Where Did They Come From Where Did They Go? Ep. 1 – Oscar Lindberg

*This is a guest post by Jack Danielsen, and part one in a series of posts that will discuss where certain Rangers came from and went to before and after their time on Broadway*

Remember the expansion draft?

Michael Grabner, Matt Puempel, Jesper Fast, Antti Raanta, Kevin Klein, and Oscar Lindberg were all left out to dry by the New York Rangers and the Vegas Golden Knights chose Lindberg of the bunch. The 6’ 1” center went on to play just shy of 100 games with the Golden Knights over two years before he was dealt to the Senators at the end of the 2018-19 season, playing 20 games alongside another former Ranger in Anthony Duclair. After his contract expired, the Ottawa Senators did not re-sign him, letting Oscar Lindberg walk in free agency. He decided to play in the National League in Switzerland for EV Zug, who finished 2nd out of the 12 teams in the NLA (speaking of former Rangers, forward Viktor Stålberg but will not return to the roster in 2019-20 while captain and defender for EV Zug Raphael Diaz will).

Oscar Lindberg was drafted in the 2nd round, #57th overall by the Arizona Coyotes although he never donned a Coyote’s jersey. He remained in the Swedish Hockey League instead, playing for the Skellefteå organization. During his 178 contests that spanned over 4 years with the team, he registered 68 points in total. His rights were traded to the Rangers in a player-for-player trade involving forward Ethan Werek, a 2009 2nd round pick playing for Kingston of the OHL at the time. On June 2nd, 2012 he signed his entry-level contract with the New York Rangers for 3 years and $760k AAV. He played the 2012-13 season on loan to Skellefteå in the SHL, marking his 4^th season with the team. He broke out that year, putting up a total of 17G and 42P in 55 total contests, finishing 8th in SHL scoring. He beat out Jesper Fast by 12 points and the King Henrik’s twin brother, captain and center for the Frӧlunda Indians Joel Lundqvist, by 13 points, so that’s pretty fun.

More importantly, the Oscar Lindberg that Rangers’ fans know is the one who put up not 1 but 2 goals in Game 4 against his future team, the Ottawa Senators (this is a moment of silence while we send any bad juju on over to J.G. Pageau). Beyond that moment, he was a steady third- and fourth-line center who could be relied on in nearly any situation. He was one of the only young players that thrived under former coach Alain Vigneault. Usually, a young or inexperienced player will last on the Rangers’ NHL roster about as long as a pack of gum lasts Vigneault – not long. Lindberg played 1 game for the team in 2014-15 and then became a regular on the team from then on. He excelled at playing the defensive, two-way game that the coach (who if we name again may suddenly appear) assigned him to. That was his playing style and he played well in that role.

Really well, actually.

In his first season with the Rangers, he potted 13G and had 15A in 68GP in the 2015-16 season. His next season he played in 65 games putting up 8G and 20P. A step down for sure, although his TOI dropped by over a minute in his 2nd and final stint with the Rangers. The reason you may remember him was for his two-goal game against Ottawa in the 2017 playoffs. Michael Grabner picked up the puck that bounced his way after a blocked shot from none other than  current hockey operations staff member and Rangers’ legend Tanner Glass, flew to net as he’s prone to do and then dished it to Lindberg for a one-timer which would become the then 24 year-old’s 2nd ever playoff goal 2 minutes into the 2nd period (if only he were 22). His 3rd goal would come at 4:06 in the same period and would be his last goal as a Ranger.

The expansion draft finally rolled around and Lindberg was taken by Vegas over Michael Grabner and Antti Raanta and he was then a Golden Knight. In his first year with his new team, he had 9 goals and 2 assists for 11 points, while his next season in 2018-19 he had 4 goals and 8 assists with VGK and then 5G and 3A in his 20 games with OTT. All things considered, his production last season could have landed him a spot on most NHL rosters this season. His advanced stats were also solid while he was in Vegas. His CF% (Corsi For % at even strength) was above 50% for both seasons, meaning his team had the puck more than they didn’t while he was on the ice. 50.5% in 2017-18 and 57.3% in his final 35 games in 2018-19.

On February 25^th, 2019 he was traded to Ottawa as a piece in the Mark Stone/Erik Brännström trade and his CF% plummeted to 44.8% in his 20 games in Ottawa. Lindberg did still put up 5G and 3A in that time for a group that was a world away from the Golden Knights team that he had been dealt from, so his advanced stats dropping as they did is expected. I think credit is due to Lindberg that he still managed to put up 8 points on that dumpster fire of a team while averaging under 12 minutes a night.

After the season ended, he was not re-signed by Ottawa and for some reason, he did not sign with another NHL team. So now the former Ranger is living it up in Switzerland and has an option in his contract for an additional year if he decides to stay put in the Swiss National League. Hopefully a team will wise up and add the forward to their roster for next season, if there is one.

*This is a guest post by Jack Danielsen, and part one in a series of posts that will discuss where certain Rangers came from and went to before and after their time on Broadway*