There’s been rumors swirling about this for a while now. On Tuesday morning, the hammer finally fell. Oskar Lindblom has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout. This is a cap space move as replacing him will save the Flyers a little over $3 million in cap space.
This is great because, after the DeAngelo trade, the Flyers are down to about $120,000 in cap space. That will NOT get you Johnny Gaudreau.
Lindblom, a 24 year old Swedish winger, first came to Philly as a fifth round pick in 2014. He is easily one of the best fifth round picks the Flyers ever made. He made his debut in the 2017-18 season. In his first full season with the club, he scored 17 goals with 16 assists. Along with young stars like Travis Konecny and Shayne Gostisbehere, he looked as if he was going to be a foundational franchise piece.
In December of 2019, Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma; a type of bone cancer. He had scored 11 goals in 30 games up to that point and was projected to post career highs.
Being 22 and seriously ill would take a toll on most people. Instead, Lindblom always showed himself to be a happy, smiley guy. His teammates rallied around him and pushed themselves to win for him. As the team went into the pandemic playoff bubble, rumors swirled that he may return. In a Game 6 victory over the New York Islanders, Lindblom made a return, playing 17:30 minutes. While undergoing treatments, the Flyers signed him to a three year, $9 million contract.
Lindblom returned to the lineup for the next season. He played in 50 games and scored only eight goals, still recovering from cancer and the treatments. He was honored by the Flyers at their annual Hockey Fights Cancer. His courage to fight the disease as well as his determination to come back helped endear him to Flyers fans and the city of Philadelphia. He would be awarded the Bill Masterson Trophy at the end of that season.
Last season was a bounce back year for Lindblom. He scored 12 goals and 14 assists, both highs since the cancer diagnosis.
In a statement, GM Chuck Fletcher said,
"“This was a very difficult decision to make and one that we spent a lot of time examining. No one can question the desire, will and strength to overcome all that Oskar has been through off the ice in order to return to the game he loves. Further, Oskar’s commitment to his teammates and impact in our room has been immeasurable. He is truly an inspiration to us all and he will always remain a special part of the Philadelphia Flyers family. We wish him all the best as he continues his NHL career.”"
The Flyers are also donating $100,000 to cancer charities in his name.
There is a chance that Lindblom could return to the Flyers if he took a smaller deal. It is also possible that some other team may take him on a one-year “prove it” deal and add him as a valuable third or second line depth piece.
Lindblom’s departure isn’t a surprise, but it still comes with a lot of sadness. We wish him the best as his NHL career continues to blossom.