Mattias Norlinder had been rising slowly in the rankings and mocks leading up to the 2019 NHL Draft. Corey Pronman, and Bob McKenzie’s surveyed scouts, were high on the defender, ranking him in the early to mid 50s, even if he was an over-ager.
Norlinder is the offensively gifted modern Swedish defender who can move the puck and his feet at an explosive rate. When he was available in the early third round, Trevor Timmins didn’t hesitate at all as the Montreal Canadiens chose Norlinder with the 64th pick. The defenceman had a broken scaphoid bone at the time of the draft, and it might have caused him to drop a few places in an event where puck-moving defenders were in high demand.