When the Tampa Bay Lightning made a deal with the Dallas Stars that sent Brad Richards to Texas and brought Mike Smith back to Florida, fan reaction was mixed. That was last time; this is now. The reaction to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s acquisition of Anders Lindback has been anything but mixed.
Lindback, formerly of the Nashville Predators, has been billed as a potential building block for the franchise. Despite General Manager Steve Yzerman’s best attempts to keep expectations for the giant Swede low, Bolts Nation is more excited than ever about the prospect of having a long-term solution in net.
Known for his size and surprising athleticism, Lindback is the kind of goalie the Lightning should be able to build around. Along with Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman, he has the potential to form one of the most dominant young cores in the league. Few teams can boast about having a core, young piece in place up front, on defense and in goal; the Lightning are incredibly fortunate.
Currently playing in Finland with Ilves, Lindback’s confidence is riding high. After a relatively slow start, his play has picked up in a monumental way; in 13 games he has compiled a 2.30 goals against average and a 0.930 save percentage. Critics can comment about the level of play being lower in Finland than it is in the NHL, but those stats are impressive from any angle.
Also consider for a moment that Lindback’s team has struggled mightily in the SM-liiga so far this season. Sitting dead last in the standings, Ilves has been subjected to 21 losses through 30 contests. Watch a few games and note the glaring defensive deficiencies plaguing the team in front of Lindback and his stat line becomes even more impressive that it already seems.
What fans are seeing out of Lindback right now is not dissimilar to what is being seen with Victor Hedman in the KHL; both are showing incredible confidence and poise that should translate directly to the NHL. With a shortened season on the horizon and Lindback’s play continuing to improve, it’s hard to imagine that Guy Boucher will toe the party line and split the number one goaltending duties between Lindback and Mathieu Garon.
Having traded two second round picks, a third round pick and Sebastien Caron for Lindback, the Lightning has made a commitment to better goaltending in the future. Lindback’s play in Finland has given Bolts Nation every indication that he is ready to be given a shot at stardom in Tampa.
Despite having only 38 games of NHL experience, Lindback is a solid performer who has paid his dues in Sweden, North America and now in Finland; his dedication to constantly improving and remaining positive is something that is so incredibly inspiring and commendable. This is a player who will fit right in with the Bolts’ culture of positivism.
Based on Lindback’s play in Finland, it’s fairly safe to say that this player is going to be ready whenever the puck drops on an NHL season. He’s firing on all cylinders, looking confident and playing like a true number one goaltender. If the Boucher gives Lindback the number one duties and lets him run with them, grow through adversity and learn from mistakes, Bolts Nation will have itself a fantastic, long-term goaltending solution.
Nobody is expecting Lindback to come in and be an all-star or top-tier tender in the league, but the reality is, he has the opportunity to provide the Bolts with solid play on a consistent basis. That's something the Lightning desperately missed last season and something ultimately cost the team a playoff spot.
As always, thanks for reading!
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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