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Elias Lindholm

Atlantic Notes: Swayman, Bruins, Roy, Bertuzzi, Xhekaj

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With Linus Ullmark now in Ottawa, Jeremy Swayman is the Bruins’ undisputed goalie of the present and future moving forward.  However, it doesn’t appear as if much progress has been made on a new deal, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli (Twitter link).  Last summer, the two sides wound up going through salary arbitration with the netminder receiving a one-year, $3.475MM award.  This past season, the 25-year-old posted a 2.52 GAA with a .916 SV% in 44 regular season games before putting forth a better showing in the playoffs, playing to a 2.15 GAA and a .933 SV% in a dozen postseason contests.  It stands to reason that both sides would like to get a long-term agreement done; that type of deal should carry a price tag of at least $6MM.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Still with the Bruins, Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe suggests that they could be in position to land a pair of prominent Vancouver free agents when the market opens up on Monday, linking Boston to both center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Lindholm is coming off a down year but still managed 15 goals and 29 assists in 75 games.  He’d give Boston a legitimate two-way middleman after they didn’t really replace Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci last summer.  Zadorov, meanwhile, split the year between Calgary and Vancouver, notching 20 points and 177 hits in 75 games.  However, he was quite impactful in the playoffs, recording four goals and four assists in 13 contests while logging over 20 minutes a game, putting himself in a spot to land a big raise on the $3.5MM he made in 2023-24 on a long-term agreement.
  • The Senators are expected to make an aggressive pitch for pending UFA defenseman Matt Roy, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The 29-year-old is positioned to be one of the top right-shot defenders to hit the open market on Monday and is coming off a strong year that saw him record 25 points, 197 blocks, and 152 hits in 81 games while averaging just under 21 minutes a night.  After making $3.15MM the last three seasons, he could potentially come close to doubling that in free agency which would be very difficult for Ottawa to fit into their current salary structure.
  • While the Maple Leafs were hoping to re-sign winger Tyler Bertuzzi, that won’t be the case according to TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link) who notes that the contract he’s expected to get is more than what Toronto can afford. The 29-year-old couldn’t get a multi-year deal at his asking price last summer, instead settling for a one-year, $5.5MM agreement with the Maple Leafs.  Bertuzzi picked up 21 goals and 22 assists in 81 games during the regular season.  That, coupled with his production in the past (three other years of at least 20 goals) has Dreger feeling that Bertuzzi will land a deal around four years at more than $5MM per season.
  • Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj received a qualifying offer today but a new agent will be handling the discussions. Bartlett Hockey announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed Xhekaj along with his brother Florian Xhekaj as new clients.  Arber played in 44 games in his sophomore year with Montreal, picking up 10 points, 125 hits, and 81 penalty minutes while averaging just under 16 minutes a night.  He also played in 17 games with AHL Laval, recording 11 points.  Florian, meanwhile, is a Canadiens prospect and will begin his entry-level agreement next season.

Canucks Notes: Lindholm, Chatfield, Zadorov

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Elliotte Friedman reported on the Jeff Marek Show today that it doesn’t appear that the Vancouver Canucks will be able to hang on to pending unrestricted free agent center Elias Lindholm. Friedman referenced recent reports that the Canucks were willing to offer Lindholm a seven-year deal for $7MM per season but adds that the Canucks are reportedly looking to their next options as Lindholm’s departure becomes more of a reality.

The Canucks gave up a massive package to acquire the 29-year-old sending a first-round pick in 2024, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024, as well as two prospects and Andrei Kuzmenko to the Calgary Flames and aren’t likely to find a suitable replacement in free agency.

In other Vancouver Canucks notes:

  • Rick Dhaliwal spoke today on Donnie and Dhali about Carolina Hurricanes pending free agent defenseman Jalen Chatfield. Dhaliwal said that if Chatfield reaches free agency the Canucks will have interest, however, he has also heard that the Hurricanes are pushing to re-sign him. Chatfield started his NHL career with the Canucks, dressing in 18 games during the 2020-21 season and registering one assist. He then signed with Carolina as a free agent in 2021 and has been with the team the past three seasons. Last year the 28-year-old posted eight goals and 14 assists in 72 games and averaged 15:12 of ice time per game.
  • Dhaliwal also reported that all is quiet when it comes to contract negotiations between the Canucks and pending free-agent defenseman Nikita Zadorov. The 29-year-old was also acquired at the trade deadline and reportedly hasn’t spoke with Vancouver over the past few days. The Canucks have just over $24MM in cap space available but have pending extensions to sign in the next three seasons for Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko and will need to be careful how they allocate long-term cap space. Reports have surfaced previously that Zadorov is looking for a six-year deal at $6MM per season.

