Lindholm was selected for the All-Star Game after recording 32 points in 49 games.
Lindholm was selected for the All-Star Game after recording 32 points in 49 games.
The Vancouver Canucks have acquired Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames in a blockbuster deal. In return, the Flames will receive Andrei Kuzemnko, defensive prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, as well as a first-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The trade means the Canucks do not have a pick in the first two rounds of the upcoming draft and are projected only to pick five times in total.
From Vancouver's perspective, they get a centerman who has been in the top ten for Selke each of the last two seasons. On pace for 53 points, he should be able to provide some depth scoring for the Canucks as well as be a prominent figure on the penalty kill. With Lindholm on his way to the All-Star Game, he will have the opportunity to meet his future coach and some of his teammates as he joins the six players from Vancouver at the event.
The big question now is whether or not the Canucks will be able to retain Lindholm after this season. He is a pending unrestricted free agent and will turn 30 midway through the 2024-25 season. Vancouver now has ten players who will need to be re-signed at the end of the season with an estimated $36 million to spend.
As for what the Canucks gave up, the most significant piece was Andrei Kuzemnko. In 124 games with Vancouver, he scored 47 goals and recorded 95 points. While he had some success in 2022-23, unfortunately, that did not translate to this year, as he was benched multiple times and only managed eight goals in 43 games.
The Canucks also gave a few prospects that have some potential. Jurmo was a third-round pick in 2020 who is currently playing in Liiga, while Hunter Brzustewicz was a third-rounder in 2023 who has dominated the OHL this year with 69 points in 47 games. Neither had been signed by Vancouver before the trade.
Canucks fans will get their first chance to see Lindholm in action when Vancouver faces the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb 6. With the Canucks set to start a five-game road trip after the All-Star Break, the first opportunity for Lindholm to play a game in Vancouver will be on Feb. 15 versus the Detroit Red Wings. While the Canucks do face the Flames twice more this season, both are in Vancouver, meaning Lindholm will not get a welcome-back game during the regular season.
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