Penguins A to Z: Filip Lindberg needs to rebound from a lost season
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With the Penguins’ 2021-22 season coming to a quick ending in the first round of the playoffs, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 54 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until the 2022-23 season — with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to top-six winger Jason Zucker.
Filip Lindberg
Position: Goaltender
Catches: Left
Age: 23
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 188 pounds
2021-22 AHL statistics: Seven games, 4-2-0 record, 2.76 goals against average, .915 save percentage, zero shutouts
Contract: In the first year of a two-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $925,000. Pending restricted free agent in the 2023 offseason.
Acquired: Undrafted free agent, July 28, 2021
Last season: There was ample speculation during the 2021 offseason on whether or not the Penguins would pursue a new goaltender.
After starter Tristan Jarry struggled badly in the 2021 postseason and backup Casey DeSmith was hobbled by a groin injury, the Penguins seemed poised to change up what is arguably the most important position on the ice.
And sure enough, on the first day of the NHL’s free agent signing period, they struck a deal.
Filip Lindberg, a handful of months removed from leading Massachusetts to the NCAA title, opted to join the Penguins and boosted the franchise’s depth in a shallow pool of prospects.
“We’re extremely excited to add him to the organization,” Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said the day Lindberg was signed. “Whenever you can get a good young goaltender, you’re obviously excited.
“We’re excited to see him play (in the 2021-22 season).”
That excitement was limited to seven games and less than a month of the American Hockey League’s season.
An ankle injury suffered in mid-November ended Lindberg’s first professional season just as it began.
Before he was waylaid, Lindberg looked impressive with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Starting with a tight season-opening 2-1 home win against the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms in which he made 30 saves on 31 shots, Lindberg won his first four starts of the season. Over that span, he allowed only seven goals and posted a 1.71 goals against average and a .942 save percentage.
He was even selected as the AHL’s goaltender of the month for October due to that success.
His next two starts — each losses — brought him back to earth as he gave up nine goals and had a 6.35 goals against average and an .826 save percentage.
Lindberg appeared to rebound in what wound up being his final start of the season. In a 2-1 home win against the Charlotte Checkers on Nov. 12, he made 27 saves on 28 shots but left after the second period due to his injury.
The future: Even with such a dire setback in 2021-22, management still seems high on the potential of the Finnish-born Lindberg.
A seventh-round (No. 197 overall) pick by the Minnesota Wild in 2019 — he never signed with that organization — Lindberg has an NHL-caliber pedigree. And as a smaller goaltender, quickness and agility are what has gotten him to this point in his development.
He just needs more experience as a professional.
The Penguins have some issues to sort out with their NHL roster such as figuring out who their backup and third reserve goaltenders will be and that will present a trickle-down effect on Lindberg. Also, with the addition of undrafted goaltender Taylor Gauthier this past March, Lindberg will face stiffer competition for playing time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Regardless, Lindberg needs to make a considerable rebound from a lost season.