Canucks All-Stars offer their thoughts on Lindholm trade
It seems like Vancouver Canucks management felt that you could never have too many players at the All-Star Game.
The Canucks were already going to have an NHL-high five All-Stars representing the franchise at this week’s annual league showcase before a trade on Wednesday for Elias Lindholm brought their total to six.
The full trade saw the Canucks land centre Lindholm from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, a 2024 first-round pick, and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.
Lindholm joined Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko, J.T. Miller, and head coach Rick Tocchet to make seven Vancouver representatives in Toronto.
After hitting the red carpet ahead of the NHL All-Star player draft on Thursday night, Canucks new and old offered up their opinions on the move.
“[Kuzmenko’s] a great dude, and we’re gonna miss him,” Boeser said. “Playing [Lindy] over the years is a guy that’s always been really hard player to play against: his skill, he can score goals and works hard. So I think that’s the standard we’ve been trying to create.”
Lindholm himself was in the air when the trade went down, heading back to Calgary before getting news of the deal.
“I was flying home from Mexico and got some WiFi and was peppered with messages,” Lindholm said.
With the Flames sitting sixth in the Pacific Division and Lindholm in the final year of his contract, he felt the writing was on the wall for his next move outside of Calgary.
“Maybe just after New Year’s, I knew it would happen. I just didn’t know when,” Lindholm said.
On the flip side, Lindholm’s new teammates felt the move showed the team making a strong push for their first playoff appearance since 2020.
“We have a good feeling in the room, and management is showing [faith in our season],” Pettersson added.
Meanwhile, his new coach is excited about the possibility of being able to slot him throughout his lineup.
“Obviously he’s a piece, right? He does a lot of different things as well,” Tocchet added. “We weren’t even supposed to make the playoffs. Now we’re supposed to be, but you can’t think that way. And I think he’s coming to an environment knowing that we just kind of earn our day.”
The Canucks headed into the All-Star break with 71 points, tied with the Boston Bruins for first place in the league. But while they’re in a place that might be way ahead of where most pegged them to begin the season, multiple Canucks players emphasized the importance of taking things one day at a time.
“We certainly aren’t worried about outside expectations,” Miller said. “We’re not even worried about the playoffs yet. We have a whole lot to go through as a team, and it’s only going to get a lot harder.”
“There’s always a lot of noise in a Canadian market,” Demko added. “But now it’s just a little more positive.”
The six Canucks will hit the ice for the first time together next Tuesday, when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes.
Puck drop is set for 4 pm PT.