Joshua Norris isn’t a flashy prospect, but he could be a very safe pick when the Dallas Stars make their third selection at No. 39 in the NHL Entry Draft later this month.
A center playing for the USA National Team Development Program, Norris had 60 points (27 goals, 33 assists) in 61 games. He was just as impressive in 25 games with the USA junior team, where he had 26 points in 25 USHL games.
It was a solid offensive showing, but Norris value lies in his overall game.
He’s a hard-working, defensively-sound center that understands the game at a higher level. He’s often in the right position, and multiple scouts believe he’s a safe bet to be an NHL player because of his understanding of the game.
Norris is a strong skater that doesn’t get knocked off the puck easily. The strength of his skating is a quick first step, he’s far from the fastest player in this draft, but his agility and movement in confined spaces is impressive. Norris fills his 6-foot, 195-pound frame well and uses that to his advantage in board battles and in front of the net.
Offensively Norris is a playmaker and he was asked to play that role this past season. He effectively makes smart passes, and has the patience to wait for a checker before making a pass to an open teammate. Norris also has a heavy shot and has capitalized on that skillset in power play situations.
His effort, like it is in all zones, is superb and he works hard on the forecheck to create turnovers.
He was effective on the penalty kill for the USNTDP team and is willing to block shots, while his face-off skills in the defensive zone became a key for his team as the season progressed.
Norris isn’t an elite prospect and will probably end up as a second-round selection, but he’s a very good one. He projects as a middle-six center that can kill penalties and win key face-offs. He plays a simple game, but coaches like players that keep it simple and sometimes rise above their perceived talent level.
Norris is committed to the University of Michigan and will play for the Wolverines next season. That should be a nice boost for his development and he will probably spend at least three seasons in Ann Arbor before being a candidate for an entry-level contract with whichever team drafts him.
DrewL says
I like Norris a lot. Definitely could see Stars taking him at 39, especially if they go Heiskanen at 3 and Oettinger at 29.