Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Had surgery during absence
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Bjorkstrand underwent surgery after suffering from compartment syndrome, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports Friday.
With the news that Bjorkstrand had surgery, it seems unlikely he would have been available for the rest of the postseason. In his 18 regular-season games with the Bolts, the 30-year-old winger registered five goals, four assists and 30 shots while averaging 14:03 of ice time. The 30-year-old winger will enter the 2025-26 campaign in the final year of his contract and should be capable of reaching the 40-point threshold for the sixth straight year.
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Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Not playing in opening round
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Coach Jon Cooper said Saturday that Bjorkstrand (lower body) will not play in the first round versus Florida, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Bjorkstrand sat out the final three games of the regular season, finishing with 21 goals and 25 assists across 79 outings between Seattle and Tampa Bay. He could be ready for the start of the second round should the Lightning get past the Panthers.
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Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Deemed week-to-week
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Bjorkstrand (lower body) is week-to-week and a timeline for his return is unclear, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports Sunday.
Bjorkstrand will miss the team's final three games of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs, but the Lightning hope to get him back at some point in the postseason. Bjorkstrand has produced 21 goals, 46 points, 154 shots on net and 74 hits across 79 appearances between Tampa Bay and Seattle in 2024-25. The Lightning recalled Conor Geekie from AHL Syracuse to replace Bjorkstrand in the lineup Sunday against the Sabres.
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Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Two points in OT loss
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Bjorkstrand scored a goal and added an assist, both on the power play, in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.
With Jake Guentzel (personal) away from the team, Bjorkstrand moved up to the first power-play unit and took full advantage of the opportunity, producing both his points in the third period to help force OT and earn a point in the standings for the Lightning. The veteran winger is having a strong finish to the regular season, delivering four goals and eight points over the last 10 games, including four points (one goal, three helpers) with the man advantage.
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Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Hands out assist in shootout loss
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Bjorkstrand had an assist, fired three shots on goal and added three hits in Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Sabres.
Bjorkstrand has three goals and three helpers over his last eight contests. The 29-year-old winger has settled into a third-line role with power-play time since being traded from the Kraken, though his Lightning tenure got off to a shaky start with one goal in the first seven games. Overall, he's produced 20 goals, 24 assists, 147 shots on net, 74 hits and a plus-2 rating over 76 outings this season.
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Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Five points in last six games
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Bjorkstrand scored a goal Tuesday in a 4-1 victory over the Islanders.
Bjorkstrand scored the game's first goal in the first period. He deflected a shot in the low slot past Ilya Sorokin's blocker. The goal was his 20th this season; it's Bjorkstrand's fourth consecutive 20-goal campaign. It took the winger a bit to get comfortable in Tampa Bay -- he was acquired from Seattle on March 5 -- but after one point in his first seven games, the winger has five in his last six. Bjorkstrand might be a sneaky add for a late-season push.
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Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Four points in last four games
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Bjorkstrand scored twice in an 8-0 win over Utah on Thursday.
He made it 6-0 late in the second on a one-timer from the hash marks. Bjorkstrand scored his second at 14:54 in the third for the 8-0 final. He scored a goal in his first game in a Bolts uniform against the Sabres on March 6, but he put up just two helpers over the next nine games. Still, he has four points (two goals, two assists), including two power-play assists, and eight shots in his last four games. This warming trend could help fantasy managers this week.
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Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Snags assist Saturday
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Bjorkstrand logged a power-play assist in Saturday's 6-4 loss to Utah.
Bjorkstrand snapped a six-game point drought when he helped out on a Brayden Point tally late in the first period. The 29-year-old Bjorkstrand has filled a middle-six role since he was traded to the Lightning from the Kraken, but he has just two points over nine appearances with his new team. For the season, he's at 39 points, 133 shots on net, 68 hits and a minus-3 rating over 69 contests. His ice time is down by more than a minute per game following the trade due to the Lightning's much stronger forward depth, which could make it tough for Bjorkstrand to produce consistent offense.
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Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Goal in first game with new team
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Bjorkstrand scored a goal Thursday in a 6-5 win over Buffalo.
Bjorkstrand scored the game-winning goal in his Lightning debut. He stuffed in a rebound after Nikita Kucherov's initial shot. Bjorkstrand went from a struggling Seattle team to a strong contender in Tampa Bay in the recent trade, and he could find himself pushing deep into the postseason this year. He had 37 points in 61 games with the Kraken, but he'll almost certainly benefit from a much better supporting cast with the Bolts.
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Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Dealt Wednesday
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Bjorkstrand, Yanni Gourde and a 2026 fifth-round pick were traded to Tampa Bay from Seattle on Wednesday in exchange for Michael Eyssimont, two first-round picks (2026, 2027) and a 2025 second-round selection, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN.
Bjorkstrand has 16 goals, 37 points and 61 hits over 61 appearances in 2024-25. He's well on his way to reaching the 40-point mark for the fifth straight year and the 20-goal milestone for the fourth consecutive campaign. Bjorkstrand might see his playing time diminish from his average of 15:28 in Seattle this season, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him utilized on Tampa Bay's second power-play unit.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Sends power-play helper
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Bjorkstrand posted a power-play assist and two hits in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Wild.
