It’s been a great month for Oskar Lindblom. On July 2, the Flyers forward rang the bell to signify the end of his treatments for Ewing’s sarcoma. On Wednesday, he inked a fresh contract extension.
The 23-year-old Lindblom signed a three-year, $9 million deal to remain with the Flyers. He could have been a restricted free agent in the off-season.
“I am very excited to be a part of the Flyers for the next three seasons,” Lindblom said. “The support that the organization, the fans, and the entire NHL has given me has been quite overwhelming. I can’t wait to get back skating with the boys and being the professional hockey player I know I can be. I want to thank the Flyers for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to the day I’m back and contributing to the team’s success.”
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At the time of his diagnosis in December, Lindblom, a 2020 Masterton Trophy finalist, was tied for the team lead in goals (11), and had recorded 18 points in the Flyers’ first 30 games.
Despite going through treatments Lindblom still found time to visit his teammates during the season. He made several trips to home games, was in the team photo, and skated during Phase 2 of the NHL’s Return to Play.
On a conference call Wednesday, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher didn’t close the door on the possibility Lindblom could be one of the 31 players they take to Toronto. He also added that there is the chance he could actually play.
“I don’t know what’s out of the question,” Fletcher said. “I wouldn’t certainly put any limits on Oskar. We’ll obviously do everything that we can to protect him. He’s looking forward to restarting his life and his career. Whatever that means, we’ll find out. We’ll work very closely with his medical team and our medical team. We’ll make the right decisions for him.
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.