The Philadelphia Flyers made a difficult and emotional decision on Tuesday, the last day before the first window closed to announce a buyout.
Posted at 12:49 p.m.
They placed forward Oskar Lindblom, a 25-year-old cancer survivor, on waivers with the intention of buying out the final year of his contract.
General manager Chuck Fletcher called it “very difficult” to break the news to a player who has recovered from a diagnosis of Ewing’s sarcoma. The Flyers will donate $100,000 in Lindblom’s name to a Philadelphia organization that supports families affected by cancer.
“No one can question the desire, willpower and strength it took to overcome everything Oskar has been through off the ice in order to return to play the sport he loves,” Fletcher said in a statement released by the team. Oskar’s commitment to his teammates and his impact in our dressing room has been immeasurable. He is a true inspiration to all of us and will forever be etched in the history of the Philadelphia Flyers family. We wish him the best for the rest of his career. »
If unclaimed, Lindblom will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. He was entering the final season of a three-year contract, which counted for $3 million in the Flyers’ salary cap.
Ottawa defenseman Michael Del Zotto, New Jersey forward Janne Kuokkanen and San Jose forward Rudolf Balcers were also placed on waivers prior to their contract buyouts.
Lindblom is from Sweden and was selected by the Flyers in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. He spent five seasons in Philadelphia. He was diagnosed with cancer in December 2019 and missed the rest of the season, before returning for Games 6 and 7 of the Flyers’ second-round loss to the New York Islanders in August. Recall that the Eastern Conference playoffs were played in Toronto due to COVID-19.
Lindblom returned the following season, scoring 8 goals and 14 points in 50 games and winning the Bill Masterton Trophy, which is awarded to the player who best embodies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.
Overall, Lindblom has 50 goals and 97 points in 263 career games.