At the end of October, Gustav Lindström’s cell phone rang because David Savard had just fallen in combat.
At the time, we might have believed in nothing other than an emergency call, the kind of call a player can receive from a boss during a season, and in this specific case, undoubtedly that Lindström was only going to pass, he who had started the season with the Rocket, in the American League, after being ignored on waivers.
But nearly two months and 12 games later, and after suffering another dismissal to the American League in early November, he’s still here.
“I feel more and more comfortable with this team,” noted the 25-year-old defender Tuesday noon in the Canadiens locker room in Brossard. I feel more and more comfortable with our game system too, and I hope that will continue. I still have some small details to correct, because there are things here that are different from what I had to do in Laval, but otherwise, it’s okay. »
We could even add that it’s going quite well, thank you. Because Lindström, obviously, is gaining Martin St-Louis’ trust; he’s been sent on the ice for more than 17 minutes in five of the Canadiens’ last six games, in addition to splitting time with Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle. Twice, he crossed the 20-minute mark of play.
Also not to be overlooked: he has scored twice in his last four games.
“He is consistent and he knows who he is,” Martin St-Louis responded about him Tuesday noon. He gives us good minutes of play, and he deserves those minutes. »
In his own opinion, it’s a bit of a form of rebirth that the Swedish defender is experiencing these days.
Just remember that the Detroit Red Wings sent him here last summer as part of the Jeff Petry trade, probably thinking they already knew everything there was to know about this man they drafted in the second round in 2017.
“Even though I played almost 40 games in Detroit last season, there were so many nights where I didn’t play, and when I did play, it was barely for 10 minutes… So it’s funny to say, but I was happy to go to Laval to start the season, happy to have fun again, trying to make the best of this situation. »
The following ? Gustav Lindström doesn’t know her, nor does anyone else. This is why he will continue to play here as long as the Canadian wants him, who is without a contract for next season.
“I continue to feel good about this team,” he added. It’s good to be with a young team, and it’s exciting too…”
