By the Numbers Prospects: Gustav Lindstrom

By the Numbers will highlight the on-ice accomplishments in the 2018-19 season for the Detroit Red Wings' prospects. Twice a week during the offseason, By the Numbers will profile a different player in the system, focusing on his statistical highs. This week we focus on defenseman Gustav Lindstrom.

The Detroit Red Wings have high hopes for Swedish defenseman Gustav Lindstrom, drafted in the second round, 38th overall, in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
This past season, Lindstrom moved up to the Swedish Hockey League to play for Frolunda, the same team that Christoffer Ehn and Buffalo's Rasmus Dahlin skated for in 2017-18.
Other notable players who have played for Frolunda are San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson, Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg and former Wings forwards Daniel Alfredsson, Mikael Samuelsson and Joakim Andersson.
Lindstrom wanted to increase the level of difficulty to maximize his development after playing the previous two seasons for Allsvenskan's Almtuna IS in the second-highest league in Sweden.
The young Swede earned a spot in the team's top defense pair and averaged 18:46 in ice time.
Lindstrom also wanted to win and he succeeded on both fronts as he played regularly when he was healthy and Frolunda won both the Champions Hockey League and the LeMat Trophy, which goes to the playoff winner.

Unfortunately for Lindstrom, whatever was ailing all the Detroit defensemen this past season reached Lindstrom in Sweden. He sprained his MCL in a game against Orebro and that limited his ice time during the playoffs.
Lindstrom will be in Detroit for development camp at the end of June.
After that, it is likely that Lindstrom will transition to North America to continue his development.

40 -- Lindstrom played 40 games for Frolunda HC after playing 39 games for Almtuna IS the previous season.
3 -- In those 40 games, Lindstrom recorded three goals, which was fifth among defensemen on Frolunda. He also added three assists. Chay Genoway led the blueliners with nine goals and 16 assists.
6 -- Lindstrom's six points were sixth among Frolunda's defensemen. Lindstrom also played six playoff games for the Indians.
11 -- During the Champions Hockey League tournament, Lindstrom played 11 games.
2 -- In those 11 CHL games, Lindstrom had two goals, tied for second-most among Frolunda's defensemen with Jonathan Sigalet. Genoway led not just defensemen but the entire team with six goals during that tournament.
4 -- Also during the CHL tournament, Lindstrom had four assists, third among the Indians' blueliners. Genoway led with 10 and Sigalet was second with six.
50 -- Lindstrom amassed a team-leading 50 penalty minutes in 2018-19. The next-closest player was defenseman Viktor Ekbom, who had 32 penalty minutes. It is the most penalty minutes Lindstrom has ever had in a season and the most since the 46 penalty minutes he had in 2013-14 when he played for Division 4's Ostervala IF.
Quotable: "I think he had a pretty good year. He had a real good year. He was playing a lot of minutes, top pair defenseman for Frolunda. Then he got hurt and he returned shortly before the playoffs started and didn't play as much as he would have liked to, obviously, in the playoffs. So I think if it wasn't for that injury, he would have continued to play a lot. The team won their whole league in the SHL. He made good progress last year. We look forward to having him here in development camp, seeing where he's at." -- Shawn Horcoff, Red Wings director of player development