Morning Notes: Lindholm, Blackhawks, Larsen

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The Vancouver Canucks are reportedly willing to offer pending unrestricted free agent center Elias Lindholm a contract extension around seven years and $7MM annually (as per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts). The deal if signed would be a replica of the deal Nazem Kadri signed with the Calgary Flames in August of 2022 and would be a substantial drop from his contract expectations last fall when many thought Lindholm could fetch a $9MM AAV.

While the potential offer is $7MM annually, there is no guarantee that Lindholm will sign for that, and Friedman isn’t sure that the Canucks can get a deal done at that number. The Canucks reportedly want Lindholm to return, but with the sheer volume of free agents on their roster it might be difficult to get a deal done with the 29-year-old.

In other morning notes:

  • Elliotte Friedman has heard from sources that the Chicago Blackhawks would like to expedite their rebuild and may target top free agents this summer to speed things along. Friedman mentions Jake Guentzel as a possibility and also drops the name of Martin Necas. The Blackhawks have a good mix of young emerging players and veterans in their lineup but don’t have many high-end veterans on long-term deals outside of Seth Jones. Guentzel would require a huge long-term commitment from Chicago and would mark a major change in mindset from previous summers where they have dealt impact veteran players.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic tweeted that former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen is expected to resurface soon after taking time away from hockey following his firing in April 2023. Larsen coached the Blue Jackets for two seasons and lost 102 of the 164 games during that time. Prior to being named the head coach, Larsen was an assistant in Columbus for seven years and even beat out several experienced head coaches to get the top job with the Blue Jackets. Portzline doesn’t specify where Larsen is going to go but does add that an announcement is expected in the next few days.

Bruins Looking To Add A Top Center In Free Agency

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The Boston Bruins will be revisiting their need for a new top centerman this off-season, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman sharing on the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast that they could target either Elias Lindholm or Chandler Stephenson should either enter the open market. Friedman mentioned that Boston was interested in manufacturing a trade for Lindholm prior to his move to Vancouver this January. The Canucks traded away a top winger in Andrei Kuzmenko, as well as top prospect Hunter Brzustewicz, as a part of the deal to acquire Lindholm – likely indicating that Boston was also ready to pay a premium for his services.

They could get another chance to entice Lindholm’s camp this summer, with Vancouver’s leadership not mentioning Lindholm’s negotiations in their exit interviews. The Canucks are entering the off-season with 11 pending free agents and $23MM in cap space, with hefty contracts likely due to Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Filip Hronek. Each could rival a cap hit above $5MM, making it tricky to retain all three while still rounding out their depth.

Lindholm recorded 44  points in 75 games this season, his lowest scoring since he was with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017-18. His move to Vancouver was a catalyst for that decreased scoring, with Lindholm dipping from 0.653 points per game with the Flames to 0.462 points per game with the Canucks. He was able to revitalize his offense in the postseason, recording five goals and 10 points in 13 games, but Lindholm’s performance this season still situates him a long ways away from the $8MM price tag he was reportedly asking for last summer.

That’s good news for the Bruins, who weren’t shy about pursuing Lindholm last summer either. It’s clear to see why they’d be eager to bring in Lindholm’s explosive offensive style – with his strength in driving through the neutral zone a great compliment to David Pastrnak’s elite skill on the wing.

But while Lindholm offers offensive upside – and likely a corresponding costly price tag – Chandler Stephenson would be much more of Boston’s ‘MO’. Stephenson is a very fundamentally-talented centerman, who’s showed an impressive ability to use his high hockey IQ to make plays in all three zones. He’s lauded one of the most effective two-way centermen in the league, with his stout defense giving his wingers – like Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault – more opportunity to spearhead the offense. Stephenson’s talents would be a serviceable replacement for the years of elite two-way play of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, even if his performance isn’t on the Selke Trophy-demanding level of his predecessors. Stephenson is coming off a four-year, $11MM contract that’s turned into one of the most team-friendly deals in the league – with Vegas’ second-line centerman effectively costing $2.75MM in cap space over the last four seasons. With such a modest salary, any offer paying Stephenson his market value would mark a substantial pay raise. That could work in Vegas’ favor when negotiations roll around, though the Golden Knights are still facing seven pending free agents, including Stephenson and Marchessault, with less than $1MM in cap space.

