3 reasons the Canucks must move Elias Lindholm by Friday’s trade deadline

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.