Goaltender prospect Carl Lindbom shined in his first season in North America, continuing a progression that’s put him among the Golden Knights’ top young players.
Rinks in the Swedish Hockey League are significantly wider than American ice surfaces.
They’re three feet shorter (197) but 13 feet wider (98) compared to North America. That’s a lot more space for goaltenders to survey what’s happening in front of them.
That was the first noticeable difference Carl Lindbom had to face when he came to the U.S. on a full-time basis.
Lindbom had played in tournaments on the smaller ice before, but never consistently. It took him a couple of weeks, close to a month, to get used to the dimensions of the rink.
“It wasn’t seamless, I would say,” Lindbom said.
Lindbom proved, if anything, that he’s a quick learner.
The Golden Knights’ seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft was one of the few bright spots in what was an otherwise disheartening season in Henderson.
Lindbom, who turned 22 years old on May 20, became the Silver Knights’ unquestioned starter in the second half of the season. He appeared in 36 games, went 18-15-2 with a .912 save percentage and 2.65 goals-against average while posting three shutouts.
The second half is where he took over, going 12-6-1 in his final 19 starts, including a 7-0 run in February when he allowed 2.08 goals against and had a .922 save percentage.
The Silver Knights went 29-38-5 this season, last in the Pacific Division, but it was a respectable finish with what Lindbom accomplished.
“I’m not sure what clicked,” Lindbom said. “I like to keep telling me things to myself in my mind, things I need to do to play good, trying to read the play, being on my toes and being ready.
“I kind of told myself that, in my head, and I think every game I’ve played has been feeling good.”
Eyes on him
In a prospect cupboard so bare, Lindbom has been consistent since the Knights drafted him.
He was one of the best goaltenders in Sweden in his first taste of professional action starting in 2021-22.
Lindbom made 46 appearances in his first full pro season, playing for Djurgardens IF in second-tier league Hockey Allsvenskan during the 2022-23 season. He went 25-11-0 with a league-best 1.86 goals against and .930 save percentage.
He carried that to a solid run with Farjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League, the nation’s top league, with a 17-7-0 regular-season run and a .911 save percentage in 2023-24.
The wider rinks could tend to limit the action for goaltenders. Lindbom prefers the constant action in front of him.
“It’s a lot more action, a lot more shots,” Lindbom said. “You’re involved more, you play the puck more.”
Adapting well
Silver Knights coach Ryan Craig didn’t know much about Lindbom when he joined the team. He had an inkling of how good he was in Europe, but didn’t expect this kind of impact.
The Silver Knights struggled with Akira Schmid as the primary starter. The former starter for the New Jersey Devils was 9-18-3 with 3.58 goals against.
Once Lindbom took over the crease, he brought stability for the remainder of the season.
“Like our team, our goaltending (got) better as the year’s gone on,” Craig said. “I think Carl, personally, came in and had a really good rookie camp. He kind of took those steps from there. He continued to grow with his game.”
Craig feels the fact that Lindbom already has two years of professional hockey under his belt helped in the development curve.
The only question for him was how quickly would he adapt to the North American game.
“I think his hockey IQ is one of his biggest strengths,” Craig said. “He’s square to the puck. Traffic, fighting through that hasn’t been an issue for him. He’s just a competitor.”
Getting a chance
Before the season, the Knights shared a video spotlighting Lindbom. Notable figures like Craig, general manager Kelly McCrimmon and Silver Knights general manager Tim Speltz spoke highly of him.
It’s not something the Knights have done a lot of before. It shows how highly they view Lindbom in the organization.
He’ll enter next season as the Silver Knights’ starter, but how the Knights address backup goaltender this offseason will be something to monitor.
Schmid may get the first chance because of how well he played at the end of the season while backing up Adin Hill, who is now under contract for the next six years.
Schmid surpassed Ilya Samsonov on the depth chart as Hill’s backup in the playoffs.
Lindbom will be in training camp as the unquestioned No. 3 goalie. He’ll get a chance to show why he might be ready for another quick promotion up the ranks.
“If there’s a spot to be taken next year, I’ll work my ass off and try to take it,” Lindbom said. “As for now, I’m trying to stay in the moment.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
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