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Oskar Lindblom

San Jose Sharks Sign Oskar Lindblom

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After being bought out by the Philadelphia Flyers, Oskar Lindblom is getting a fresh start. He has signed a two-year contract with the San Jose Sharks and Pierre LeBrun adds that it will carry a $2.5MM average annual value.

General manager Mike Grier released a statement:

Oskar is a proven forward who can provide offensive upside in the middle of our lineup. He has overcome significant obstacles in his young career and his strength and desire to play hockey is immeasurable. We are happy to have him join our organization.

Lindblom was once one of the more promising young forwards in the Flyers organization, outperforming his fifth-round pick status and scoring 17 goals and 33 points in 2018-19. Lindblom showed an ability to effectively use his size and strength to create chances and looked like a potential middle-six scoring option with room to grow.

Then, Lindblom was hit with an immense challenge. In December 2019, Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma and had to focus his energy, not on his battles on the ice but on his new fight off of it. Lindblom’s story rallied the entire hockey world behind him, and he eventually made his return to Philadelphia’s lineup, even featuring in the team’s three-round run in the 2020 playoffs. Lindblom won the 2021 Bill Masterton Trophy, but unfortunately, the end of his tenure in Philadelphia serves as a sobering reminder that hockey is a business above all else.

Since returning from his absence, Lindblom has been unable to rediscover the form that made him such a promising young player in 2018-19. Lindblom had 12 goals and 26 points in 2021-22, not bad production by any means but certainly not worth the $3MM they were paying him. Working against Lindblom as well was the fact that the Flyers would not only get out from under the full weight of his $3MM cap hit, but they would also get a small cap credit as well from buying him out.

So the math became simple for GM Chuck Fletcher, paving the way for Lindblom to land in San Jose. For the Sharks, if Lindblom can rediscover the form he showed earlier in his career he can be an important player in their lineup. But even if he doesn’t, $2.5MM isn’t an unreasonable price to pay for what he will provide.

Philadelphia Flyers To Buy Out Oskar Lindblom

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The Philadelphia Flyers have placed Oskar Lindblom on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout, which will clear a considerable amount of cap off the books for next season. Lindblom’s deal has one year left on it at a cap hit of $3MM, but because of his age, they are only required to pay out one-third of the remaining salary.

That will result in a cap credit of $333,333 for the 2022-23 season, and a cap penalty of $666,667 for 2023-24. The team has also announced that in recognition of Lindblom, they will be making a $100,000 donation to a local organization that supports families impacted by cancer. General manager Chuck Fletcher released a statement:

This was a very difficult decision to make and one that we spent a lot of time examining. No one can question the desire, will and strength to overcome all that Oskar has been through off the ice in order to return to the game he loves. Further, Oskar’s commitment to his teammates and impact in our room has been immeasurable. He is truly an inspiration to us all and he will always remain a special part of the Philadelphia Flyers family. We wish him all the best as he continues his NHL career.

This move will essentially clear $3.33MM for the Flyers as they prepare for free agency tomorrow, with rumors also swirling about the future of James van Riemsdyk and his $7MM cap hit. The team has made very clear that they have no intention of rebuilding, making them potential players in several big names tomorrow.

For Lindblom, there is little doubt that another NHL team will give him a chance. After making his way back from a cancer diagnosis, he hasn’t quite reached the level he showed in the early part of his career but still contributed 12 goals and 26 points this season. The 25-year-old is a talented goal-scorer and has already overachieved his fifth-round draft position.

Importantly, if a team were to sign him to a one-year deal, Lindblom would once again be a restricted free agent at its conclusion, meaning any interested club could potentially land some important control for a relative bargain.

East Notes: Lindblom, Marchment, Korpisalo

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Like many teams, the Flyers will be looking to free up some cap space this summer.  Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic highlights (subscription link) an under-the-radar option to help accomplish that with a buyout of winger Oskar Lindblom.  While his battle to return back from Ewing’s sarcoma and become a regular NHL player again is certainly commendable, he has underachieved offensively with just 20 goals in 129 games since then which isn’t a great return on a $3MM AAV.  However, he’d be eligible for a reduced buyout charge of one-third because of his age (25) and the structure of the contract would actually create a cap credit of $333K for next season with a $667K charge the following year.  With that credit, the Flyers would effectively save $3.33MM in 2022-23 with a Lindholm buyout, making that option one that GM Chuck Fletcher will likely give some serious consideration to in the coming weeks.

