2016-2-6 NHL PHI vs NYR
Center Oscar Lindberg (#24)
LAS VEGAS – With a lot of hype, speculation and too many mock drafts to count, the NHL’s 31st team finally has their full roster.
Among the 30 other NHL teams, the New York Rangers were one of the squads to have multiple players with plenty of upside for the Golden Knights to take. Michael Grabner, Jesper Fast, Antti Raanta and Oscar Lindberg were the four that McPhee and assistants were closely examining. Fortunately only one player from each team can be taken. Unfortunately for Rangers fans, that player was Lindberg.
Coming into Wednesday night the public didn’t know much, just that the Rangers did not make a deal with Vegas to steer clear of certain players, meaning that anyone unprotected could be taken.
At just 25 years old the Swedish native was just tapping into his potential. Known for his smart play on offense and defense, the fourth line center is a very dependable center who won 52% of his face-offs in the 2016-17 year, good enough to be tied for first on the Rangers among centers. He recorded eight goals and 12 assists in 65 games played last year.
The Rangers currently have three strong players centering their top three lines, but inconsistent play as of late could be some cause for concern.
First line center Derek Stepan is currently General Manager Jeff Gorton’s biggest trade bait to bring in a right handed defenseman for captain Ryan McDonagh. He recorded 55 points in 81 games, but only had two goals (one an empty netter), four assists and was a minus-3 in the playoffs. His face-off percentage didn’t help his case as he won 47% in the regular season and a horrid 41.9% in the post season.
Second line center Mika Zibanejad had a very successful year with his first year with the blueshirts but only participated in 56 games due to a broken fibula. He very well may be the first line center next year.
Third line center Kevin Hayes had a decent campaign last year, putting up 17 goals and 32 assists but only winning 43% of his faceoffs. In addition he recorded three points in the playoffs (0-3).
As it stands, the Rangers are fine at center from first line to third, but changes are looming and the importance of a consistent fourth line in the NHL is essential in making long playoff runs for the ultimate prize.
Only time will tell if the loss of Lindberg will be substantial or a minor blip in the radar. It probably won’t impact New York next year or even the year after, but at only 25 years old, the sky is the limit for the young Swede.
Follow Danny on Twitter: @Danny_PJones
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