Canucks Acquire Elias Lindholm From Flames

The Vancouver Canucks have made another big trade during All-Star Break. Last year on Jan. 30, they sent Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders. A year and a day after that trade, they are busy again making waves in the hockey world. They have acquired Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames for Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick. Kuzmenko had to approve the trade since the Flames were one of the teams on his no-trade list. According to his agent, Dan Milstein, they had been working with the Flames since Sunday (Jan. 28) and Kuzmenko has already talked to general manager Craig Conroy and head coach Ryan Huska about joining the team.

General manager Patrik Allvin paid a huge price to get Lindholm to Vancouver, especially if he’s going to be just a rental. Lindholm is in the final year of his contract worth $4.85 million and will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. If they cannot get him signed to an extension, they will have lost a top defensive prospect, a first-round pick and a goalscorer for nothing. But if they sign him, then the price was probably right for what Lindholm brings to the roster.

Canucks Get the Second Line Center They Were Looking For

The Canucks were reportedly looking for a top-six center and now they have one in Lindholm. While he’s had an underwhelming season so far with only nine goals and 32 points, he’s still one of the top two-way pivots in the NHL. He can play in all situations, win faceoffs (53.3 percent career average), and with the right linemates, score goals. He is only a season removed from 42 goals and 82 points playing with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, and he could have similar elite talent to play with in Vancouver with the likes of Elias Pettersson, JT Miller and Brock Boeser.

When the Canucks traded Horvat to the Islanders, they lost an elite matchup center that could win key faceoffs in the defensive zone and on the power play. Now with Lindholm, who is a right-hand shot, they can throw out both Miller and Lindholm and have a center on their…