Bjorkstrand has a point in each of the first two games in March, which is already better than the one assist he mustered over seven contests in February. The 29-year-old winger has often been one of the Kraken's most reliable scorers, but that hasn't been the case in recent weeks. He's now at a decent 16 goals, 21 assists, 124 shots on net, 61 hits and a minus-1 rating through 61 outings overall.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Deposits goal Saturday
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Bjorkstrand scored a goal on three shots in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Canucks.
Bjorkstrand followed up a decent January (eight points in 15 games) with a sorry February (one assist over seven contests). He's already set a better tone to begin March with a goal, which tied Saturday's game at 2-2 in the second period. Bjorkstrand is up to 16 goals, 36 points, 123 shots on net, 59 hits and a minus-1 rating across 60 outings this season. Last season's 59-point performance is out of reach, but he could still get to the 20-goal mark for the fourth year in a row and the sixth time in seven seasons.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Records assist in 600th game
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Bjorkstrand registered an assist and a fighting major in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Maple Leafs.
This was Bjorkstrand's 600th career appearance. The 29-year-old set up an Eeli Tolvanen goal in the third period. Bjorkstrand has had decent production recently with four goals and five assists over his last 14 games. For the season, the winger is up to 35 points (15 goals, 20 helpers), 114 shots on net, 53 hits and 14 PIM, though he has two fighting majors over the last month.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: One of each in win
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Bjorkstrand scored a goal, added an assist and went plus-3 in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Sharks.
Bjorkstrand and Chandler Stephenson set each other up on the Kraken's first two goals of the game. This was Bjorkstrand's first multi-point effort since Dec. 12 versus the Bruins. He wasn't bad in January, earning four goals and four helpers over 15 contests, but he's had more productive stretches. The winger is at 15 goals, 34 points, 112 shots on net, 51 hits and a plus-2 rating over 52 games this season.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Scores opening goal
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Bjorkstrand put away the opening goal in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Penguins.
Bjorkstrand's tally was generated off a forced turnover, where the winger put the puck past Pittsburgh's Joel Blomqvist. The 29-year-old Bjorkstrand has 14 goals, 32 points and 105 shots on goal in 49 games this season. If he continues to see top-six minutes and time on Seattle's first power-play unit, Bjorkstrand will have the opportunity to become a relevant name on the waiver wire.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Pots goal in defeat
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Bjorkstrand scored a power-play goal on five shots in Sunday's 6-2 loss to Detroit.
Bjorkstrand got Seattle on the board late in the second period to end Cam Talbot's shutout bid. Bjorkstrand has found the back of the net in back-to-back games after being held off the scoresheet in the first four games of January. The right-shot winger's production has been streaky this season, but he's an efficient depth player in most formats. He's in a three-way tie for the team lead in goals (13) with Jaden Schwartz and Jared McCann. Bjorkstrand has added 15 helpers and a plus-1 rating through 43 appearances.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: First goal in 12 games
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Bjorkstrand scored a goal Saturday in a 6-2 win over the Sabres.
It was his first goal in 12 games (four assists). Bjorkstrand is prone to offensive spurts and slumps, and right now, he's certainly in a slump. Overall, the winger has 27 points, including 12 goals, in 42 games. Bjorkstrand's fantasy value is tough to time. Wait for a few scoring games in a row before you pluck him off the wire.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Earns 200th career assist
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Bjorkstrand logged a power-play assist and two shots on goal in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Golden Knights.
Bjorkstrand set up Vince Dunn's tally at 2:34 of the first period to open the scoring. The helper was Bjorkstrand's 200th career assist, a mark he reached in his 579th appearance. The winger has been arguably the Kraken's best forward in December with five goals and five assists over 10 games this month. He's at 24 points (six on the power play), 75 shots on net, 37 hits and a plus-3 rating over 34 contests this season.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Snags helper in loss
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Bjorkstrand provided an assist, three shots on goal and two hits in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Blackhawks.
Bjorkstrand has cooled off a bit -- this was his first point in his last three contests. The 29-year-old is up to 11 goals, 12 helpers, 73 shots on net, 36 hits and a plus-4 rating through 33 appearances this year. While in a third-line role, the balance of the Kraken's roster puts most of their forwards on fairly level production. Bjorkstrand has among the highest upside of any Seattle forward, as he should push for the 20-goal and 50-point marks.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Four-point outburst in victory
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Bjorkstrand scored two goals on three shots and added two helpers Sunday in a 7-5 win over the Rangers.
Bjorkstrand had a seven-game point streak snapped against New Jersey on Friday, but he rebounded with his best performance of the season Sunday. The right-shot winger produced more than two points in a game for the first time this season, and it was his fourth multi-point effort of 2024-25. Bjorkstrand is up to nine goals, 11 assists and a plus-5 rating through 28 contests.