The Bruins will be quick to act, and likely quick to spend, should either Lindholm or Stephenson get priced out of staying with their current teams. Boston has 12 pending free agents of their own, including Jeremy Swayman and Jake DeBrusk, though they have roughly $21MM available to re-sign them. The team could also free up cap space by trading former Vezina Trophy-winner Linus Ullmark, who carries a $6MM cap hit. Pavel Zacha stepped into the spotlight and performed well this season, posting a career-high 59 points and forming a duo with Pastrnak that even carried over into the 2024 World Championship. But it was clear that Boston was missing an X-factor as they looked to keep their energy up in the second round. Addressing that missing piece will seemingly be their top priority this summer, with two of the market’s top names already in Boston’s sight.

Canucks Announce Offseason Plans

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Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin and head coach Rick Tocchet spoke with the media on Thursday about the team’s plans for the upcoming off-season. Coming off their most successful season in nine years, Allvin started interviews by emphasizing that the team needs to enter the summer with the mindset that they only managed to reach the second round. As shared by Pass It To Bulis’ Daniel Wagner, Allvin said “I’m not happy sitting here today…we lost our last game and it was only in round two.” 

The team’s off-season plans will reflect that high bar, with Allvin most notably sharing that they’re looking to bring in a top-six winger, shares Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor (Twitter link). Allvin added that the team is also looking to bring in more speed, while Tocchet spoke to needing more creativity and shooting out of the lineup. Each of those attributes could be met by pending Carolina Hurricanes free agent Jake Guentzel, who Vancouver was reportedly very interested in ahead of the Trade Deadline.

The Hurricanes ultimately acquired Guentzel in exchange for Michael Bunting, top prospects Vaisili Ponomaryov and Cruz Lucius, and second-and-fifth-round picks in 2024. That’s a tall price to pay for a Spring rental, and there’s no doubt Carolina will make a hardy push to extend Guentzel after he posted a combined 34 points in 28 games with the club. But Guentzel left the door open to other destinations in his exit interview, acknowledging that hockey is ultimately a business. He’ll almost assuredly be due for an enthusiastic call from Allvin, should he decide to enter the open market.

The search for a top-six winger will headline Vancouver’s summer, with Allvin sharing that the team wants to retain its pending free agents otherwise, per Batchelor (Twitter link). Allvin went on to name Nikita Zadorov, Tyler Myers, and Dakota Joshua as specific free agents the team is looking to retain. There shouldn’t be any pushback from the player’s side, with Joshua’s agent expressing a desire to return on the Donnie & Dhali Show while Zadorov speaking openly about his love for Vancouver during exit interviews. The trio are a part of Vancouver’s 11 pending free agents – a list that most notably includes Elias Lindholm and backup goaltenders Arturs Silovs and Casey DeSmith. The Canucks paid a pretty penny to acquire Lindholm earlier this season, while Silovs earned expanded opportunity with his fantastic playoff run. If and how the Canucks are able to lock up both players will be a major factor in how their 2024-25 roster is constructed.

Among his other thoughts, Allvin also made sure to mention the team’s top prospects – sharing that the team wants to create opportunity for those players. While he didn’t name any players outright, it’s not hard to reason that reigning SHL ’Rookie of the Year’ Jonathan Lekkerimaki is among the top to earn a chance. Lekkerimaki recorded 31 points in 46 SHL games this season, adding two points in six AHL games following the end of Orebro’s season. He signed a three-year, $4.3MM entry-level contract in early May and could be one of Vancouver’s most exciting breakout candidates next season. Other top prospects Aatu Raty, Danila Klimovich, and defenseman Elias Pettersson could also push for an added role.

Vancouver’s postseason berth was just their second of the last nine seasons, and just their seventh time making it to the second round this century. It seems the team’s leadership core is ready to carry that winning mentality forward, looking at making impacts with externally, internally, and prospect decisions.

Pacific Notes: Kylington, Lindholm, McCann, Dunn

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The Calgary Flames have confirmed that defenseman Oliver Kylington is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Kylington left Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers after a collision with teammate Nazem Kadri. The 26-year-old didn’t practice with the team today and could miss the rest of the season depending on the severity of the injury. The Flames have just six games left in the season and will miss this year’s playoffs.

