Although Mattias Norlinder had an excellent training camp, almost forcing the management's hand to keep him with the main team, his future within the organization seems uncertain. Indeed, even if the defenseman is very likely to be recalled to the team this season, it will be very difficult for him to secure a position in the coming years.
It's no surprise to anyone, but the Canadiens have several talented prospects who will be able to play on the left side of the defensive brigade in a few seasons, such as Lane Hutson, William Trudeau, and Adam Engstrom. We should also add to that the presence of defensemen like Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, and Arber Xhekaj.
Moreover, in an interview with Alexandre Gascon, the Canadiens' general manager, Kent Hughes, made a very surprising revelation, mentioning that he was open to trading the young Swedish defenseman if an opportunity presented itself. There's no doubt that such a transaction might be the best solution to give Norlinder an opportunity to establish himself in the NHL.
As William Nadeau rightly points out, what is very interesting in this passage is that Kent Hughes himself decided to talk about the possibility of trading Mattias Norlinder, without Alexandre Gascon even asking him the question.
One thing is certain, this will be a situation to closely monitor in the coming months. It wouldn't be surprising if the leadership of the Blue-White-Red wanted to involve Mattias Norlinder in a package deal to acquire a forward who can play on the top two lines.
