What can you safely bet on with the Golden Knights roster this fall?
Beyond Marc-Andre Fleury as starting netminder, there's not a lot. Such is life with an expansion team.
Presumably, KHL star Vadim Shipachyov will handle top center duties. But who will line up at second-line pivot?
Right now, Cody Eakin's pay grade and experience suggest that he'll be given dibs. But would it be better for Vegas if Oscar Lindberg emerges over him?
Yes -- if you believe that Eakin is better suited as a third-line center. But what makes Lindberg, a perennial fourth-liner under Alain Vigneault in New York, an intriguing candidate for top-six responsibilities?
Consider how productive the 25-year-old has been in a limited role. Look where he ranks among all Golden Knights forwards in 5v5 Points/60 over the last two seasons combined (1000+ 5v5 minutes):
The tape confirms these numbers. Despite clocking just 10:49 per game last season, Lindberg is no average fourth-liner:
Smartly, the 6'1" center steps in front of Nick Leddy's feed to Joshua Ho-Sang. A recovering Leddy manages to get a blade on the chip pass, but it's not enough, and Rick Nash takes over for a highlight-reel effort. Quietly, however, this is a gorgeous display of Lindberg's defensive awareness and creativity. Here are some more angles:
Again, Lindberg uses the chip pass to devastating effect on this play:
Lindberg's skating and intelligence are showcased here. At the moment that Jason Demers tries to extend his stick to tighten the gap, Lindberg chips the puck past him. Demers is caught off-guard and the aggressor has a split-second headstart in what's now a footrace to the puck. The Panthers defender catches up, but Lindberg has already accomplished his primary objective, a clean zone entry.
Besides the clever playmaking and smooth skating demonstrated so far, Lindberg has some goalscoring chops too:
This is perhaps the Swede's piece de resistance in his short NHL career, as he makes Brandon Carlo and Tuukka Rask look downright silly.
Besides this offensive talent, Lindberg plays a conscientious defensive game. It's a small play, but you can see where his attentions are as the puck careens toward Marc Staal at the blueline:
Along with his intelligent two-way game, Lindberg is an underrated physical force. In fact, among New York forwards over the last two years, he's second to Chris Kreider with 1.7 Hits per Game (100+ Games Played). This is, once again, from mostly the fourth line. While he's the not an imposing physical presence -- at 6'1", 200 lbs, he has to be more brains than brawn -- he is a willing battler in the trenches.
All this begs the obvious question: If Lindberg is so good, why was he relegated to the fourth line?
It's a question many Rangers fans asked of Vigneault. But in the coach's defense, while Lindberg looks like a top-nine talent, New York was deep, if not top-heavy, up front. The Swede deserved more run, but New York trotted out a solid top-eight who managed to stay mostly healthy:
As to why Lindberg didn't play more per game than Jesper Fast, Jimmy Vesey, Pavel Buchnevich, or Brandon Pirri, it's hard to say. Vesey, Buchnevich, and Pirri offered more goalscoring potential, but Lindberg was a more reliable two-way player.
It didn't help that Lindberg got off to a slow start during his sophomore campaign, in part because he was recovering from hip surgery.
Something that also must have frustrated Vigneault was Lindberg's penchant for taking penalties. Over the last two seasons, Lindberg was the team's most penalized forward, averaging 1.37 Minor Penalties/60 (100+ GP). This figure is 19th in the league in the time period, out of 314 qualified forwards (100+ GP). Over half of these infractions were stick fouls -- hooking, slashing, cross checking, or high sticking -- suggesting that the 25-year-old, despite his smarts, still hasn't mastered the art of clean defending.
In Las Vegas, Lindberg will get a fresh start and plenty of opportunities to assert himself. After Shipachyov, things look wide open up the middle, and Lindberg has the talent to surprise.
George McPhee believes, selecting the Swede over Fast, 27-goal scorer Michael Grabner, and Antti Raanta. Will Lindberg reward his faith?
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