Oskar Lindblom

Lindblom has been one of hockey's best stories over the course of the past two years, overcoming Ewing's sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, to return to the Flyers' lineup. He played in 79 games a season ago, managing 12 goals and 26 points. Philadelphia's response was to buy Lindblom out of his contract in July, allowing him to ink a two-year, $5 million deal with the Sharks. The Swede should be given a larger role with his new club, although it still seems unlikely to be enough to generate much fantasy value. Still, this was a smart addition for San Jose given the fact Lindblom will play this entire season at age 26.

Lindblom was the best story in all of hockey a year ago, overcoming Ewing's sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, to play in 50 games (8 goals, 14 points) for the Flyers. He was awarded the Masterson Trophy, which is given annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication. It will be interesting to see if Lindblom's role on the Flyers expands as he continues to get back in the swing of things. He saw very little power-play time (0:33 per game) a season ago, but this is a guy who posted 17 goals and 33 points as recently as the 2018-19 campaign. Lindblom is worth a late-round gamble in fantasy leagues, which of course is secondary to his overall health and well-being.

Lindblom had a red-hot start to the 2019-20 season, racking up 11 goals and 18 points, four of which came on the power play, while skating in a top-six role through the first 30 games of the campaign. The 24-year-old Swede was then diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in mid-December, forcing him to miss the rest of the regular season while receiving treatment before being cleared to return for the final two games of the Flyers' postseason run. Heading into 2020-21, Lindblom is fully healthy, and appears poised to to step into a full-time, top-six role while also seeing time on Philadelphia's second power-play unit. It's hard to predict how Lindblom will perform this season due to his somewhat limited sample size, but a 20-plus goal, 40-plus point pace isn't out of the question, making him worth a look in the later rounds of this year's fantasy drafts.

A slow start really hampered his totals, but Lindblom ended the 2018-19 campaign on a high note, scoring 12 goals and 18 points in 34 games after the All-Star break to bring his numbers to a respectable level -- 17 goals and 33 points with a minus-9 rating in 81 games. The left-handed Swede also chipped in defensively, registering 68 hits and 52 blocked shots. He's only 22, and the late-season surge is certainly encouraging, but owners probably shouldn't expect him to break out in a big way in 2019-20. Lindblom only posted one 20-goal campaign during his juniors career, and didn't exactly excel in the AHL, notching a respectable yet unspectacular 16 goals and 34 points in 54 minor-league games two seasons ago. It's possible that he'll be able crack the 20-goal mark if given some playing time in Philadelphia's top-six, but Lindblom will likely play left wing on the Flyers' third line this season, capping his fantasy value.

With the emergence of Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick, it's easy to forget about Lindblom, but wise owners won't make that mistake. The soon-to-be 22-year-old is an offensive talent who has a knack for getting to the areas needed to score. In 23 NHL games last season, he registered just two goals and six points, but Lindblom recorded 18 goals and 41 points in 62 AHL games over the last two campaigns. He figures to play a third-line role this season alongside center Jordan Weal and Wayne Simmonds. If he can find a way to crack the top six, he'd make for an interesting pickup in standard leagues, but for now, Lindblom is better suited for use in deeper settings or dynasty formats.

Lindblom's a fifth-round pick from the 2014 draft who's raised his profile with a 47-point showing over 52 games with Brynas of the Swedish Hockey League last season. Now 20 years old and with his entry-level deal in hand, Lindblom is expected to be on the Flyers' roster come Opening Night, when he'll likely occupy a third-line role alongside No. 2 overall pick Nolan Patrick. If the two prospects find chemistry, they could give their club a major boost by serving as a third capable scoring line; it’s all projection right now, but the Swedish winger’s success in pro hockey overseas is promising, so as long as he adjusts well to the smaller rinks in North America, Lindblom’s future looks bright.