Detroit Red Wings: Future is still unclear on defenseman Gustav Lindström

The Detroit Red Wings are quickly approaching the start of the 2021-22 season, and as they do, they are shaping up their roster. One of the players to keep an eye on in the background of things is defenseman Gustav Lindström.

The Detroit Red Wings have brought back Lindström for this season and then for the 2022-23 season as well. He is slated to make $850,000 in each of the next two seasons as he tries to latch on to the team’s defense core.

After all, he was a second-round pick in 2017 and has had a quick rise to the NHL. The issue is that he has played very few games. If he wants to be a long-term member of this team’s defense core, year three is where there need to be some results.

It’s not to say that I would expect Lindström to be a top pairing guy in 2021-22, but he needs to iron out his game and show that he belongs. Even if he is more of a defensive defenseman, he needs to show progress to make his future more clear.

Gustav Lindström’s future with the Detroit Red Wings is still unclear.

The certainty is that Lindström will be with the team through the 2022-23 season, but the question is how much of a role he will play. His ice time may be limited this year, but that does not mean that the expectations to show progress are not there.

In 2020-21, Lindström logged just 13 games where he had three assists and was surprisingly a plus-one on the season, which is better than most could say. Even trying to make it as a defensive defenseman, he has to show the ability to be sound in the defensive zone this season.

He looked better last year, was making smarter choices in the defensive zone and leaving less opportunity for the opposition to capitalize. Doing more of this in 2021-22 will be incredibly beneficial for the Red Wings organization and for Lindström’s future.

The hope is not super high for Lindström. But the hope that he can latch on and be a future third-pairing defender is not an unrealistic one. While being a former second-round pick, it’s not the most ideal situation, and it’s a settle the Red Wings should take.

If Lindström is able to lock in on his defensive game and be a solid asset in the defensive zone, he could become valuable to the special teams game as well, adding some value to his game.