Marcus Nordmark is a pretty intriguing prospect going into the 2026 NHL Draft. Should the Penguins select him?
We're officially one week out from the start of the 2026 NHL Draft and excitement continues to build for it.
Yes, it's going to be the second year in a row where it's decentralized, but it's still always awesome to see players' dreams come true. Don't forget about some trades, too.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be on the clock with the 22nd overall pick, and depending on how the board goes, there could be some good players available to them. I've profiled several different players over the last few weeks who make sense for the Penguins, and now it's time to look at another, Marcus Nordmark.
Nordmark played most of the 2025-26 season with Djurgarden’s U20 team in Sweden, finishing with 14 goals and 38 points in 25 games. He even played in eight SHL games, finishing with one assist.
He's a really strong power skater and is a handful for players who try to take the puck off him. There were times when it looked like a player was going to catch up to him, but he'd turn up the afterburners and leave them in the dust.
One of my favorite examples of his skating ability came in a game between Sweden and Germany in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Sweden was winning 6-0 in the third period when Nordmark collected a pass just over the red line, and once he gained the offensive zone, he got going. He went around multiple defenders while cutting to the left side of the offensive zone before delivering a great centering pass for a goal.
There were other times this season when he'd even lead the breakout out of his own zone, taking the pressure away from his defensemen.
One part of his game that's really underrated is his release. He should use it more often because when he loads it up, it's deadly. His shot to tie the game against Finland with only 2:27 left in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is exactly what I'm talking about. He took a pass at the center blue line, skated down a bit, and rifled the puck past the goaltender. The puck came off his stick so fast that the goalie barely had time to react.
Nordmark later won the game in overtime, showcasing his skating and soft hands while cutting to the net for a gorgeous backhand goal. He's not afraid of going to the dirty areas for some goals and can sometimes be hard to move once he gets there.
Defensively, he helps out in all three zones and can force turnovers, which fuels the transition game. One specific play that really stood out this season came in Sweden's game against Canada at the 2025 Junior A World Challenge. A Canadian defenseman was breaking the puck out of his own zone when Nordmark picked his pocket, which immediately started an odd-man rush. The puck found the back of the net just a few seconds later.
Nordmark also has good playmaking skills and can find players even when it looks like there's not much room.
It remains to be seen if the Penguins select him in the first round, which starts next Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
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