Kylington returned to the Flames in late January after taking a year and a half away from the team and dressed in 28 games since then, posting two goals and three assists to go along with 18 hits and 44 blocked shots. He appeared to get more comfortable as the season went on before this past weekend’s unfortunate injury.

In other Pacific Division notes:

  • Vancouver Canucks play-by-play voice Brendan Batchelor tweeted that forward Elias Lindholm re-joined the team today for the morning skate after an extended absence. The 29-year-old last played on March 23rd and missed six games due to an undisclosed injury. The Canucks high-priced acquisition has not fit in with Vancouver the way they expected as he has a disappointing five goals and four assists in 22 games. The Canucks have struggled without Lindholm, going 2-4 in his absence, and their penalty kill has fallen off without him going 68.2% in the six games he missed.
  • Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times Sports tweeted that Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann and defenseman Vince Dunn are unlikely to dress tomorrow night when the team takes on the Arizona Coyotes. Both players missed practice today and were labelled doubtful for tomorrow by Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol. McCann has had another strong season with 28 goals and 32 assists in 75 games, while Dunn has also been terrific with 11 goals and 35 assists in 59 games. The Kraken have just two home games left in a disappointing season that will see them miss the playoffs.

Snapshots: Lindholm, Stalock, Crotty, Wilsby, NCAA Bracket

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Canucks forward Elias Lindholm has struggled as of late and snapped a 15-game goalless streak last night against his former team in Calgary.  It appears there’s a reason for those struggles as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last night (video link) that the veteran is set to meet with a specialist in the coming days to determine the extent of the undisclosed injury that he is currently playing through.  The 29-year-old has just nine points in 22 games since being acquired at the end of January and has been dropped to the third line in recent games, not the type of impact they were looking for from their biggest trade acquisition of the season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Ducks announced that they recalled goaltender Alex Stalock from AHL San Diego. The 36-year-old had been brought up four times this season but has yet to see game action with Anaheim, instead serving in a short-term backup role.  He’ll be reprising that role against Tampa Bay with John Gibson out for personal reasons.  Stalock has played in a dozen games for the Gulls this season while playing on a one-year, one-way deal worth $800K, posting a 3.72 GAA with a .894 SV%.  He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • The Coyotes announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Cameron Crotty from AHL Tucson on an emergency basis. The 24-year-old is in his fourth professional season and this will be his first recall and first game as he took the place of Josh Brown who was out due to an illness.  Crotty has three goals and nine assists in 45 games with the Roadrunners this season.
  • Predators prospect Adam Wilsby has been linked to SHL Farjestad next season, notes Varlands Folkblad’s Johan Ekberg. The 23-year-old blueliner was a fourth-round pick back in 2020 and has spent his three-year entry-level deal playing with AHL Milwaukee where he has six goals and eight assists through 49 games so far.  A pending restricted free agent, it might make more sense for Wilsby to return home over continuing to play in the minors as he’s likely behind several prospects on Nashville’s organizational depth chart.
  • The NCAA revealed the official bracket for the tournament leading to the Frozen Four and the DI Men’s Ice Hockey Championship with Boston College serving as the top seed. Games get underway on Thursday and as teams are eliminated, we’ll start to see some of the more notable free agents start to sign while others will forego the rest of their college eligibility to turn pro.

West Notes: Lindholm, Maroon, Dewar, Eberle, Koch

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There had been some speculation that the Canucks could flip Elias Lindholm to secure assets that would be part of a Jake Guentzel trade.  However, with Guentzel now in Carolina, it appears Vancouver won’t be looking to flip Lindholm after all, reports TSN’s Chris Johnston in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link).  The 29-year-old hasn’t lit it up yet with his new team as he has just four goals and three assists in 16 games since coming over from Calgary, not the type of stretch run he was hoping for as he heads to UFA eligibility this summer for the first time.

