Flyers buying out final year of Lindblom’s contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Flyers announced Tuesday they are buying out the final year of forward Oskar Lindblom’s contract and placing him on waivers.
Lindblom, who turns 26 next month, was drafted 138th overall by the Flyers in the 2014 NHL Draft and played 263 games over the last five seasons with the team. He signed a three-year, $9 million deal in late July 2020 after notching 30 goals and 27 assists in his first 134 career games.
Lindblom missed games during the 2019-20 season when he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, eventually returning to action in September 2020 after completing chemotherapy. He finishes his Flyers career with 50 goals and 47 assists in 263 games with the team; he tallied 20 goals and 20 assists across 129 games after returning to action.
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Flyers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chuck Fletcher called the decision to part ways with Lindblom “very difficult” in a statement, and said the organization spent a lot of time examining the situation.
“No one can question the desire, will and strength to overcome all that Oskar has been through off the ice in order to return to the game he loves,” Fletcher said. “Further, Oskar’s commitment to his teammates and impact in our room has been immeasurable. He is truly an inspiration to us all and he will always remain a special part of the Philadelphia Flyers family. We wish him all the best as he continues his NHL career.”
The Flyers announced that they are making a $100,000 donation in Lindblom’s name to a local organization that supports families impacted by cancer.
Lindblom’s contract carried an average annual value of $3 million, but because of the way the deal was structured they’re actually opening up $3.33 million in cap space this year, according to CapFriendly.com:
The Flyers were rumored to be looking to move off of Lindblom’s contract ahead of free agency, which begins Wednesday, as they look to potentially court star forward Johnny Gaudreau.
Another name the Flyers have reportedly looked into moving before free agency is James van Riemsdyk, who carries a $4 million base salary and a $7 million cap hit in 2022-23.
Free agency begins Wednesday at noon.
