New York Rangers: A Look at Oscar Lindberg’s Ceiling
By Ryan McCabe
With a hot start to his NHL career, just how far will Lindberg be able to go?
Admit it – after watching him score four goals in just three games to start the season, you thought that Oscar Lindberg was going to be the next Alexander Ovechkin.
Obviously you were wrong and Lindberg has fallen back to earth producing just 17 points in his next 43 games, but he is far from a lost cause mid-way through the year. While comparisons to guys like Ovechkin don’t hold any weight at this point in time – although time is a funny thing and that could change – as of right now I have a much sexier comparison for New York Rangers‘ fans to digest.
What if I told you that Lindberg is projecting to be a very similar player as former captain of the Blue Shirts, Chris Drury?
Ok, maybe not as sexy as I hyped it up to be, but there should be no shame for a player to draw comparisons to one of the most reliable and consistent players in recent NHL history.
Drury is a man who does not garner much attention for his feats on the ice, although he was a key cog on every team he played for evidenced by the honor of captaining not one, but two different NHL teams during his career. Year in and year out fans did not have to worry about how Drury was going to perform because he was consistent like clock work. They knew they’d be getting around 20 goals, 35 assists, and some of the most tenacious defence you’ll see out of a centre. Sure those numbers are not going to force the NHL to name a trophy after you, but a guy like Drury is a coach’s dream because he never needs to waste time telling him to play more in his own end, or to make smarter plays with the puck because those are the two key traits that kept him around in the league for such a long time.
“then also benefited from a couple breakout seasons for the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford racking up 44 points then 56 points last year…”
Drury was not a sure fire pick getting drafted 72nd overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 draft, while Lindberg was selected 57th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2010. Just like Lindberg, Drury never made the jump to the NHL as a teenager and spent four years honing his skills at Boston University. When Drury finally did make the jump to the big leagues, his production was not eye-popping, but it was his two-way play combined with his offensive skill that set him a part from the other rookies in his class. In Lindberg’s case, he had the advantage of spending a few years bouncing around the Swedish pro ranks, then also benefited from a couple breakout seasons for the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford racking up 44 points then 56 points last year before he got a full time gig with the Rangers this season.
Lindberg is currently producing 0.45 points per game on the wing this season and is on pace to score right around 40 points if he remains healthy. While remembering that he played for the Colorado Avalanche in an era where you might mistake their team for an all-star roster, Drury finished his rookie season scoring 0.55 points per game. If Lindberg keeps his head down and keeps working on his game, I really do expect a massive jump in his numbers much like Drury saw from year one to year two when he scored 67 points coming off his 44 point rookie season.
One thing that may end up differentiating these two guys is that Drury undoubtedly knew how to lead a group of men. At this point in his career, it is tough to tell if Lindberg has that same mental make up as Drury, but if not there is no problem with being a second line centre who your team can rely on in the defensive zone, the faceoff circle and then also be able to chip in on the offensive end with 20 plus goals a season.
The one area I think most fans are hoping Lindberg can mirror the former captain is come playoff time, where Drury had a knack for saving his best hockey of the year for deep Cup runs. Throughout his career Drury seemed to always find a second gear in mid-April finishing with 89 points in 135 playoff games. Unlike judging whether Lindberg is a good leader or not, there is some tangible evidence that Lindberg may be a guy who has the ability to step his game up as the stakes rise. During his stint with Hartford last year, Lindberg was able to shatter his regular season numbers by producing at a point per game rate in their 15 playoff games.
It is a small sample size of course and a bit of a stretch, but this is an article built on hope. Although we may not be able to compare Lindberg to a guy like Peter Forsberg, or Markus Naslund right now, I still don’t think many fans will complain if he ends up being just another Chris Drury.