Jesper Lindgren needs to earn his spot with the WBS Penguins
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins could have a fairly new-look roster next season and Jesper Lindgren will be hoping to stake a claim for regular ice time with his new team.
Lindgren, a right-handed defenseman acquired by the Penguins organization in their recent trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, will need to work hard in order to earn more minutes with his new team.
The Swede was selected in the fourth round (95th overall) by the Leafs in the 2015 Draft, taking some time to develop in his native Sweden before an impressive spell with HPK in the Finnish SM-Liiga, seeing him eventually brought over to the Toronto Marlies after winning a league championship in 2019.
Despite his growth in Europe, Lindgren struggled to make much of an impact in his first full season in North America, making just 31 total appearances with nine assists before the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic shut the season down, with the Marlies sat second-bottom in the AHL's North Division.
Many changes are coming for the WBS Penguins, with a new coaching staff still to be named after last season's GM/Head Coach Mike Vellucci recently accepted the assistant coach's job in Pittsburgh as well as a number of players out of contract.
Zach Trotman is currently the only veteran right-shot defenseman returning to Wilkes-Barre next season, with Josh Maniscalco, Will Reilly and Billy Sweeney all staking a claim with the AHL roster after leaving college this summer - giving Lindgren a legitimate chance to become a regular in the line-up.
The 23-year-old is currently on loan to MODO in the Swedish Allsvenskan, where he will keep fit and play meaningful minutes before returning to North America for training camp, expected to start in November or December.
Lindgren will need to take his experiences in Europe and build on his first season in the AHL to become a regular feature for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who will need to improve on the defensive side of the ice, with only six teams allowing more goals against last season.
A move to a new team can give players a fresh start and whoever takes over the coaching responsibilities for the team will hopefully see what Lindgren is capable of and get the team moving in the right direction again, building a competitive team once again.