out of Blackhawks camp in September. On a positive note, he was subsequently named the captain of the IceHogs upon his return to the AHL. After putting up eight points in 14 games to start the season, he was called up to the big club on November 15^th. With Chicago fairly deep up the middle ice time may be hard to come by but he will nonetheless be interesting to keep an eye on while in the NHL. Matt Donohue

June 2014 – After recording just one goal in eight games to begin his NHL career, the Blackhawks sent him down to Rockford in October for more seasoning. The move paid dividends as Nordstrom finished third on the team with 17 goals despite playing in only 58 games. This performance earned him a promotion to the big club in April, where he played in seven playoff games during the Blackhawks run to the Western Conference Final. Despite averaging just eight and a half minutes of ice time in those games, the experience gained should prove to be invaluable. With a number of prospects knocking on the door, Nordstrom should have the inside track for a roster spot in 2014-15 based on his performance this spring. Matt Donohue

October 2013- Nordstrom is a skilled two-way center who has spent the last three seasons with AIK of the Swedish Hockey League. He is embarking on his first full season in North America though he did see 11 games with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate in Rockford at the end of the 2012-13 campaign. Nordstrom possesses a good hockey IQ, vision, and versatility as he can play center or either wing. His ultimate offensive upside is still unknown, but he made the Blackhawks roster based on a very strong training camp. Nordstrom has taken over the role left open by the departure of Michael Frolik to begin the season. Rex Doty

Fantasy Outlook: D+

Nordstrom is currently in Chicago centering the Blackhawks’ fourth line and killing penalties. In Chicago, he will need to unseat some very talented players to earn a top six role.

Footage:

Nordstrom scores first career NHL goal on 10/11/13:

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