New York Rangers: Who in the world is Michael Lindqvist?
The New York Rangers know they need a stronger presence on the wing. Enter 23-year old Swedish sniper Michael Lindqvist. He will compete for a spot in the 2018-19 lineup.
Add another Swede to the list for the New York Rangers new-look roster. There are reports that the team will sign winger Michael Lindqvist who played with Farjestad of the Swedish Hockey League last season. He is a formerly a teammate of former Rangers prospect Robin Kovacs.
Roster construction is up in the air, and competition for minutes will be heavy in training camp and the preseason. The Rangers’ rebuild gives Lindqvist an opportunity to make his presence felt in the NHL immediately.
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What he brings
Looking at highlights from his time in the SHL, Lindqvist is clearly a shoot-first forward, something that the Rangers have sorely lacked in seasons past. Last season, the 23-year old right-winger recorded 20 goals and 14 assists in 30 games.
At 5’10” and 172lbs, Lindqvist is not an imposing skater. However, he makes up for his lack of size with a solid wrist shot and good positioning. As seen in the video above, Lindqvist makes his living on the right side of the goaltender, similar to Mika Zibanejad.
Also similar to Zibanejad, Lindqvist seems to have a knack for scoring with the man advantage. Of his 33 points, 14 came on the power play, including 10 goals. He ranked second on the team in power play points, third on the team overall points and sixth on the team in shots on goal.
Perhaps most impressively, last season, only two players under 24 averaged more than a point per game in the SHL, Lindqvist and 2017 first-round pick Elias Petterson.
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Where he fits
As a player with a shoot-first mentality, Lindqvist almost surely would have a role on next season’s roster. The Rangers have been without many high-reward wing prospects outside of Pavel Buchnevich, and Lindqvist seems to be just that.
Of course, an easy situation to concoct internally would have Lindqvist playing alongside fellow Swede’s Lias Andersson and Jesper Fast. That trio could anchor a third or fourth line capable of handling 200 feet of ice with a generous amount of scoring ability.
One aspect that may go overlooked is the quality of talent that the Rangers’ AHL-affiliate the Hartford Wolfpack will roster next season. This signing could be just another piece towards creating a competitive team at every level for young players to learn and grow with, similar to the Toronto Marlies.
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Once the deal becomes official, there will be more insight into the decision-making of signing a player like Lindqvist. Regardless, this should be looked at as a positive step in the rebuild of the New York Rangers future.