Flyers sign Swedish forward Oskar Lindblom, extending team's youth movement
The left winger signed a three-year entry-level deal for $925,000 annually. On Twitter, Lindblom said he was “very proud and honored to have signed my first NHL contract.”
Oskar Lindblom took a step toward becoming a regular in the Flyers lineup Tuesday.
The highly touted left winger signed a three-year entry-level deal for $925,000 annually, and he is expected to be in the Flyers lineup this season.
On Twitter, Lindblom said he was "very proud and honored to have signed my first NHL contract."
Lindblom, who will turn 21 on Aug. 15, finished last season second in the Swedish Hockey League with 22 goals and fourth with 47 points in 52 games. He was named the forward of the year in the SHL, Sweden's top league.
In 20 postseason games, he collected 14 points, including four goals.
A native of Sweden, the 6-foot-2, 196-pound Lindblom was selected by the Flyers in the fifth round of the 2014 draft.
Left wing was one of the Flyers' weakest positions last season, and Lindblom has a clear path to winning a job in training camp, provided he gets acclimated to the smaller rinks and the more physical style of play.
"His biggest weakness his draft year was his skating; he's cleaned that up," general manager Ron Hextall said Tuesday from the NHL scouting combine in Buffalo. "He's become a much better skater. He's worked at it, and the other part was he was a young kid and he's added a lot of strength since then."
Playing against men in Sweden, Lindblom had a breakout season in 2016-17 with Brynas. The previous year, he managed just eight goals and 25 points, then had seven points in a late-season, eight-game stint with the AHL's Phantoms.
Last month, Hextall said Lindblom had "come a long way since his draft year."
In 141 career games with Brynas, Lindblom registered 38 goals and 87 points.
"He plays a real well-rounded game," Hextall said. "It takes time for kids to develop, and Oskar's a great example. He's gotten better every year."
The Flyers, coming off a disappointing 88-point season (39-33-10), could have six rookies on the team in 2017-18. Lindblom, defensemen Sam Morin and Robert Hagg, goalie Anthony Stolarz, center Mike Vecchione, and their first-round pick — expected to be either Nico Hischier or Nolan Patrick, two highly regarded centers — are strong candidates to earn roster spots.
The Flyers have the second overall pick in the June 23 draft, behind New Jersey, and they will get a look at the top prospects at the scouting combine this week. Hextall has interviewed Hischier and Patrick.
According to NHL.com, Patrick will meet with 13 teams, while Hischier will be interviewed by 14 teams. That's a lot of interest in players who are expected to be gone after the first two picks, fueling speculation that numerous teams are calling the Flyers and Devils with trade offers for their coveted draft selections.
As for Lindblom, he was part of Hextall's first draft class as the Flyers' general manager. The Flyers chose defenseman Travis Sanheim with their first-round pick that season before taking forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Mark Friedman in the second and third rounds, respectively. They didn't have a fourth-round selection, and they chose Lindblom in the fifth round with the 138th overall pick.