More from the East:

  • Panthers winger Mason Marchment is doubtful to play in the next two games of their series against Tampa Bay, relays David Wilson of the Miami Herald. He has now missed the last four games with a lower-body injury and with Florida scuffling in the early going of this round, his secondary scoring and physicality are certainly being missed.  Meanwhile, interim head coach Andrew Brunette clarified that Anton Lundell wasn’t injured on Thursday but was merely benched after just over four minutes of ice time.
  • Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo told Bailey Johnson of the Columbus Dispatch that his recovery from hip surgery is on track and that he should be ready for the start of training camp. He indicated he had been playing through the injury for the last four seasons with the issue worsening until it was decided that surgery was the best way to go.  He’ll get one more opportunity with Columbus after they signed him to a one-year, $1.3MM deal on Friday.

Injury Updates: Kase, Flyers, Sanderson, Drouin

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Maple Leafs winger Ondrej Kase has been ruled out for Toronto’s two games this weekend, notes TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link).  However, while it looked like the 26-year-old suffered a concussion on a hit last Saturday, head coach Sheldon Keefe was quick to point out that Kase hasn’t been diagnosed with anything just yet.  Kase has a long concussion history and it stands to reason that they’ll err on the side of caution when it comes to his health.  He has yet to be placed on LTIR but with defenseman Jake Muzzin getting closer to returning, that may still happen over the coming days.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • The Flyers announced (via Twitter) that winger Travis Konecny is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. The 25-year-old has very quietly been on an impressive run in recent weeks, picking up 18 points in 20 games going back to the start of February.  Meanwhile, winger Oskar Lindblom returned after missing Thursday’s game with an undisclosed injury.
  • The Senators will be waiting a while to get top prospect Jake Sanderson in their lineup as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The youngster underwent hand surgery earlier this month that will keep him out for four-to-six weeks, putting his availability for the stretch run in question.  Ottawa’s team doctors are set to evaluate him which will give them an idea as to whether or not he’ll be able to suit up for a few games down the stretch.  Even if he doesn’t play, the first year of his contract will be burned if Ottawa signs him to a deal that begins this season instead of in 2022-23.
  • On top of being in COVID protocol for a close contact, the Canadiens announced that winger Jonathan Drouin has been placed on IR with an upper-body injury and is out indefinitely. The 26-year-old had just returned to the lineup after missing 22 games with a wrist issue and it’s unclear if this injury is related to that one or something different altogether.

Oskar Lindblom Wins 2020-21 Bill Masterton Trophy

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Over the next couple of weeks, the NHL will be revealing some of their award winners during the pregame show or intermission of games in the semifinals.  Today was the Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey”.  This year’s recipient is Flyers winger Oskar Lindblom.

Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, back in December 2019, causing him to miss the rest of the regular season.  However, with the pandemic delaying the playoffs until the summer, he was able to get into a couple of games in the bubble while he was a finalist for the Masterton as well.  This season, the 24-year-old played in all but six of Philadelphia’s 56 games this season, recording 14 points while averaging a little over 13 minutes per game.  More importantly, he was ruled cancer-free at the one-year anniversary of his diagnosis.

Lindblom is the fourth Flyer to win the award, joining Bobby Clarke (1972), Tim Kerr (1989), and Ian Laperriere (2011) as Philadelphia recipients.

The other two finalists for the award were San Jose’s Patrick Marleau who became the all-time games played leader and Minnesota’s Mathew Dumba, a co-founder of the Hockey Diversity Alliance.

2021 Masterton Trophy Finalists Announced

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The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2021.

Past winners of the award include Bobby Ryan (2020), Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014), and Josh Harding (2013).

Each team provided a nominee for the award. The finalists this season are Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild, Oskar Lindblom of the Philadelphia Flyers and Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks.

Dumba won the King Clancy Trophy last season for his humanitarian efforts and earlier this year hosted the Hockey Without Limits camp which aims to promote inclusion and diversity at the grassroots level. The Wild defenseman continued his strong play on the ice, recording 21 points in 51 games for Minnesota while averaging over 22 minutes a game for the fourth consecutive season.

