oscar lindberg

Lindberg (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)

When the Rangers re-signed Oscar Lindberg to his two-year deal (one-way deal, guaranteeing his salary), they did so with the assumption that Lindberg will make the club. His spot on the roster is still up in the air, as he could be as high as 3C and as low as 13F, but he will be with the Rangers when the regular season starts. Where Lindberg slots in will have a major effect on his production for the upcoming season.

Lindberg has been one of Hartford’s best forwards for two seasons now. Last season he put up 28-28-56 in 75 games, an improvement on his 18-26-44 from the season prior. While with the Wolf Pack, Lindberg played on the top line, getting significant powerplay and penalty kill time as well.

With the Rangers it is unlikely Lindberg will get powerplay time, and he certainly won’t be getting top-six minutes unless there is an injury. So right from the start, expecting a 30-goal type season from the rookie would be setting the bar way too high. Lindberg is known for his defensive skills, and will likely be deployed as such.

Let’s go with the assumption Lindberg gets the spot as 4LW, displacing Tanner Glass. A fourth line consisting of Lindberg, Dominic Moore, and Jesper Fast would be one of the best defensive lines in the game. This line is comparable to the Moore, Brian Boyle, Derek Dorsett line of 2013-2014, and would be deployed as such. Expect 35% offensive zone starts with solid puck possession numbers, but minimal offensive numbers.

If Lindberg winds up on the third line, the time he gets in the offensive zone should theoretically increase, thus his offensive numbers should also increase. But it’s worth noting that no matter what, Lindberg is not a 30-goal player at the NHL level, especially if he doesn’t get any powerplay time.

Reasonably, we should expect Lindberg to play exceptional defense, push the play up the ice, log significant penalty kill minutes, and chip in offensively here and there. I’m expecting Lindberg to bounce between third/fourth line duties, with some healthy scratches early in the season.

Using Fast’s numbers from last season (6-8-14 in 58 games) as a comparable, I expect Lindberg to come in right around those numbers, probably a bit higher. Assuming Lindberg gets a full season at the NHL level, likely rotating between third and fourth line roles, it wouldn’t shock me to see him come in around 10-15-25. Even at lower numbers, Lindberg is a clear bargain.

Share: 

Mentioned in this article:

More About: