Elias Lindholm trade: How Canucks’ huge deal impacts Bruins originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Vancouver Canucks were involved in the biggest deal before the 2023 NHL trade deadline when they sent star center Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders. And on Wednesday night, they were involved in the biggest deal before the 2024 NHL trade deadline (so far), but this time Vancouver was the team getting the best player in the deal.
The Canucks acquired top-six center Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward Andrei Kuzmenko, prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, and a first-round and conditional fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. It was a steep price to pay (more on that below) for the best player rumored to be available.
Now that Lindholm is off the market, maybe the action will start to ramp up around the league. We haven’t seen a ton of trades — or even rumors — to this point. The trade deadline is scheduled for March 8.
Here are four ways the Lindholm trade impacts the Boston Bruins.
Trade deadline prices might be too high
Maybe the Canucks are a little more desperate than most teams and that’s why they paid a price higher than some expected for Lindholm. The Canucks are tied with the Bruins for the league’s top record, but they haven’t been this good in a while. Vancouver also has never won the Stanley Cup, so it’s no surprise the franchise is being aggressive.
But if the price paid for Lindholm is indicative of what it’ll take to get other top players rumored to be available, maybe it’s best the Bruins chase depth additions rather than trying to land any big fish.
Even though it’s difficult to give a direct equivelant to what the Bruins would’ve had to give up for Lindholm based on the Canucks’ package, something including Jake DeBrusk or Trent Frederic, a top prospect such as Mason Lohrei or Matthew Poitras, a 2025 first-round pick and maybe another mid-round pick or lower-tier prospect would probably be pretty close.
That kind of package would’ve been way too much for the B’s to give up, especially when you consider Frederic has outscored Lindholm at even strength this season and is four years younger.
Unless the Bruins trade back into the 2024 first round, they will go five of the last seven drafts (2018 through 2024) without a first-round pick. This is why the B’s should only trade a first-round pick if they are getting back a player in his prime who will be here long term, similar to the Hampus Lindholm trade and…