Vancouver Canucks: 8 European Players Vancouver Could Target
F John Norman
John Norman completes the Skelleftea trio on our list of European players the Vancouver Canucks could target. The 25-year-old is another versatile forward who had an offensive breakout season this year, helping Skelleftea win the regular-season title.
From Elite Prospects:
"Norman is a speedy center with fine hockey sense and pretty good hands. Plays a smart game defensively, but could use some bulk to his frame."
Norman made his SHL debut as a 19-year-old and is in his fifth SHL season, the third with Skelleftea. He spent the 2012-13 campaign with Oulun Karpat of the Finnish Liiga.
After posting just 13 points each in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, Norman had a breakout year offensively. In 47 games, the 5-foot-11, 183-pound forward had 17 goals and 42 points.
While Norman is not a big player, he is strong defensively thanks to his hockey sense and understanding of the game. He is a hard-working forward who plays a smart game defensively and can be used in a variety of situations.
Like his teammate Petterson, Norman can be used on any forward position. While Petterson is primarily a winger, Norman prefers to play at centre.
At the NHL level, he too projects to be a bottom-six forward, perhaps rather a winger.
Next: F Fabio Pfohl