Oskar Lindblom feels on the bubble in last week of Flyers training camp

VOORHEES — Players on the bubble are starting to tighten up, knowing they have one more week to audition with Flyers coach Dave Hakstol and general manager Ron Hextall watching.

Only three more cuts need to be made in training camp and Oskar Lindblom isn’t convinced he’s done enough to lock himself into an NHL job.

Last year, the Swede was among the scoring leaders in his home country. Having signed an entry-level contract, he can play either in the NHL with the Flyers or with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the American Hockey League.

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“It’s hard,” the 21-year-old winger said. “Everybody’s just battling hard now and everybody wants a spot on the team so it’s hard to say. There’s one week left, so just go as hard as you can and do your best.”

Earlier in camp he was on the left wing of Claude Giroux’s line. Recently the Flyers’ captain has been a left wing himself and will play there Monday when the Flyers travel to New York to play the Rangers. One side effect of that is that Lindblom has fallen down the depth chart.

He’s trying not to read into the lines, or the fact that he hasn’t factored into the power play units in recent days, but it’s difficult for Lindblom not to micromanage what he’s doing on the ice in practice.

“A little bit,” Lindblom said. “I’m trying to get better on the small ice every day so small things. I’m doing a couple drills after practice, shooting drills. It’s good drills to do extra of. It’s small stuff.”

The offense hasn’t been prevalent for Lindblom thus far. In two preseason games he has one assist and most people that are loosely familiar with his work saw his goal totals last season and expected him to be a sniper.

That’s not really his game.

He’s a big body that can stand in front of the net and score the grittier goals, but his hallmark trait so far in training camp has been solid defensive play. Anyone that’s played for Hakstol knows that will be the No. 1 requirement.

“You’ve got to have good defense if you want to play (in the NHL),” Lindblom said. “You can’t just wait for your chances offensively so that’s been my thinking all camp.

“You always want to score, absolutely. I had a couple chances. I just have to keep going. Hopefully I get a goal, but you can’t just wait for the goal. You have to keep battling and if you keep battling, the puck will come to you.”

There are still high hopes that the 2014 fifth-round pick makes the NHL this season, but he might have worn down a little bit. Wednesday when the Flyers played split-squad games against the Islanders, Lindblom looked great. That’s where his assist came from, setting up one of Taylor Leier’s goals.

The next night in Boston Lindblom didn’t think he played quite as well.

“An OK game,” he said. “It’s tough playing against those big guys, but it was a good experience and it’s good to have that with you the longer it gets here.”

The other thing he’s not used to is playing on consecutive days. Lindblom estimated only doing it three times last season in Sweden. If he makes the NHL, the Flyers have 15 back-to-back scenarios. If he’s in the AHL, they typically play Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

While stamina is something Lindblom will have to keep up if he’s going to make the NHL, everything else has been good enough to keep him around with only three cuts left to make.

“Like everybody else, he’s working hard,” Hakstol said. “With a young player, he’s got all the tools. He’s got all the abilities and it’s a matter of just continuing to elevate his play and do those things on a regular basis. He’s working hard to do that. I’ve been happy with his effort.”

Lindblom said he wouldn’t be surprised if he were left off the final roster because, “there’s a lot of good guys” left.

So, what can help him in the final days before the last round of cuts?

“Tough question,” he said, unsure if he would factor into Monday’s game or not. “I just have to play my game. I can’t be someone else out there. Just do the small things good every day and don’t think too much. Just good defense and try go offense when you get the chance.”

Dave Isaac; 856-486-2479; disaac@gannett.com

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