Former General Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers Ron Hextall was smoking hot when it came to drafting. He was well known for being a magician on draft day. One position that Hextall shored up was the defensive side of the puck.
With drafting and signing undrafted free agents with the likes of Travis Sanheim, Ivan Provorov, Wyatte Wylie, and Philippe Myers. The Flyers seemed primed for long-term success on the blueline. However, Hextall wasn’t finished as he made a bold pick and selected a young defenseman Linus Hogberg in the 5th round of the 2016 NHL Draft 139th overall. For his efforts, Hogberg has really turned some heads for the Vaxjo Lakers in the SHL, so much so, the Flyers have officially signed him to an entry-level contract that will begin in the 2020-21 season.
Hogberg really established himself as a quality puck moving defenseman last season in 2019-20, as he became much better in transition. Moreover, Hogberg was able to exit the defensive zone cleanly, whether its by pushing the play up the ice, or looking for a quick pass to exit the defensive zone. For the season, he recorded five goals, and nine assists in 50 games played in the third toughest league in the World.
He really showed his range by playing in any situation the coaching staff asked of him, and Hogberg has done so well with puck protection. His skating appeared to be smoother than in prior years. The young 21-year-old defenseman in Hogberg is on the rise folks, and he will join the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the Fall (Hopefully).
