3 reasons the Canucks must move Elias Lindholm by Friday’s trade deadline
Sometimes good players turn out to be bad fits, and that seems to be the case with Elias Lindholm and the Vancouver Canucks.
On January 31st, the Vancouver Canucks made what looked like a sensible trade when they acquired Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames, moving a first-round pick and Andrei Kuzmenko in the process. Lindholm was supposed to help solidify what turned out to be a strong Canucks lineup, only that hasn’t been the case.
Through 15 games in British Columbia, Lindholm has just six points after putting up 32 in 49 games during his final half-season in Calgary. Do the math, and he’s averaging 0.4 points per contest in Vancouver, down from 0.65 points per game in Calgary, a difference of 0.25.
His average total ice time of 18:27 is the lowest it’s been since the 2017-18 season when Lindholm was still a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. He has yet to find a home anywhere in the Canucks top-nine, either on a line or at a position, so it’s safe to assume this may be the worst trade in the NHL this season.
The Vancouver Canucks may have made a mistake trading for Elias Lindholm
Despite the pedestrian numbers, this trade, in hindsight, shouldn’t define Elias Lindholm if the Canucks admit they made a mistake and move him at Friday’s trade deadline. Sometimes, a player looks like a good fit for an organization, the organization makes a trade (or in other cases, a signing), and they learn the hard way that the player was, in reality, a bad fit.
Maybe Vancouver hangs onto Lindholm, and he turns things around, but it seems like even the 29-year-old himself is aware of just how poorly he’s played since he arrived. Clearly, if the Canucks are moving him around the lineup, that alone is a sign that he’s been an awful fit.
But if Lindholm himself is admitting it, perhaps the Canucks should just cut its losses and move on. Let’s talk about three reasons Vancouver should find a trade partner at Friday’s trade deadline and send Lindholm elsewhere.
Lindholm would still hold a lot of value if traded to a contender
Just because Lindholm is a bad fit with the Canucks, it doesn’t mean that will be the case everywhere. He was clearly still productive during his time with the Flames this season, and other organizations will see that.
While Vancouver may not get a first-round pick back for him, there is still a good chance they get at least a second-rounder and perhaps other assets that they could put onto their lower lines. The Boston Bruins is one team that has come up, as Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported on their trade deadline board.
Boston isn’t the only organization that would be vying for Lindholm come the deadline, and if demand is high enough, maybe the Canucks will get higher compensation than we may think for the 29-year-old. It would be a stretch, but the Toronto Maple Leafs could be a surprise contender for Lindholm following what has been a rather bland trade deadline season for an organization that has had Stanley Cup aspirations for a while.
Overall, given Lindholm’s pedestrian play and regardless of what could happen tonight when the Canucks face the Vegas Golden Knights, look for interested teams to come calling as the trade deadline nears.
Lindholm’s presence has turned the Canucks into an average hockey team
The worst part about the Lindholm trade is just how pedestrian the Canucks have been since he arrived, with the team going a very average 7-6-2 between February 6th and March 5th. That’s 16 points out of a potential 30, good for just a 53.3 points percentage, and across an 82-game stretch, between 87 and 88 points.
In short, since Lindholm arrived, the Canucks haven’t even looked like a playoff team and have instead better resembled the group that they were in 2022-23. Before Lindholm’s arrival, this team was arguably the hottest in the NHL, with a 33-11-5 record, good for 71 points, and on pace for between 118 and 119 across 82 games.
This isn’t to say there aren’t other factors here, but we can conclude that Lindholm’s presence has been one of them. Even if Vancouver couldn’t get anywhere close to what they traded to get him, perhaps given just how much of a downturn the team suffered since the trade with Calgary is enough to convince general manager Patrik Allvin to move him to another organization.
Lindholm’s advanced metrics further indicate how poorly he’s played
Say what you will about advanced metrics and say what you will about statistics in general, but Lindholm’s advanced metrics haven’t worked well in his favor. We already talked about some of his basic stats, and the only positive that stands out is his 17.4 shooting percentage, which has come in part because he’s taken just 23 shots on goal, or 1.53 per game, down from the 2.67 per he was logging in Calgary.
Lindholm’s Corsi For of 51.5 at 5-on-5 is better than it was with the Flames, but it’s also at its lowest overall since the 2019-20 season. It shows us that Lindholm hasn’t done as much this season to help create scoring chances to the same extent he did between 2020-21 and 2022-23.
He hasn’t been as effective on the Canucks penalty kill, having been on the ice for seven goals in those 15 contests, leading to an on-ice save percentage of 76.7. The same thing has occurred on the power play, as across 40.2 minutes on the man advantage, Lindholm has been on the ice for just three goals, and a paltry on-ice shooting percentage of 7.7.
We can go on and on about how poorly he’s played from both basic and advanced statistics. But you get the point. It’s time to trade Lindholm and forget this transaction ever happened back in January.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of March 7th)