Senators Prospect of the Week – Filip Nordberg

Nordberg moved to the Sioux Falls Stampede this season, where he continued to develop a reliable defensive game, but the flashes of offensive upside he teased in Sweden were, for the most part, completely absent. But as the season ticked down, he began to recover that lost part of his toolkit. On March 10, he was named Defenceman of the Week after scoring two goals and adding an assist to give him three points in just two games, and on March 27, he put up a season-high two assists in a single game.

But it was on April 4 and 5 when he really showed off his playmaking abilities. In their two-game series against the Green Bay Gamblers, he scored a goal and put up three assists, his most productive weekend since arriving in the USHL, and earned a second Defenceman of the Week honour after leading all defencemen in points.

Although the Stampede failed to win both games, dropping a much-needed two points in the Anderson Cup race as the top team in the league, Nordberg proved that he’s more than just a strong defensive player. His emergence couldn’t have come at a better time, too; at 21 years old, he’s ineligible to return to the USHL next season. While he could follow the college route like many do from the league, it’s more likely that he turns pro next season, given his size and skill set. It’s hard to say whether that will be in the American Hockey League (AHL) or ECHL, but the Senators likely would love to see more from him next season. But first, he’ll focus on helping the Stampede make a deep playoff run after clinching second place in the league.

Playoff Updates and Prospect Check-Ins

Since last week’s playoff update, no other prospects have been eliminated from the playoffs. Hamara, Blake Montgomery, Lucas Ellinas, Matthew Andonovski, and Gabriel Eliasson all remain in the running for the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) title, and with none facing each other, all could survive to the third round. Carter Yakemchuk was the most productive of them all, however, putting up a goal and two assists to help the Calgary Hitmen sweep the Saskatoon Blades in the first round of the Western Hockey League (WHL) Playoffs.

Speaking of Andonovski, the OHL Coaches Poll was released, and the Rangers’ defender was voted the league’s best defensive defenceman and finished second as the best body checker and penalty killer. He also showed up several times on last year’s OHL Coaches Poll and was recognized for his strong defensive game. Although not the flashiest player, he’s incredibly effective at what he does and brings a strong level of leadership to his team. He’ll make an excellent depth defenceman in the NHL one day.

Ever since his surprising inclusion at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Nikolas Matinpalo has been a regular on the Senators’ third pair. He’s a consistent defensive presence and has gelled well with Tyler Kleven, helping the rookie gain some confidence, but he hasn’t contributed to the scoresheet beyond a single assist. That all changed on April 6 when, after 41 career games, he finally scored his first NHL goal. It was a moment he didn’t think would ever happen, and he was comfortable with it. “First 20 games, I think (about scoring),” he said after the game. “But after that, I basically lose my hope already that I’m going to score.” But now that it’s done, he can get the proverbial monkey off of his back. Hopefully the next one won’t take another 40 games.

In the AHL, Philippe Daoust had a strong week, putting up a goal and three points in three games last week. The speedy centre had a promising start to his pro career, scoring seven points in nine games as a rookie with the Belleville Senators in 2022-23, but after sustaining an injury that kept him off the ice for nearly two full seasons, he lost a lot of momentum. Thankfully, he’s found some consistency this season, playing 46 of the team’s 66 games, and this past week, he showed some of his old self, scoring a goal and registering three points in three games. As a sixth-round pick, he was always a long shot to make the NHL, but hopefully he’s back on track to earn some NHL call-ups next season.

Tune in next week to see which player stood above the rest.