Canucks need Lindholm off third line and play him with Pettersson

When the Vancouver Canucks traded for Elias Lindholm, this probably wasn’t what they had in mind.

At Monday’s practice at Rogers Arena, Lindholm was once again skating on the third line, between Ilya Mikheyev and Sam Lafferty. Assuming that’s who he plays with Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres, it’ll mark the 10th straight game with Lindholm on line No. 3.

Tuesday’s game will also mark Lindholm’s 20th in a Canucks uniform.

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With just seven points (4-3-7) in 19 games with Vancouver, Lindholm ranks ninth on the team in scoring since the All-Star break. Only Lafferty (-9) has a worse plus-minus rating than Lindholm (-5) during that time.

Elias Lindholm is ninth in Canucks scoring since the All-Star break (NHL.com)

When GM Patrik Allvin pulled the trigger on the trade to bring Lindholm to Vancouver, it appeared to be a move to give Elias Pettersson an elite linemate, with the option of loading up the lotto line, leaving Lindholm to centre the second line.

It’s now clear that head coach Rick Tocchet isn’t fond of the lotto line. And he doesn’t seem to love the idea of moving Lindholm, Pettersson, or J.T. Miller to the wing.

The benefit is the Canucks are strong up the middle, with Teddy Blueger centring the fourth line. But with just 14 games left in the regular season, it’s time to give Lindholm and Pettersson another chance to form chemistry.

Canucks’ all-Swedish line had success together

While they weren’t exactly magic together, Lindholm has scored four of his five even-strength points with Vancouver while skating on Pettersson’s line. Lindholm had just one point in the last nine games skating alongside Conor Garland.

When he plays with Pettersson, Lindholm has a 54.49 Corsi-for percentage, but just a 46.27% share of expected goals. The duo was on the ice for five goals-for, and six against.

Lindholm’s underlying numbers look much better in the games he played with both Pettersson and Nils Höglander though. That all-Swedish trio has a 60.87 Corsi-for percentage in six games together, along with a 51.15% share of expected goals. They were on the ice for five goals-for and just two against.

Nearly a month ago (Feb 19), but this was the best of Hoglander-Pettersson-Lindholm pic.twitter.com/7NRXGAPL3F

— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) March 18, 2024

It was when Pettersson and Lindholm were playing with Mikheyev that their numbers cratered (38.89 CF%, 39.25 xGF%, 0 GF, 3 GA).

With the playoffs now in sight, Tocchet would be wise to see if there’s a way to make Lindholm and Pettersson work, and he should probably start with Höglander on the other wing.

Because what the Canucks were sorely missing wasn’t a third-line centre. It was a reliable winger to play with their new $92.8 million man.

Pettersson could be the key to unlocking Lindholm’s scoring potential. He’s just two years removed from a 42-goal season. Similarly, it’s time to surround Pettersson with elite talent.

If it doesn’t work, better to find out now than in a playoff series if/when the Canucks get desperate.

Lindholm has played the wing before in his career, and there’s no reason why he can’t adapt to the position again. It is the easiest position to play in hockey.

As for what it leaves the bottom six, the Canucks do boast a number of depth centres, and when Dakota Joshua returns from injury, it’ll make sense to reunite him with Blueger and Garland on the third line.

Nils Åman, Sam Lafferty, and Pius Suter are all capable of playing in the middle, so take your pick from one of them to centre the fourth line.