Oscar Lindberg

Snapshots: Antipin, KHL Rumors, Bakersfield, Tugnutt

May 7, 2020 at 8:13 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Just one day after his KHL contract was terminated, former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Victor Antipin has quickly found a new team. KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg has announced that they have signed Antipin to a two-year contract. The 27-year-old is joining just his second KHL club and third pro club ever, as Antipin grew up in the development system of Metallurg Magnitogorsk and played for their KHL team on either side of his 2017-18 season with the Sabres. Antipin heads to SKA with 144 points in 381 career KHL games, not to mention ten points in 47 NHL games. The puck-moving defenseman will still be on the right side of 30 when his new contract expires, so a return to North America in the future cannot be ruled out.

Two other notable names are expected be on the move in Europe. Johan Svensson of the Kvalls Posten reports that Swedish winger Pontus Aberg is headed back overseas for the first time since 2013-14. The 26-year-old forward spent this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, his fifth NHL franchise in six years, but played in only five games at the top level. Aberg has had a difficult time carving out a full-time role in any of his NHL stops, so he is expected to move on. Svensson reports that Aberg is currently negotiating with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk and is likely to end up in the KHL one way or another. Meanwhile, fellow Swede Oscar Lindberg is nearing an agreement with the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow, reports Russian source Championat. Lindberg surprisingly was unable to find an NHL home this past off-season and signed with EV Zug of the Swiss NLA. The 28-year-old had a strong season is Switzerland and is now upgrading to Europe’s top league. Lindberg, who has five full NHL seasons to his credit, has been a useful player throughout his pro career and it is no wonder that he is in demand for one of the KHL’s top teams.
The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have made an intriguing signing, adding collegiate defenseman Yanni Kaldis on a two-year deal. Kaldis, 24, was the captain of the Cornell Big Red this season, one of the top teams in the NCAA. A productive two-way defenseman in college, Kaldis has proven that he has pro chops and could play a major role for the Condors. Bakersfield also extended forward Jakob Stukel, a former Vancouver Canucks prospect who suited up for 36 games with the team this season.
Matt Tugnutt, son of former NHL goaltender Ron Tugnutt, is transferring schools. The talented forward may not be going far geographically, but he is making a major move in terms of competition level and ability to compete for a national title. Tugnutt, 23, will play his senior season at Providence College after spending his first three years at Sacred Heart, he announced on his personal Twitter. A near point-per-game player and a +21 for a very good Sacred Heart team this year, Tugnutt is a big addition for the Friars. However, he will have to adjust quickly to the difference between Atlantic and Hockey East competition if he hopes to make a similar impact.

Oscar Lindberg Signs In Switzerland

August 26, 2019 at 12:07 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The Ottawa Senators won’t be bringing back forward Oscar Lindberg, as he signed today with EV Zug of the Swiss NLA. The deal is for one year with an option for 2020-21, and will end his run in the NHL for now.

Lindberg, 27, split last season between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Senators, suiting up 55 times and recording 20 points. In 252 career NHL regular season contests he has 79 points, but will now take his talents overseas to see if he can build up his value. Originally selected in the second round in 2010, he was a dominant presence in the AHL but has struggled to find any consistency over the last several seasons. In 2017 he signed a two-year contract with the Golden Knights worth a total of $3.4MM, but likely failed to find a huge market after his disappointing recent play.

That’s not to say that there won’t be a chance for Lindberg to return to the NHL. The Swedish winger has at very least proven that he can fill a bottom-six spot, though his skill set suggests that he may be better suited to a more offensive role. He’ll certainly find that opportunity in Switzerland, something that could change some minds and lead to a return next summer if he chooses to pursue the NHL once again.

