Talks are intensifying between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames when it comes to an Elias Lindholm trade, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman:
Lindholm, 29, has been the subject of trade speculation linking him to the Vancouver Canucks for months. A right-shot centre hailing from Boden, Sweden, Lindholm certainly fits a need for the Canucks’ current lineup.
Lindholm has ties back to the Canucks’ management group, as Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford was the General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes club that drafted Lindholm fifth overall in the 2013 NHL draft. Although drafted as a centre, Lindholm spent the majority of his time on the wing while with the Hurricanes. It wasn’t until he was packaged in a trade with Noah Hanifin that sent him to the Calgary Flames that he got a more dominant run as a centreman.
With Calgary, Lindholm centred one of the most dominant lines in the NHL between Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau during the 2021-22 season. In that season, Lindholm tallied 42 goals and 40 assists while providing high-calibre defence.
While his offensive numbers have taken a bit of a dip this season — he’s on pace for 15 goals & 54 points, the lowest mark of his Flames career — Lindholm’s defensive game is legit, and he’s long been a part of the Selke Trophy conversation as the NHL’s best defensive forward.
If the Canucks were to pull the trigger on a deal to bring Lindholm in, they’d be hoping for him to rediscover the offence that seems to be missing in his game this season. Since he’s a more than capable centre, Lindholm would provide the Canucks with plenty of options, as his versatility should mean the Canucks can feel more comfortable about splitting up the Lotto Line, as Lindholm would be able to fit in seamlessly alongside either Elias Pettersson or JT Miller.
UPDATE: CanucksArmy has learned that Andrei Kuzmenko will be part of the trade package going back to Calgary.
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