Click to Expand
August 2020 – Jesper Lindgren has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Kasperi Kapanen trade. He will look to latch on the with Penguins, possibly seeing a path the NHL sooner rather than later. Tony Ferrari
August 2020 – As teams figure out the best way to get their prospects ice time for the 2020-21 campaign, the Maple Leafs have loaned Lindgren to Modo of Allsvenskan (Sweden Tier-2). This was his pre-AHL team and a short drive from his home town in Sweden so this move makes sense on many levels. He should earn a top-four spot on the club’s back end to rack up some minutes as he prepares for AHL play in December. Hayden Soboleski
March 2020 – Lindgren’s 9 points in 30 AHL games doesn’t jump off the page, and he hasn’t seen huge minutes, but the signs are present that he’s considered valuable by the organization. Despite not always playing he hasn’t been loaned up and down from the ECHL, preferring to have him in the press box in Toronto. His usage is controlled but he is doing well in it, showing a positive goal differential on a below-average team. He does not project to have offensive upside in the NHL, but he hasn’t fallen off the track to eventually getting there which is the most important objective. Still a longshot, but one with promise. Hayden Soboleski
September 2019 – Lindgren has been cut from the Leafs roster and assigned to Marlies training camp. His will be a battle to watch, as roster spots will be especially tight this year. Even if he is forced to spend time in the ECHL, he is a long-term project so this isn’t the end of the world. Patience is key for this advanced-stats darling who positively drives almost everything. Hayden Soboleski
May 2019 – Lindgren has signed an ELC with the Maple Leafs, and has said goodbye to his franchise back in Finland. It appears he will be joining the Marlies in 2019-20, a big step in his professional development. Let’s see how he translates this fall. Hayden Soboleski
February 2019 – Lindgren returned to the Finnish Liiga after a brief appearance with the Marlies last spring, and has made big strides. His 12 points in 32 games from the back end is already respectable, but it also makes him 4th among all U22 d-men in the league, he rocks a 59% Corsi, and he sits 3rd on his squad in aTOI with nearly 19:00, all as a 21-year-old. The Leafs have other options in the pipeline so there’s no need for him to jump to North America yet, but he is well on his way and wont stay under the radar for long. Hayden Soboleski
March 2018 – Lindgren signed a PTO with the Leafs and has joined the Marlies for the rest of the season. He turns 21 in a few weeks so he is still working on developing a pro game. Lindgren is also under contract for the coming season in Finland, so this is just another chance for the Leafs to have a look at him. The Leafs hold his rights until the summer of 2019, so no decision on him needs to be made now. He will stay with the Marlies for the playoff run and he may get some ice time to show what he can do. Brian Harling
April 2017 – After a rather solid season for the struggling Swedish division two team MODO, where he was the team defensive leader, Lindgren signed an AHL amateur tryout contract (ATO), and has joined the Marlies for the playoff run as an extra. He is unlikely receive notable ice time, but may surface in a couple games as the organization gets a glimpse into where he is at. There will be a couple job openings for prospect defenders within the organization, and unless he is acquired to play in top tier SHL next year, his development will be best served by starting his North American career at either AHL or ECHL level. Jason Banks
April 2016 – The young Swedish defender struggled to make an impact at the Elite League level the past season, but was still a force at lower tiers. He only posted a trio of points for the struggling MODO club which was disappointing. But after Christmas he was bounced around to play a few games with a division two team and had a pair of points in four games, and then showed expected numbers in under-20 league play as his junior team’s top defender. Lindgren is expected to stay at least another season in Sweden as he needs the pro seasoning and unfortunately no North American junior teams own his rights, but should be found in Leafs training camp in the fall to see where he is at. Jason Banks
June 2015 – The impressive offensive defenseman was taken 95th overall. He is one of very few defensemen his age to make an appearance in the SHL, which is impressive in itself. Add his domination with the MODO J20 team, and you have a defensive prospect that will be worth the wait for the Leafs. Austin Wallace
June 2015 –Despite being ranked the 19th best European skater by NHL Central Scouting, Lindgren could end being one of the defensive jewels in the 2015 Entry Draft. Not only is he fleet of foot while carrying the puck, he manages to be creative while making smart decisions on the ice. Although small, he is tenacious and makes it incredibly difficult to defend against. Playing with Modo in the SuperElit league, he was very clearly the best U18 defenseman by a country mile. With a little extra TLC to his defensive game and some added muscle, he could end up being an absolute steal for a franchise looking for a dynamic, puck-carrying defenseman that can play big minutes and quarterback the top power play unit. Zach Hopkins
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.