More from the West:

  • The Wild have received interest in winger Pat Maroon and center Connor Dewar, reports The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription link). Maroon has missed the last month with a back injury that will keep him out for a couple more weeks but as a cheap gritty, experienced bottom-six forward, it’s not a surprise that there is still interest.  The pending unrestricted free agent has 16 points in 49 games so far this season.  Dewar, meanwhile, is heading for restricted free agency this summer with arbitration eligibility.  The 24-year-old has 10 goals in 57 games while averaging a little over 11 minutes a night and is a key part of Minnesota’s penalty kill.  With the rental center market being thin, the Wild could command a decent return if they decide to move Dewar as a result.
  • The Kraken and winger Jordan Eberle were discussing a two-year deal with a cap hit of $4.5MM, relays Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. However, Eberle is believed to be seeking a third year which is the hold-up in discussions.  The 33-year-old has seen his numbers dip this season but still has 14 goals and 23 assists through 58 games.  The expectation is that Eberle will either be signed or traded by the 2 PM CT deadline.  If it’s the latter, Seattle will almost certainly need to retain on his current $5.5MM price tag.
  • The Coyotes announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned defenseman Patrik Koch to AHL Tucson. The 27-year-old was recalled yesterday but didn’t play.  Koch is in his first season in North America and has a goal and ten assists in 47 games with the Roadrunners so far this season.

Updates On Jake Guentzel, Elias Lindholm

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One month ago, the Vancouver Canucks acquired forward Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames in a trade to bolster the organization’s top-six. Now, it appears that Lindholm’s days in Vancouver may be numbered, as Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that the Canucks have spoken with the Boston Bruins about flipping Lindholm in order to acquire Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In theory, a trade could work between the three teams, but there will undoubtedly be a lot of moving parts in any trade of this magnitude. Hypothetically, the Bruins could send a package of Jake DeBrusk and John Beecher to the Penguins, with the Canucks sending Vasily Podkolzin to Pittsburgh as well.

Before this year started, the Bruins were heavily rumored to be a team looking for center help after watching Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire in the offseason. Nevertheless, the team opted to utilize Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle as their one-two punch down the middle. Both players have handled the pressure well, with Coyle now six points away from a career-high in a single season.

It is interesting to see Lindholm’s name pop back up in trade rumors, as they surrounded him for nearly a year in Calgary. In 14 games with the Canucks since the trade in late January, Lindholm has scored two goals and six points overall coupled with a 58.1% faceoff percentage. Ultimately, the team may prefer to add more offense to their wings, instead of employing Lindholm in a third-line role down the middle.

In the hunt for their third President’s Trophy victory in franchise history, the Canucks are seemingly doing everything they can to create a Stanley Cup-caliber team. Infamously, even with the organization now being 53 years old, Vancouver has lost all three Stanley Cup Finals in team history.

Morning Notes: Johnson, Lindholm, Lightning

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Mike Harrington of Buffalo News Sports is reporting that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson isn’t looking to move on from the Sabres and has not approached management for a trade. The 35-year-old is a former Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche and could be in demand according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Johnson was the 2006 first-overall pick, and although he never reached the levels scouts had predicted for him. He has remained a stable defensive defenseman and solid penalty killer throughout his career. He was a good offensive contributor early in his career but hasn’t topped 27 points in a year since the 2013-14 season.

Things could change for Johnson, but at this point, he told Harrington that his focus is on Buffalo, and he doesn’t want to abandon the team midseason. Johnson signed a one-year contract in the off-season as a free agent with an AAV of $3.25MM.

The Sabres entered the season with hopes of competing for a playoff spot but currently sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference and are 10 points back of the Detroit Red Wings for the final playoff spot.

In other morning notes:

  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote today that newly acquired Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Lindholm and the team are both comfortable with waiting to see how he adjusts to the team and how the rest of the season and the playoffs go. It makes for both sides given that Lindholm is just four and a half months away from unrestricted free agency and the Canucks have to also consider a potential long-term extension for superstar Elias Pettersson. LeBrun adds that he believes the Canucks want to sign both players long-term and have coveted Lindholm for quite some time. The 29-year-old had an incredible debut with Vancouver, notching two goals in a 3-2 win. However, his second game was a disaster as Lindholm went -4 in a 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins.
  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote today that he believes that the injury to Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev could prompt Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois to enter the market for a defenseman as there is a possibility that Sergachev could be out for the rest of the regular season due to injury. If the young defenseman is done playing until the playoffs it would open the door for BriseBois to go $8.5 million to go above the cap on LTIR. The issue Tampa Bay might run into is having the assets to make the move given that they don’t have a first-round pick until 2026 and their farm system is one of the worst in the NHL.

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