The Canucks are getting two-way stud in Elias Lindholm

The Vancouver Canucks’ already-stacked roster has become even more dangerous.

The Canucks acquired Elias Lindholm Wednesday night from the Calgary Flames, with Andrei Kuzmenko and several other pieces headed the other way. It takes a big fish off the board, as Lindholm was one of the best-known players available heading into the trade deadline.

At his best, Lindholm is one of the better two-way centres in the league. He proved that two seasons ago, posting a career-high 42 goals and 82 points while finishing as the runner-up to Patrice Bergeron in Selke Trophy voting.

Elias Lindholm, reportedly acquired by VAN, is a two-way scoring centre. He’s an off-puck player, specializing in getting open for high-danger looks rather than spending a lot of time with possession himself. Needs to play with strong passers and puck-movers to excel. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/3JvX2LyHzH

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 1, 2024

Thanks to his outstanding wrist shot, Lindholm is capable of being a very good goal-scorer when paired with the right linemates. While not the most powerful, he can get his shot off quickly with tremendous accuracy.

A big reason for Lindholm’s goal-scoring ability is that he is able to sneak his way into soft spots on the ice, giving him time and space to find the back of the net. His hockey IQ allows for this and causes opposing defencemen to have to constantly be on the lookout for him whenever he enters the offensive zone.

Another part of what makes Lindholm special is that he can produce while also being matched up against the opposing team’s top stars. His defensive awareness is extremely impressive, as is his ability to win faceoffs. He’s taken the most draws of all Flames forwards this season with 985 while also winning a team-leading 55.5% of them. That faceoff ability comes in huge on the penalty kill, another area in which Lindholm excels.

Lindholm’s average of 2:39 minutes per game on the penalty kill is second among all Flames skaters to only Chris Tanev this season. Despite their mediocre season, the Flames penalty kill ranks third among all NHL teams this season at 84.4%, proving just how efficient Lindholm has been in that area. That could prove to be a huge boost for the Canucks, whose penalty kill is 15th in the league at 80%.

One area to monitor with Lindholm moving forward is his offensive production. It isn’t much of a secret that since Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau (his old linemates) left Calgary, his numbers have decreased. Through 49 games this season, he has nine goals and 32 points. Last season saw some lower totals for him as well, with 22 goals and 64 points in 80 outings.

What the numbers seem to suggest is that Lindholm may not be a true number-one centreman, though you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who wouldn’t agree that he is an excellent second-line option on a Stanley Cup contending team. The Canucks are certainly that, and they boast more than enough talented wingers to help Lindholm up his production.

Fans wanting to see Lindholm in action will be able to do so this weekend, as he was the Flames’ lone selection to play in the 2024 All-Star game. As far as real game action goes, his first with the Canucks will come on February 6th versus the Carolina Hurricanes.

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