If the Vancouver Canucks get their way, new acquisition Elias Lindholm will be sticking around for a long time.
The pending unrestricted free agent will need a new contract this summer. He’s in the final year of a six-year deal signed with the Calgary Flames.
Will the Canucks let him walk in free agency or make a push to keep him?
“We looked at this trade two ways. One, it could potentially be a rental. Two, can it be long term? Our preference would be that we can figure out something that we can keep him long term,” said Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford on Donnie & Dhali this morning.
While it hasn’t been a banner season for Lindholm thus far, his body of work over the past few seasons means that he will be getting a raise on the $4.85 million he makes at the moment.
The Swedish forward is just one of many Canucks players that will need new contracts this summer. In fact, he’s not even the only Swedish forward, nor the only Elias, that needs a new contract, as Elias Pettersson will be a restricted free agent.
#Canucks roster players who will be free agents this summer:
Elias Pettersson
Elias Lindholm
Filip Hronek
Teddy Blueger
Sam Lafferty
Dakota Joshua
Tyler Myers
Nikita Zadorov
Ian Cole
Mark Friedman
Casey DeSmith— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) February 1, 2024
Many of the team’s free agents are going to be looking for raises after this season. Dakota Joshua, Sam Lafferty, and Filip Hronek are just a few examples of players who have earned a pay bump with their performance this year.
Any long-term contract would carry a lot of inherent risk due to the forward’s age.
Lindholm is 29 years old and not having the best season, which could be an early sign of decline.
However, this management group has shown that they’re not scared to hand out long contracts to older players since they did just that with J.T. Miller.
Patrik Allvin and Rutherford have a busy stretch ahead of them as they balance contending for the Stanley Cup this season with the franchise’s long-term prospects.
What happens with Lindholm will be a major factor in the direction of the team. Will the Canucks sign him long term or will the team let him walk, paying a pretty penny for a rental piece? According to Rutherford, there’s a clear preference.