Lindholm looks like a special player at just 21
When it comes to defenseman Hampus Lindholm, it's quite easy to see the similarities and familiarities between he and those he looks up to.
One defenseman he always kept his eye on was Nicklas Lidstrom, who is Swedish, like Lindholm, and became a legend with the Detroit Red Wings for pure brilliance and excellence on the ice.
The other, Scott Niedermayer, serves as one of Lindholm's coaches. Niedermayer, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013, played with technical grace and leadership, winning four Stanley Cups in his storied career.
“The way they played the game, they made it look so simple," Lindholm said. "That’s how you want to be as a d-man. That’s as close to perfect as it comes, I would say.”
At just 21-years-old, Lindholm has a very, very, very long way until he reaches the likeness of guys like Lidstrom and Niedermayer, but there is no doubt that he is, at the very least, on the right track.
Drafted sixth in the 2012 draft, Lindholm is already proving the Ducks made a very wise decision with that selection. His 156 games played ranks third among all players selected in the 2012 draft, behind only forwards Alex Galchenyuk of Montreal (193 games played) and Nail Yakupov of Edmonton (192). Lindholm is also leading all defensemen from the 2012 draft in points, with 64 in his career.
Lindholm is already playing on the Ducks' top pair alongside Francois Beauchemin, and he is a very big reason why the Ducks have the second-lowest goals against average at just 1.67 per game in the playoffs.
"He’s got the capabilities of being one of the best," Beauchemin said. "If he keeps improving like he’s been the last couple of years, he’s going to do great.”
But Lindholm isn't just providing great defense, but he's also generating some offense. Lindholm has six points in six games in the playoffs, and is constantly jumping into the offense as often as he can. Unlike most young players in the league, Lindholm is completely unafraid of making a mistake. Why?
“Confidence,” Corey Perry said. “When you have confidence, you can do a lot of things. He’s a guy that when he’s rushing the puck, when he’s on his toes and jumping in the play in the offensive side of the game, he’s going to be successful. I don’t think you can ask for much more from him right now. He’s been everything we’ve asked and even more."
And while we haven't heard Lindholm's name being mentioned among the leagues best defensemen, guys like P.K. Subban, Duncan Keith or his fellow countryman Erik Karlsson who are always up for the awards, it is only a matter of time before Lindholm finds his name among the league's greats. His teammates certainly believe in him.
"I think he's got the right attitude and the right work ethic, the right mental aspect," Beauchemin said. "He's got everything going for him. And he's just going to be great. But it won't be in a few years. I'll be looking forward to seeing him play five, six years from now."
More importantly, Lindholm has the confidence in himself. Because those two players, Lidstrom and Niedermayer aren't just guys he looks up to, those are guys he wants to be.
"That’s what I’m aiming for,” Lindholm said. “We’ll have to see if I get there or not. But you want to be the best. You want to be the best d-man on the team and the best in the league. The guys that don’t aim for that are kind of not really pushing themselves. If I can ever come close to a guy like (Lidstrom) or Scott Niedermayer, I’ll be very happy."
(h/t Orange County Register)
Photo Credit - Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA Today Sports