Lindblom meanwhile continues to be one of the best stories in hockey, even if his production dried up this season. The 24-year-old was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in December, 2019 and could have easily seen his NHL career end on the spot. Instead, he battled through treatment for months and returned for the Flyers in the playoff bubble. This season, Lindblom played in 50 of the team’s 56 games, scoring eight goals and 14 points.

If the award is for perseverance and dedication to hockey, it’s hard not to think of Marleau every year. The 41-year-old has now gone more than a decade without missing a game due to injury and this season passed Gordie Howe for the most regular season games played in NHL history. Marleau has suited up for nearly 2,000 NHL games in total and still hopes to return next year.

Nominees Announced For 2021 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

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The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2021.

Past winners of the award include Bobby Ryan (2020), Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014), and Josh Harding (2013).

Below are the nominees from each team:

Anaheim Ducks – David Backes

Arizona Coyotes – Phil Kessel

Boston Bruins – Kevan Miller

Buffalo Sabres – Dustin Tokarski

Calgary Flames – Milan Lucic

Carolina Hurricanes – Jordan Staal

Chicago Blackhawks – Andrew Shaw

Colorado Avalanche – Valeri Nichushkin

Columbus Blue Jackets – Zac Dalpe

Dallas Stars – Roope Hintz

Detroit Red Wings – Danny DeKeyser

Edmonton Oilers – Mike Smith

Florida Panthers – Chris Driedger

Los Angeles Kings – Matt Roy

Minnesota Wild – Matt Dumba

Montreal Canadiens – Corey Perry

Nashville Predators – Pekka Rinne

New Jersey Devils – Scott Wedgewood

New York Islanders – Casey Cizikas

New York Rangers – Colin Blackwell

Ottawa Senators – Nick Paul

Philadelphia Flyers – Oskar Lindblom

Pittsburgh Penguins – Casey DeSmith

San Jose Sharks – Patrick Marleau

St. Louis Blues – Vladimir Tarasenko

Tampa Bay Lightning – Steven Stamkos

Toronto Maple Leafs – Jack Campbell

Vancouver Canucks – Tyler Motte

Vegas Golden Knights – Marc-Andre Fleury

Washington Capitals – Zdeno Chara

Winnipeg Jets – Eric Comrie

Three finalists and the winner will be named at a later date.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/26/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here are today’s results:

NY Rangers – Kaapo Kakko
Ottawa – Ryan Dzingel
Philadelphia – Travis Konecny
San Jose – Tomas Hertl

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: K’Andre Miller, New York Rangers; Scott Laughton, Philadelphia Flyers; Oskar Lindblom, Philadelphia Flyers

Not only is it great news that the Flyers are down to just one player after their large outbreak, the fact that Hertl remains alone on the Sharks list means the team should be able to continue their season on schedule. San Jose is scheduled to play against the Blues tomorrow.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/25/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here are today’s results:

NY Rangers – Kaapo Kakko, K’Andre Miller
Ottawa – Ryan Dzingel
Philadelphia – Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom
San Jose – Tomas Hertl

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers have cleared one more player off their board and are inching their way to having a full contingent again.

Really the best news of the day is that Hertl remains alone on the Sharks list. The league preemptively postponed tonight’s game against the Golden Knights after he entered the protocol and hopefully any spread has been contained.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/24/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here are today’s results:

NY Rangers – Kaapo Kakko, K’Andre Miller*
Ottawa – Ryan Dzingel
Philadelphia – Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom, Jakub Voracek
San Jose – Tomas Hertl*

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Justin Braun, Philadelphia Flyers; Alexander Barabanov, Toronto Maple Leafs

The big news today is the addition of Hertl, after which the NHL immediately postponed tomorrow’s game between the Sharks and Golden Knights. Hopefully, the team can limit the spread or contact and get back to playing soon, but for now, their facilities have been shut down indefinitely.

Barabanov’s PCR test was inconclusive for the Maple Leafs, but then when retested came back negative. He was able to re-join the team at morning skate. Braun’s removal is another strong step in the right direction for the Flyers, who are getting closer to clearing their board.

*denotes new addition

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