Filip Nordberg is an old-school style defender, using his massive frame and overpowering strength to make life tough for his opponents. He has a long reach and big body that allows him to keep the opposition at bay and away from the prime scoring areas. He’s a pain to play against. Anytime the puck is along the boards or near the net-front he is going to be there and he’s going to physically punish any opposing player who comes within his reach. He has learned to quickly move the puck to his teammates and let them do the leg work, rarely holding the puck too long or trying to do anything risky with it. That selection will come with maturity. Offensively he is still a work in progress, but he did show growth throughout the season. He won’t be the guy who carries the puck all over the offensive zone and makes a highlight-reel play, but he can make an efficient pass through and open lane or use his strength to power a shot through a lane. Like any bigger player, his size can often make up for his lower-end foot-speed but if he can get a little bit quicker with his acceleration than he will have no issues defending against quicker opponents. He has shown a desire to get better offensively, as opposed to simply relying on his defense to help push his career along, and if he does continue to improve in this aspect of the game he will have a skillset that any NHL team would love to have. His physicality and defensive game are already high-end, but if he can find a way to become more threatening in the offensive game he could be an everyday NHLer who plays difficult minutes at even-strength and on the penalty kill. His style isn’t flashy by any means, but he can be an effective defenseman.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide