After a breakout season in the Swedish Hockey League, Oskar Lindblom has signed an entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Flyers selected Lindblom in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Draft. Now 20 years old, the prospect left winger led Brynas IF with 22 goals and 47 points in 52 games.
That’s a substantial increase in production from the 25 points he had the previous season, and that improvement wasn’t lost on the staff in Philadelphia.
Earlier this spring, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said a number of Philadelphia’s young prospects were going to get a “long look” at making the team next year.
Lindblom, who stands six-foot-one-inch tall and 192 pounds, certainly falls into that category.
The opportunity to further advance the youth movement in Philly has been well documented, particularly on defense with the club parting ways with Michael Del Zotto and Nick Schultz. The move to get younger doesn’t seem restricted to just the blue line.
“Oskar, he’s had a great year,” Hextall told CSN Philly. “He’s in a really good league. He’s a good hockey player. He’s come a long way since his draft year. The Swedish Elite League is a very good league and he’s done a good job.
“I hope he’s here in September fighting for a spot along with a number of other guys.”