Free Agency Rumors: Bargains, Brassard, Upshall

August 4, 2019 at 9:54 am CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

NHL free agency is more than a month old, yet still chock full of value. In fact, the Athletic’s Jonathan Willis calls it the strongest August unrestricted free agent class that he has seen in over a decade. So how many of these notable names can expect to find NHL employment before next season? Willis broke down the group of unsigned players, listing five centers, six left wings, four right wings, four left-shot defensemen, four right-shot defensemen, and zero goaltenders that he feels certain still deserve a role in the league. Many of those are distinguished veterans who will comes as no surprise, names like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Justin Williams, Derick Brassard, Patrick Maroon, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Brian Boyle, and Ben Lovejoy, for example. Others are simply role players at this point in their career, having failed to show the upside needed to be an impact contributor, such as Riley Sheahan, Tobias Rieder, Magnus Paajarvi, Dmitrij Jaskin, Ben Hutton, Joe Morrow, and Fredrik Claesson, to name a few. However, the most intriguing names, pointed out by Willis as possible targets for bargain hunters at this point in the off-season, include Jake Gardiner, Kevin Shattenkirk, Oscar Lindberg, Valeri Nichushkin, and Alex Petrovic. Willis believes each one has a high ceiling and has more to give an NHL team than the rest of the list, aside from some of the top veterans. Some of those analyzed by Willis who he didn’t feel were necessarily worthy of another NHL contract? Jamie McGinn, Micheal Haley, Cody McLeod, Zac Rinaldo, Devante Smith-Pelly, Drew Stafford, Andrew MacDonald, David Schlemko, Adam McQuaid, and Cam Ward.

One of the aforementioned names, Derick Brassard, may be closest to finding a new home. The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins has confirmed the Edmonton Oilers’ interest in the veteran center, as they currently have a hole down the middle on their third line. This is hardly the first time that Brassard’s name has been linked to the Oilers, but it is the first time details have emerged. Leavins reports that Brassard is seeking upwards of $4MM AAV on his next contract, which is beyond what Edmonton is willing to pay. They have fair reason to avoid that salary too, as Brassard is coming off the worst season of his career, a 23-point campaign split between the Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, and Colorado Avalanche. Approaching 32 years old and already showing signs of decline over the past few years, Brassard will be hard-pressed to get $4MM from any team, never mind the cap-strapped Oilers. Leavins mentioned that the Montreal Canadiens also have interest in Brassard, but the two teams are unlikely to engage in a bidding war. If the Oilers are already in talks with Brassard, they stand a good chance to land him at a fair price, even if it takes another few weeks to move him to a reasonable asking price.
Leavins also notes that Scottie Upshall is hoping to throw his hat back into the ring for NHL consideration this summer. Upshall joined the Oilers in training camp on a PTO last fall, only to suffer a serious lower-body injury and to be cut from camp. Leavins notes that he has been rehabbing for the past nine months and feels he is ready for a comeback. The market for Upshall certainly won’t be overwhelming – he was on a PTO last year and is now a year older and coming off a major injury – but there’s reason to think he still has value and could earn another training camp invite. Upshall has had his struggles with both injuries and consistency throughout his 15-year NHL career, but the journeyman forward has cracked 30 points five different times and is an established two-way contributor and penalty killer. His last full season with the St. Louis Blues in 2017-18, Upshall played a regular role on the team’s fourth line, albeit missing 19 games, and was on a full-season pace for 25 points and a career-high 155 hits. If Upshall really is back at full strength, it’s fair to assume that some teams may have interest in his veteran presence and energy role, especially if they can also assume a 20-30 point season on a minimum contract.

Free Agent Profile: Oscar Lindberg

July 28, 2019 at 4:02 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

It’s been nearly a month since NHL free agency opened and a number of notable players remain unsigned, including 13 of PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents. Given the slow-moving nature of the market and the limited cap space that many teams are dealing with, it’s no surprise that a role player like Oscar Lindberg, ranked No. 47 on our list, remains unsigned.

With that said, Lindberg could prove to be a surprise steal once he does find his next team. The 27-year-old forward has been a consistent bottom-six contributor in each of his four NHL seasons, but finally showed some top-six upside in a late-season stop with the Ottawa Senators. Lindberg earned career-high minutes in Ottawa and recorded five goals and eight points in 20 games, a 20-goal and 33-point full season pace. He also returned to playing center, his natural position from his start with the New York Rangers but a role he was not given while with the Vegas Golden Knights. A relatively young player to be available on the open market and who has the potential to keep improving beyond just a defensive forward role, a team interested in Lindberg could wind up with a middle-six center at a good value at this point in the off-season.

Potential Suitors

Much like in Ottawa, Lindberg’s ceiling will be highest in a situation where there is room for him to compete for a top-six or at least top-nine role. A team that still needs help up front is likely the most realistic scenario salary-cap wise as well. It’s possible that a contender could look at Lindberg for a bottom-six role if the price is right, but more likely a rebuilding club will be enticed by the reliable defensive play and offensive upside that he can bring to make a superior offer.

Among the teams that could look at Lindberg more closely as the off-season wears on are the New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, and Minnesota Wild. All three clubs could really use some more depth up front and have room for Lindberg to compete for a key role. On top of that, they all have the cap space to accommodate a potential contract.

Other interested teams who may look at Lindberg as more of bottom-six depth piece could include the New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Projected Contract

In our Top 50 projections, we expected that Lindberg would land a two-year deal with a $2.1MM AAV. At this point in the summer, a multi-year deal seems less likely. However, it’s hard to see the salary dropping off by much. Lindberg made $1.7MM on his last contract and set a career high in ice time this past season, as well as recording 20 points in 55 games. If anything, his previous salary should be the low mark on a possible deal with something closer to the $2.1MM projection still the more likely result. It’s a salary range that teams in Europe would be happy to match to add a player of Lindberg’s ability, so interested NHL teams may have a hard time trying to drive the price down. Unless Lindberg is dead set on staying in North America at all costs, he should be able to negotiate a fair deal before the start of next season.

UFA Notes: Hathaway, Lindberg, Gibbons, Lehner, Tanev, Chiarot

July 1, 2019 at 9:03 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Garnet Hathaway appears to be on his way out of Calgary. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the winger is looking at a few options in the East. The 27-year-old is coming off a career year with the Flames that saw him go from a depth option to an important piece of their fourth line. He chipped in with 19 points (11-8-19) in 78 games along with a team-high 200 hits. That should be enough to land Hathaway a multi-year deal this summer at a nice raise over the $850K he made last season.

Other UFA notes this morning:

The Senators aren’t expected to re-sign center Oscar Lindberg and winger Brian Gibbons, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). Both players were brought in near the trade deadline and Gibbons in particular finished up quite strong with 14 points in 20 games with Ottawa. Meanwhile, Lindberg didn’t fare so well but as a 27-year-old pivot with a few decent years under his belt, he should have quite a few suitors on the open market.
Goaltender Robin Lehner declined a two-year, $10MM offer from the Islanders, reports Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest (Twitter link). The netminder had a career season which makes him one of the top goalies available but his struggles in his time with Buffalo are likely playing a role in him only receiving a short-term offer from New York.
The Jets won’t likely be able to retain defenseman Ben Chiarot or winger Brandon Tanev, notes Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe (Twitter link). He notes that both players are likely to earn significant raises on what they made last season ($1.4MM AAV for Chiarot, $1.15MM for Tanev) which will price them out of what Winnipeg can afford. The 28-year-old Chiarot logged 18:37 per night last season and is one of the more underrated blueliners in free agency while Tanev, 27, had a career season offensively with 29 points (14-15-29) while being among the league leaders in hits with 278.

Senators Notes: No. 19 Pick, Paajarvi, Hogberg

June 17, 2019 at 12:11 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Perhaps excited by the extension of Anthony Duclair and the additional second-round pick added by the Erik Karlsson contract, both occurring earlier today, Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion was very positive and open when speaking with the media today. Per The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, Dorion began by discussing the team’s plans for the upcoming NHL Draft. The Senators will travel to Vancouver tomorrow to begin meetings ahead of the round one of the draft on Friday night, but Dorion has already had many conversations with rival GM’s. Dorion states that he has already spoken with multiple teams about possibly moving up in the first round from No. 19. The Senators are without their own first-rounder, owed to the Colorado Avalanche from last year’s Matt Duchene trade, but the team was fortunately able to recoup a top pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets in their own sale of Duchene. With that said, No. 19 is not exactly where a rebuilding team would like their first pick to be, even though Ottawa already has a deep, talented pipeline. Following the Karlsson news, CapFriendly reports that the Senators now have 28 picks in the next three drafts, including 16 in the top three rounds. That is plenty of ammunition if Dorion decides that he wants to move up the board on Friday. Teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks have hinted at their willingness to move back, while the Colorado Avalanche may also be open to moving their second pick in the round, No. 16. If Dorion is intent on moving up, he should be able to find a taker.

Dorion also made the somewhat surprising reveal that the Senators are not pursuing a contract extension with free agent forward Magnus Paajarvi. Paajarvi, 28, has spent the past season and half with Ottawa after coming over from the St. Louis Blues on waivers in 2017-18. Although the 2009 tenth overall pick has never been able to live up to his draft stock nor his rookie year production, Paajarvi has grown into a solid two-way player and enjoyed the best season since his first in Ottawa this past year. Paajarvi seemed like a safe bet to stay with the Senators, especially given his key role on the penalty kill, but Dorion has other plans. He did say that talks continue with fellow UFA’s Oscar Lindberg and Brian Gibbons, both of whom performed well after deadline trades, as well as RFA defenseman Cody Ceci. As for Paajarvi, he’ll likely land on his feet elsewhere in the league once free agency opens.
Finally, Dorion announced that a contract resolution with RFA goaltender Marcus Hogberg is imminent. Hogberg is expected to sign with the team this week after rumors emerged early this off-season that he was considering a move to Europe. It remains possible that Hogberg could still be loaned elsewhere, as his signing only adds to a logjam of keepers in both Ottawa and AHL Belleville. The Senators expect to enter next season with a tandem of veteran Craig Anderson and returnee Anders Nilsson. As of now, Mike Condon will also be in the mix. In the minors, the team hopes to give top goalie prospect Filip Gustavsson, college standout Joey Daccord, and now Hogberg the time in net they need to develop properly. If that is going to be impossible, even with a likely Condon departure, Hogberg is the top candidate to be loaned away, despite his advantage in pro experience.

Senators Not Likely To Retain Magnus Paajarvi And Oscar Lindberg

April 8, 2019 at 7:41 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

The Senators are likely to not bring back winger Magnus Paajarvi and center Oscar Lindberg for next season, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. However, Ottawa appears to be inclined to issue a qualifying offer to winger Anthony Duclair and may attempt to keep winger Brian Gibbons who made a significant impact after being acquired late in the season.

Paajarvi never quite lived up to his draft billing as a tenth overall pick of the Oilers back in 2009. While he had a regular role this season, he wasn’t overly productive as he posted just 19 points in 80 games. With several younger forwards looking to make a push for a roster spot next season, it appears Paajarvi will be yielding his spot to one of them.

As for Lindberg, the trade deadline deal that saw him join the Senators didn’t do much to bolster his offensive game despite a boost in playing time. Between Ottawa and Vegas, he had 20 points in 55 games and as a 27-year-old old pivot, he’ll garner some interest on the open market in July.

Duclair came over from Columbus as part of the Ryan Dzingel deal just before the trade deadline. He signed with the Blue Jackets in a hope to revive his career but it didn’t happen. However, he showed some promising signs after the trade, collecting 14 points in 21 games, giving him 33 points on the season, the second-most of his career. That should be worth a $715K qualifying offer although he is eligible for salary arbitration.

Gibbons, meanwhile, was brought in for minor league defender Patrick Sieloff to fill a roster spot for the stretch run to allow the younger players to remain at AHL Belleville. After being invisible with Anaheim after putting up just five points in 44 games, he picked up 14 in 20 contests following the trade. Clearly, he showed he fits in with Ottawa so depending on the contract he’s looking for – he made $1MM this season – he could be a fit to stick around in a depth role.

East Notes: Murray, Zadina, Lightning, Lindberg

March 9, 2019 at 1:43 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Blue Jackets have been without defenseman Ryan Murray for the past three weeks and it doesn’t appear that a return is on the horizon. Speaking with Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch, GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated that he is hopeful that the 25-year-old would be able to return this season. Before this latest upper-body injury which is being re-evaluated on a week-to-week basis, the oft-injured Murray had actually stayed healthy through the first 56 games of the year along with a career-high 29 points. With Columbus struggling considerably following their trade deadline pickups, they could certainly use Murray’s 21-plus minutes a night on the back end but they’ll have to play without him for a while yet.

2019 Trade Deadline Day Recap

February 25, 2019 at 5:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

The trade deadline for the 2018-19 season has come and gone, with teams all around the league loading up for a Stanley Cup run. This year saw a nearly unprecedented level of skill available, though things got started quite early. Before deadline day, names like Matt Duchene, Brandon Montour, Mats Zuccarello, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Dzingel, Gustav Nyquist and Nick Jensen all switched teams. However, the day was no disappointment; a slow pace early on ended in fireworks right before the deadline and as deal trickled in right after. Below is a complete list of the 21 trades featuring all but seven of the NHL’s teams made on February 25th alone (chronologically):

To Anaheim Ducks:
D Patrick Sieloff

To Ottawa Senators:
F Brian Gibbons

To New Jersey Devils:
2022 fifth-round pick

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Keith Kinkaid

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Kevin Hayes

To New York Rangers:
F Brendan Lemieux
2019 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
2022 conditional fourth-round pick (if Winnipeg wins Stanley Cup)

To Montreal Canadiens:
F Jordan Weal

To Arizona Coyotes:
F Michael Chaput

To Florida Panthers:
F Cliff Pu
Future Considerations

To Carolina Hurricanes:
F Tomas Jurco (AHL contract)
Future Considerations

To Colorado Avalanche:
F Derick Brassard
2020 conditional sixth-round pick (no pick if Brassard re-signs)

To Florida Panthers:
2020 third-round pick

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
D Adam McQuaid

To New York Rangers:
D Julius Bergman
2019 fourth-round pick
2019 seventh-round pick

Deadline Primer: Vegas Golden Knights

February 3, 2019 at 4:27 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? We start with a look at the Vegas Golden Knights.

