Oskar Lindblom THW Close-Up:
Date of birth: 8/15/1996
Place of birth: Gavle, Sweden
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 187 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: LW/RW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2014
THW The Next Ones Rankings (January 2014): 59
Other Rankings:
THW War Room Rankings (April): 79
Future Considerations: not ranked
Craig Button: not ranked
CS Final Rankings for European skaters: 23
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Oskar Lindblom shows a great deal of promise as an NHL-sized all-around winger. He’s a tough player that crashes the net, plays well along the boards and in the dirty areas, as well as being a solid defensive forward. I watched him play in the U17 WHC where he led his team to a gold medal with the most goals (8) and points (13).
While he’s smooth on his skates, he doesn’t have that tremendous burst of speed or powerful stride you normally see out of forwards his size. It’s something he needs to work on moving forward. However, he battles in every zone and is possesses a strong defensive game.
He’s very raw at this stage and will need a few years at least to develop, but having well-rounded players is never a flaw for teams. Lindblom is the type of forward that, if developed correctly will have prosperous career in the NHL.
Where Will He End Up In June:
I peg Oskar Lindblom to get picked in either the 3rd or 4th round.
Scout’s Honor:
“Lindblom is a powerful skater with a strong, two-way game. He isn’t shy to do the dirty work and is a pain to move out from in front of the net. He gets himself open to create offensive chances but isn’t overly flashy. (August 2013)”
Aaron Vickers – Future Considerations
“Two way wing with good size and instinctive scoring prowess. Not really gifted as a balanced or quick skater, he plods back and forth with little acceleration or quickness. That being said, skating can be improved. His gift is incredible hand/eye coordination that is used by him gaining position inside the circles and him delivering goals on deflections, rebounds and passes. Can pick an area of the net and quickly releases acquired pucks to the back of the netting. Will work the wall and use his size. He was selected to the roster for the World Junior Under-18 Tournament in April.“
Bill Placzek – Draftsite.com
“Lindblom goes hard to the net and likes to stick around once there. He’s someone who offers up his body in the corners and in the slot. Decent hands in tight and does have an eye for finding his linemates. Can play a corner rotation game. A player who is ready to go where it hurts and take punishment to make things happen. Lindblom is defensively aware and plays the game in all three zones. Sometimes shows some above-average cleverness and tends to enjoy the trust of his coaches.
Lindblom is not particularly fast nor a skater whose agility and movement sticks out at you. Seems to make no impact from more than 5-10 feet within the goal. Not a player who makes things happen much, but more a benefactor who can complement better skill players. Tends not to make an impact in games where his team needs players to step up. Lindblom has decent size, but doesn’t necessarily have a frame conducive to the addition of a lot of weight.”
Statistics:
International Tournaments:
Linblom is a decorated forward for Team Sweden. He’s played from the U16’s all the way up and has received three bronze medals and two gold medals.
ETA:
3-4 years
Risk/Reward Analysis:
Risk: 3/5 Reward: 3.5/5
NHL Potential:
Top-nine two-way defensive forward with a solid offensive game.
Strengths:
Size
Strength
Body checking
Positioning
Defensive awareness
Work ethic
Going to the front of the net
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:
Add more muscle
Work on speed and agility
Fantasy Hockey Potential:
Offensive: 5/10 Defensive: 5/10
NHL Player Comparison:
– NHL comparison: Johan Franzen
Video(s):
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THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph