Ducks Draft Marcus Nordmark 28th Overall

With the 28th pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the Anaheim Ducks have selected Marcus Nordmark from Djurgårdens IF of Sweden’s U20 Nationell.

About Marcus Nordmark

Marcus Nordmark entered the 2026 NHL Entry Draft as one of the most skilled and polarizing forwards in the class. The Stockholm-born right wing is a creative, dual-threat offensive player who can make plays low in the zone or off the rush, with the puck skills to flip a game on his own. The 6-foot-2, 187-pound winger has the toolkit teams chase; the debate is about his motor and consistency, not his hands.

Nordmark spent 2025-26 with Djurgårdens IF’s under-20 team in Sweden’s U20 Nationell, where he posted 38 points in 25 games, one of the best scoring rates by a draft-eligible skater in the league, and earned an eight-game look in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). His signature moment came earlier, at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he led the tournament in scoring with 12 points and capped an overtime hat trick to send Sweden to the final. His Under-18 World Junior Championship was quieter, with four points.

NHL Central Scouting ranked Nordmark eighth among European skaters in its final list, but public boards are split widely, from inside the top 25 to the back half of the second round, a spread that captures the boom-or-bust read on him. He has played all three forward positions and projects best on the wing, with middle-six upside on a scoring line and the ceiling of a second-line difference-maker if the compete level catches up to the skill.

THW Prospect Profile Excerpt

“When watching Nordmark, you can see the potential that has made him one of the top international-born prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft. He really opened the eyes of scouts and many in the hockey world with his play at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with Sweden. He put his entire offensive game on display and led the entire tournament in scoring with 12 points. What stands out most about Nordmark’s offensive play is the great mix of playmaking and goal-scoring ability he has. With the puck on his stick, he is not rushed into making plays and is very calm and confident.

“While the calmness and confidence can be seen as a positive with his game, it is also a bit of a detriment, as he doesn’t necessarily play with a lot of pace. Playing on a bigger ice surface in Sweden, he is able to get away with this a bit more, but a big question mark is how this will translate to a smaller ice surface in North America. He also tends to hang on to the puck too long when trying to make a play, as this is tied in with his pace of play.

“On the defensive side of the puck, Nordmark doesn’t play overly physical but is sound enough and responsible on his own end of the ice when he is fully activated. The biggest issue with his defensive game is the consistency and being in-tune on his own end of the ice. He will need to add more strength to his frame and play more physically as he develops and matures.”

Continue reading the full player profile here.

How This Affects the Ducks’ Plans

There’s no doubt that Nordmark has a lot of offensive upside, but the consistency remains to be a work in progress. He’s extremely skilled when he finds the open ice and can be as dangerous as anyone in this class. With Klepov being taken earlier in the draft, the Ducks adding another offensive minded player really makes them more dangerous up front as he has a lot of potential and upside.