The Vancouver Canucks made a splash by acquiring forward Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames. They traded Andrei Kuzmenko, prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, their 2024 first-round and a conditional fourth-round draft pick.
The Canucks are first in the NHL with a 33-11-5 record. The club is led by their top players Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko. Additionally, head coach Rick Tocchet has the team playing well within his system. Therefore, it makes sense for the organization to aggressively pursue a player who fills their needs. Adding Lindholm benefits the club in multiple ways.
Versatility as a Forward
One of the reasons the Canucks were interested in Lindholm is his versatility, which is his ability to play at centre and on the wing. As a centre, he adds to the club’s centre depth and need for a right-shot centreman. The Canucks also add one of the league’s best when it comes to taking faceoffs. He is third behind Sidney Crosby and Joel Eriksson Ek in faceoff wins with 547.
Additionally, Lindholm can centre the Canucks second line and allow Tocchet to reunite the Lotto Line. A big issue for the Canucks when they played the Lotto Line this season is the second line struggled to produce. Although Lindholm isn’t expected to carry a line offensively, he could help the second line produce.
Meanwhile, Lindholm can also play on the wing, which gives Pettersson a player to play with. When Miller and Boeser play together, Pettersson usually centres his own line. Usually, that leads to times when his line struggles to produce. With Lindholm, the forward has shown promise of finishing while playing with elite players before and should be able to do so with the Canucks.
Offensive Bounce Back
Lindholm registered a career high in the 2021-22 season, as he scored 42 goals and posted 82 points in 82 games. He did so while centring Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, as both players posted 100-point seasons. After the two forwards departed Calgary, he scored 22 goals and posted 64 points in 80 games during the 2022-23 season and has struggled to score this season with nine goals and 32 points. However, that should all change with him joining the Canucks as The Athletic’s Harman Dayal said (from ‘Why Elias Lindholm is poised to thrive with the Canucks: Film breakdown,’ The Athletic, February 2, 2024).
“Watching Lindholm play, it’s easy to understand why his scoring has crashed recently and why there’s a strong chance it’ll bounce back in Vancouver,” Dayal said. “Lindholm has a quick, accurate shot from the slot. He excels at finding soft ice in the high-slot area. He creates a bulk of his chances and goals via one-timers.
“The problem is that he can’t create a high volume of chances for himself — he needs a high-end playmaker to tee him up.”
Related: Canucks Have an Eye for the Swedes
As Dayal points out, Lindholm scored 21 of his 42 regular season goals in 2021-22 from the mid-range area. This bodes well for him as the Canucks are a team that scores off the forecheck, as they create turnovers and create plays down low for scoring chances in the slot.
Additionally, playing with Pettersson should help fix that problem, as the forward will draw defenders towards him and will create space for Lindholm to score. The two also have chemistry, which they showed off during the 2019 World Championship for Team Sweden. Pettersson scored three goals and posted 10 points in eight games while playing alongside Lindholm, who scored a goal and posted six points in eight games.
Defensive Skill-Set
Lindholm also shows promise as a defensive forward. He is useful at five-on-five and on the penalty kill, as he brings a solid skillset to prevent goals in the d-zone.
“Without the puck, Lindholm’s well-positioned and makes smart reads, but he wasn’t quite as disruptive at breaking up even-strength plays as I expected,” Dayal said. “There would be flashes of potential, though.”
Dayal adds that a fresh start in Vancouver could lead to consistent defensive play, as he has the speed and defensive intelligence to win puck battles. Additionally, Tocchet’s system could help Lindholm reach his full potential as a defensive forward. As a centre on his own line, he could play a shutdown role and match up with the opposition’s top line during the playoffs.
Meanwhile, his penalty-kill abilities will help the team’s already successful short-handed numbers. On the season, the Canucks have an 80% success rate down a man but have improved over the past month, sitting fifth in the league with an 87% success rate. Along with Lindholm’s elite faceoff abilities, he makes an effort on the defensive end to disrupt plays.
Other Stanley Cup Contenders Lose Out
The Canucks beat out multiple Stanley Cup contenders in acquiring Lindholm. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun said the Bruins were one of five or six teams interested in the forward (from LeBrun: How the Elias Lindholm trade could impact the market for centers, Chris Tanev and Jacob Markstrom,’ The Athletic, February 1, 2024).
Teams in need of a centre, such as the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets, were likely interested in Lindholm as well. The Jets settled by acquiring another former Flame, Sean Monahan, from the Montreal Canadiens. With two of the top available centres off the board, it’ll be difficult for the remaining teams to find a solution. Therefore, the Canucks did well by trading for the top available centre.
Canucks Add a Needed Forward for Playoff Run
Lindholm covers a lot of the Canucks’ needs. He is a versatile forward who can play centre and on the wing. Additionally, he could see an offensive bounce-back while playing with elite players. He brings a defensive skill set which could shine in the playoffs. Also, the Canucks traded for a player who multiple Cup contenders likely wanted to trade for.
