It’s no secret the Calgary Flames have been a below-average hockey team since the departures of Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. The hope was that Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri would help them to continue having the success they experienced in 2021-22, but as fans know, that has been far from the case.
Making matters worse for the Flames is that since Tkachuk and Gaudreau left, many others have seen a decline in play. Jacob Markstrom has been better this season, but is still far from the Vezina-calibre goaltender he was in 2021-22. Andrew Mangiapane hasn’t been the same offensive threat, either. That said, perhaps the biggest and most surprising downfall of all has been Elias Lindholm’s.
Lindholm No Longer a Number One Centre
For years with Tkachuk and Gaudreau on the Flames, Lindholm was viewed by many Flames fans as arguably the most underrated centreman in the NHL. His playmaking abilities were next level, and as proven by his 42 goals in 2021-22, he was an excellent finisher as well.
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What also made Lindholm so valuable and seemingly so underrated was that his game was far from one-dimensional. The 28-year-old has been sound defensively throughout his entire career, and was recognized for such in 2021-22, finishing second in Selke Trophy voting to only the Boston Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron.
Unfortunately, when it came to the offensive side of things, it seems Lindholm’s success may have been in large part due to his two highly-talented teammates. His 22 goals and 64 points were disappointing, but actually seemed relatively solid given that he wasn’t all that noticeable for the Flames last season. He appeared lost at times without Gaudreau and Tkachuk by his side and did not have the type of impact first-line centres in the NHL do.
Any hopes of last season being a one off for Lindholm are quickly fading, as he has been even worse in the early part of 2023-24. Despite a recent three-point effort versus the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, he was once again a no show in Saturday’s loss to the New York Islanders. Through 17 games, he has just three goals and 12 points, and has been unnoticeable for large chunks of games. It’s gotten to the point where you really do have to consider that he may simply not be as good of a player as fans had come to believe in seasons prior.
Flames Lucky to Have Avoided Lindholm Extension
Not long before the 2023-24 season got underway, there were reports from several insiders that the Flames were closing in on an extension with Lindholm. Elliotte Friedman reported that the deal was expected to be a long-term one, with the cap hit coming in around $9 million. Many Flames fans expressed hesitancy at the time, and should be counting their lucky stars that the deal wasn’t signed.
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Lindholm is a better player than he has shown this season, but he hasn’t looked like a $9-million one in some time. In all honesty, it is hard to say he is even living up to his $4.85 million cap hit in 2023-24. That will change, of course, but him ever becoming a player deserving of $9 million again seems very unlikely without Tkachuk and Gaudreau by his side.
Lack of Production Could Hurt Lindholm’s Trade Value
What is really unfortunate for the Flames right now is that Lindholm should be a player who brings in a big return on a trade. Based on his body of work since arriving in Calgary, it should be reasonable to expect a first-round pick and a prospect for him at the deadline. However, other general managers around the league have certainly taken notice of how he has performed in the absence of Tkachuk and Gaudreau, which could result in the Flames having to settle for far less than they could have ever imagined.