Oskar Lindblom

Oskar Lindblom (born 15 August 1996) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a left winger for Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He formerly played with the Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Early life Lindblom was born on 15 August 1996 in Gävle, Sweden. One of his childhood idols was Washington Capitals player Nicklas Bäckström, also from Gävle. Lindblom's father Johan played for several Swedish hockey teams. He was named Forward of the Year at the end of the season.

Philadelphia Flyers On 30 May 2017, Lindblom was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. He was then assigned to the Flyers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. On 18 January 2018, Lindblom was selected to replace Phantoms teammate Danick Martel at the 2018 AHL All-Star game. Lindblom was called up to the NHL for the first time on 19 February 2018, and played his first career NHL game two days later against the Montreal Canadiens. He recorded his first NHL point on 17 March against the Carolina Hurricanes. The next day against the Washington Capitals, Lindblom scored his first career NHL goal in a 6–3 win. Following the Flyers defeat in Round 1 of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, Lindblom was loaned to the Phantoms to play in their post-season.

On 13 December 2019, Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. The diagnosis was expected to effectively end his season. On 2 July 2020, Lindblom completed his chemotherapy treatments. Following his cancer battle, Lindblom was named as one of three finalists for the 2019–20 Masterton Trophy alongside Bobby Ryan and Stephen Johns.

On 22 July 2020, the Flyers signed Lindblom to a three-year, $9 million contract extension. On 3 September, Lindblom returned to play in a Game 6 victory against the New York Islanders. He spent 17:30 minutes on ice, which included three shot attempts, two hits and one block.

On 18 April 2021, the Flyers honored Lindblom at their annual Hockey Fights Cancer game, his first since returning to play post-cancer diagnosis and treatment. After the regular season Lindblom was announced as a finalist for the Masterton Trophy for the second consecutive year, and on 15 June, he was named as winner of the trophy.

Following the 2021–22 season, in a move that was panned by both reporters and fans, the Flyers bought out the remainder of Lindblom's contract with one year remaining.

San Jose Sharks On 13 July 2022, Lindblom signed as a free agent to a two-year, $5 million contract with the San Jose Sharks.

Return to Sweden At the conclusion of his contract with the Sharks and having spent the final season of his contract in the AHL, Lindblom opted to return to his original Swedish club, Brynäs IF, for their return to the SHL. He was signed to a two-year contract with an additional multi-year option on 8 May 2024.

International play

Lindblom competed as a member of Team Sweden at the 2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he led Sweden to a Gold Medal as the tournament's leading scorer.

On 9 May 2019, Lindblom was named to make his senior international debut with Sweden at the 2019 World Championships held in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Personal life Lindblom's older brother Marcus plays for Strömsbro IF of Hockeyettan. Their younger brother Linus plays in the Brynäs IF system.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honours Awards Year RefNHL Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy 2020–21 International World U-17 Hockey Challenge gold medal 2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge scoring leader 2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge All-Star Team 2013