The Nottingham Panthers have acquired defenceman Albin Lindgren from Norway’s Stjernen Hockey.
The 27-year-old spent the first part of the season in the Norwegian Fjordkraft-Ligaen, in which he recorded nine points (two goals, seven assists) for Stjernen.
Lindgren has also played professionally in his native Sweden, with additional stops in Denmark and Italy. In 2021-22, the Skövde-born defender produced a career-high 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) in 36 appearances for Fassa in the Alps Hockey League.
“Albin is a fast-skating, puck-moving defenceman,” said Panthers head coach Corey Neilson. “He has a great shot and he’s a guy we feel can really help with our transition game that has been lacking. He’s an excellent addition to the roster and will certainly make the team better.”
Per the Panthers, Lindgren is expected to debut in the Elite League on Friday, 20 January on the road versus the Glasgow Clan.
He is scheduled to make his first appearance at the Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, 21 January versus the Belfast Giants.
Analysis: Nottingham Panthers secure high-risk, high-reward Albin Lindgren
The Nottingham Panthers have stuttered since Corey Neilson retook his position behind the bench at the Motorpoint Arena.
There have been signs of improvement since the departure of Gary Graham, but they still have plenty of work to do to break into the top half of the table.
Albin Lindgren is the type of player who could supercharge the Panthers in the second half of the season.
Albin Lindgren, formely of Skövde IK (Image: Skövde IK)
While the Swede’s offensive production has been exceptional recently, his ability to stay out of the penalty box also catches the eye.
Lindgren has only been assessed two minor penalties so far this term and only spent eight minutes in the sin bin through the whole of last season.
In effect, that means his teammates won’t have to dig him out of trouble on the penalty kill – which is always a valuable asset to have in a top-four defenceman.
The Panthers have wanted to add a smart, puck-moving defender to their blueline for a while – and that is exactly what they have found in Lindgren.
By all accounts, this is an excellent move from Nottingham.