This is a somewhat different year for the Vegas Golden Knights who took the league by storm last season in route to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance. While Vegas remains playoff bound as they are firmly entrenched in third place with 62 points. However, this Vegas team has shown inconsistency throughout the year. While it looked like the Golden Knights had turned the corner throughout December and January, the team suddenly finds itself in a four-game losing streak with the Tampa Bay Lightning in front of them next. After trading a first, second and third-round pick to acquire Tomas Tatar at the deadline, who turned out to be a major disappointment, the team might be more reluctant to make a big trade at the deadline and may be more inclined to just add some depth options this time around.

Record

29-21-4, third in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$15.554MM in a full-season cap hit, 2/3 used salary cap retention slots, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: VGK 1st, VGK 2nd, VGK 3rd, NSH 3rd, WPG 3rd, VGK 4th, MON 5th, MIN 5th, VGK 5th
2020: VGK 1st, VGK 2nd, DAL 2nd, PIT 2nd, VGK 3rd, VGK 4th, VGK 5th, VGK 6th, VGK 7th

Trade Chips

Perhaps the biggest trade chips that the Golden Knights possess are their draft picks. General manager George McPhee has already sent off quite a few to acquire Tatar and then flip him along with top prospect Nick Suzuki and another second-rounder to pry Max Pacioretty from Montreal. However, as the team keeps an eye the future, the team also full well knows it may not want to move any more of their top picks in the next few years. That doesn’t mean they don’t have some later picks that they could move, including three third-rounders this year and three second-round picks in 2020 if they want to add some depth to their team. If they really want to make a splash, the team could include a first-rounder, but they may be reluctant to do so.

The team also has significant cap room, although that has been slowly disappearing. The team still has to lock up center William Karlsson, who will be a restricted free agent against after signing a one-year deal, but the team has all their key players locked up for at least the next two years, so they could take on an expensive contract for a discount.

The forward lines look pretty set even without Erik Haula, who could miss the entire season, but the team has a number of depth forwards who they could move like Oscar Lindberg, Ryan Carpenter or even Tomas Nosek to free up a valuable roster space. The question is whether other teams would be interested in any of those options. Carpenter could be of value to a team needing a bottom-six depth option, while Nosek is still young enough to offer some potential. As for defense, while the team could use an upgrade, the Golden Knights already traded away Brad Hunt, suggesting they are unlikely to move another defenseman now and although they have several interesting young defenseman waiting in the wings in the AHL, it’s unlikely the team is going to move out a player to make space for a prospect.

Five Players To Watch For: F Carpenter, D Nicolas Hague, D Nick Holden, F Nosek, G Malcolm Subban

Team Needs

1) Top-Four Defenseman: While the team doesn’t really need a big-name forward at the trade deadline, defense could be a different matter. The Golden Knights defense is good, but the team was almost desperate to acquire Erik Karlsson last season from Ottawa, but came up just short. They followed that up by adding Nick Holden during the offseason, but that’s hardly the answer either. With Deryk Engelland starting to show his age, Holden struggling and star prospect Erik Brannstrom not yet ready to contribute, the team could use a defenseman that can help protect goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Plenty of rumors seem to have Vegas focused on one of St. Louis’ top defenders, including Alex Pietrangelo or Colton Parayko, but the team would obviously have to move more than a few middle-round picks to acquire either of them.

2) Back-up Goaltender: Vegas has struggled finding a solid backup. While Subban has the skills, the 25-year-old is just 2-5 this season with a 2.95 GAA and a .904 save percentage and is currently injured. On top of that, he has made just eight appearances this season, which isn’t really helping a 34-year-old Fleury who has already appeared in 46 games this season, the same number he played in during the regular season a year go. With no prospects in the wings, it might make sense for Vegas to go out and get a Keith Kinkaid, Jimmy Howard or another veteran goalie to fill the void for the remainder of the season and give them an option to re-sign them this summer if they work out.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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