Gustav Lindstrom is feeling good after scoring his first goal in the NHL, but there’s reason beyond that to be happy.
At 23, the former second-round pick has solidified himself on the Detroit Red Wings’ depth chart over more experienced defensemen. He comes into Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche fresh off celebrating a goal, after having missed one game for undisclosed reasons.
Lindstrom provides a solid, third-pairing option, and his improved defense and sound decision-making have propelled his advancement.
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“He’s done a pretty good job going back to a year ago,” coach Jeff Blashill said Tuesday. “He’s not a high-risk player. He’s a guy who can make a good first pass and get you out of your zone. I thought he needed to improve his strength and his feet, and he’s done that.
“He doesn’t get extremely hard matchups yet, so we’re not to that level yet. But if he continues to improve in those areas, he can be that (guy). He’s a big guy who has good hockey smarts, who is hard, who has good reach, who has a good first pass.”
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Lindstrom (6 feet 2, 183 pounds) has been in the Wings’ system since he was drafted at No. 38 in 2017. He made his debut Feb. 6, 2020, at Buffalo, and has played 29 games over the past two seasons. After last season’s year-end meeting, Lindstrom spent the summer focusing on what he needed to do to become a regular.
“I had to work on my skating to be more like mobile in the neutral zone and have better gaps,” Lindstrom said. “That was the biggest part.
“I just try to play a simple game, move the puck quick up to the forwards and make it easy for them. I try to move the puck quickly and play good defensively, and then I try to get better in the O-zone, to create more chances from there.”
Lindstrom created a chance to remember Feb. 14 at Minnesota, when he fired a shot from up high that sank into the Wild’s net. He has 10 points and is plus-2 in 40 games.
“It was a good feeling to see it go in,” he said. “I couldn’t really believe it. I was so happy after.”
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Based on Tuesday’s practice, Lindstrom will re-enter the lineup paired with Nick Staal, shoring up the right-side defense behind Moritz Seider and Filip Hronek. That squeezes out 5-10 Troy Stecher, who also shoots right and who recorded his first goal of the season Thursday at the New York Rangers.
“With Lindy, his size helps him,” Blashill said. “He brings something with size that he has over certain guys in our lineup, and that helps. Ultimately if you built a perfect D corps, you’d be tall and long. He’s got that. He’s got physicality to him where he can be hard. He’s a good defender, but he’s a really good passer. The area he has to keep improving is his footwork — if he does that, I think he solidifies himself even more.
“The best way to play D-zone coverage is to hit, create a stall, and then get the puck out of your zone. He can do that because of his size a little bit easier at times than some other guys.”
General manager Steve Yzerman signed Lindstrom to a two-year, $1.7 million contract last July. Lindstrom has done a good job showing that he can be a fit in the rebuild, providing a smart and physical presence behind Seider and Hronek. All three are in their early-to-mid 20s and project to solidify the right side for years to come.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.