Hampus Lindholm came to the Boston Bruins on Mar. 19, 2022, with Kodie Curran in exchange for a first-round pick in 2022 (Nathan Gaucher), a second-round pick in 2023 (Damian Clara), a second-round pick in 2024, John Moore and Urho Vaakanainen. In a brief introduction period that season, he had five points in 10 games with a plus-10 rating, with no points in four playoff games.
During his first entire season (2023-24) in the Boston lineup, he was one of the NHL’s top defenders, setting career highs in assists (43) and points (53) while leading the league with plus-43, finishing fourth in Norris Trophy voting. Moreover, the native of Helsingborg, Sweden, played outstanding in the first season of eight-year contract worth $52 million.
Although it seemed that Bruins general manager Don Sweeney fleeced the Anaheim Ducks in the deal for Lindholm, the shine of his best season of 2022-23 wore off in 2023-24. By no means did he become a terrible defender or anything of the sort; it just appeared that he was a passenger on a Stanley Cup-contending team some nights. Instead of leading the play or being a top defenseman, it was a hit-and-miss. Before, you couldn’t miss him on the ice, but this past season, there were stretches where you had to wonder if he was even dressed.
Inside the Numbers: Lindholm’s 2023-24 Regular Season
Lindholm began his second campaign in a Spoked B sweater by being plus-3 in an opening-night win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite the team starting the season 8-0-1, he was pointless and minus-2 with eight penalty minutes and just 14 shots on goal (1.55 per game) while averaging 23:47 in ice time.
Report: Bruins 2023-24 Player Grades: Jeremy Swayman
After an unproductive October, Lindholm rebounded in November with five points in 13 games, scoring his first goal on Nov. 14 and had a two-game point streak on Nov. 4 and Nov. 6. He ramped up his shots (1.69), reaching 22 in the month while playing about 20 seconds less a game.
Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last, as the Bruins were 7-3-3 in December, with Lindholm chipping in just four points on the team’s 40 goals that month. He didn’t light the lamp himself but earned four assists, including two in a New Year’s Eve contest with the Detroit Red Wings. He finished this 13-game stretch as a minus-3 with just 15 shots on goal, his lowest shot attempts of the season at that point, 1.15 a game.
As Lindholm’s…
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