The 2022-23 NHL season is fast approaching, and the Philadelphia Flyers’ roster is beginning to take shape ahead of training camp next month.
The Flyers announced a pair of restricted free agent signings on Friday, as they inked forward Wade Allison to a two-year deal and defenseman Linus Högberg to a one-year deal. Högberg’s contract is a two-way contract and will carry an average annual value of $750,000 at the NHL level.
Högberg, a 23-year-old left handed defender from Stockholm, Sweden, was drafted by Philadelphia in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL Draft. He began his professional career overseas in his native Sweden, suiting up for the Växjö Lakers after spending time in the junior ranks for Växjö and Hutteringe IK.
Before beginning his North American professional career, Högberg represented the Swedish national team on multiple occasions as well. He notably participated in the 2018 World Junior Championships for his country, appearing in seven games but registering zero points.
Högberg made his awaited jump from Sweden to North America for the shortened 2020-21 season, suiting up in 26 games for AHL Lehigh Valley and registering two goals and six assists for eight points while with the Phantoms.
He started the 2021-22 season in Lehigh Valley again, but he was recalled under emergency conditions and made his NHL on the road at Bell Centre against the Montréal Canadiens on April 21st, 2022. The Flyers would win that game 6-3, and Högberg racked up his first NHL point as well, earning a secondary assist on an Oskar Lindblom wrister that found the back of the net early in the second period.
Högberg skated in five total games during his recall, notching two assists in that span. He also recorded eight assists in 58 games with Lehigh Valley, but scored no goals at either level last season. His last goal was scored on May 5th, 2021, as he potted the Phantoms’ first goal against the Hershey Bears in an eventual 5-3 victory for the home team in Allentown.
The Swedish blueliner will have plenty of competition to make the Flyers’ final roster heading into training camp. With a seemingly set top-six of Ivan Provorov, Tony DeAngelo, Travis Sanheim, Rasmus Ristolainen, Cam York, and Justin Braun, Högberg will be fighting for a spot with players such as Egor Zamula, Nick Seeler, and Kevin Connauton to try and stick around as a depth option for the club.
With that being said, don’t be surprised to see him or Zamula sent down to the Phantoms to earn more playing time while a seasoned veteran serves as an extra defender.
