Zeb Lindgren
2024-25 Team: Skellefteå AIK J20 (Nationell)
Date of Birth: Apr. 14, 2007
Place of Birth: Umeå, SWE
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 192 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2025 first-year eligible
Rankings
Zeb Lindgren may not be a defender that will impress on the backend, as he only had 19 points in 38 J20 Nationell games. Even though he may not have the numbers, he’s still effective in terms of being a reliable, two-way presence on the backend with his defensive game and sound and steady presence as a defender.
The one thing that stands out in Lindgren’s play is his competitive nature and IQ. He has great attention to detail and is constantly battling hard and is always playing his one-on-one situations very well. He’s got great gap control and defends rushes flawlessly with his reach and keeping players to the outside. He has strong pivots in order to not get beat easily and it always applying pressure in the tough areas. He gets the inside edge to win puck battles with his strength and doesn’t back down from any situation as he’s constantly involved.
Lindgren can panic under pressure, although his 6-foot-2, 192 pound-frame can help him in order to alleviate that and get him out of trouble. He does a great job to protect the puck and doesn’t turn it over. He’s quick on puck retrievals and although he has decent mobility, he lacks that explosiveness in order to move a play up. He’s very simplistic with his approach on both sides of the puck. He’s quick to moving a play forward and transitions out of his zone effectively. His quick breakout passing to stretch the game is very strong and always plays a big factor as he consistently connects with his teammates.
Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide
He never cheats with his pinches and is always ready to prioritize defense when he needs to. He knows when to keep plays alive in the offensive zone. Within his own zone, he’s positionally sound with his movement and coverage, not letting anyone get by him easily. He plays with an edge and shows great strength, playing the body whenever he needs to. He excels at disrupting plays in the middle of the ice and getting the body in front for a block.
Although his offensive production will be limited, Lindgren has a lot of qualities that teams want in a two-way, playmaking defender. He’s confident, calm, thinks each play well and has the poise on the backend that teams will need.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Zeb Lindgren- NHL Draft Projection
Teams value players like Lindgren very highly in the draft. Although he may not be as productive as other defenders, his effective play will be seen as a strength for many teams looking to add that play style and attributes. A safe bet is to see him get selected as a mid to late third-round selection.
Quotables
“While his offensive ceiling appears limited, Lindgren’s ability to defend in space, absorb minutes, and compete in physical situations gives him legitimate NHL projectability as a shutdown, middle-pairing defender.” – Neutral Zone
Strengths
- Defensive awareness and positioning
- Transitional game and puck movement
- Strong poise and confidence
- Any situations defender
- Uses size to advantage well
Under Construction- Improvements to Make
- Offensive production may not translate to next level
- Handle pressure better
- Good skater with mobility but lacks speed
NHL Potential
Lindgren’s simplistic play style is something that’s already well developed. His defensive style and composure will make him a serviceable second or third-pairing defender at the next level, easily. He can play in any situation, especially on the penalty kill and he’s a defender that you can rely on in tough situations to help propel the team forward.
Risk- Reward Analysis
Risk- 2/5, Reward 3/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense- 3.5/10, Defense 7.5/10
Awards/ Achievements
Lindgren won a bronze medal with Sweden at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup along with silver medals at the World Jr. A Challenge and World U18 Championship.
Zeb Lindgren Stats
Videos
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