Confirmed Trade: [VAN/CGY] Elias Lindholm for Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, 2024 1st, cond. 2024 4th

[Rowlet]

Just curious, why would you think he's a bust? Flames just signed him and has never played a game in NA yet

He's never been very good, he was expected to go higher than he did, but there were real concerns with his game. He's big and can skate well but he has little in terms of hockey IQ, he hasn't really gotten points since his draft year, and he doesn't think fast enough. He's not great in terms of defensive positioning, also he tends to rush the puck down the ice even when he could make a pass. There was also some speculation that his hockey IQ was struggling to adjust to playing against pro levels.

In his draft year he got 28 points in 43 games in Liiga, but in the following years he got 0pts in 20 games, 10 points in 50 games, 13 points in 52 games, and 5 points in 46 games.

The Canucks were most likely not even going to sign him and just let him walk as a FA in June.

 

[ViD]

Amazing how easily a team could give up on a guy that scored over 60 goals in two seasons and actually chose their team over others

 

[Kshahdoo]

9+7 in the last 9 games...

 

[Zirakzigil]

Kuzy, so hot right now

 

[crazyfisherman]

Single handedly ruining our tank, nucks won the trade

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

I’m confused at what the expectations are now for Lindholm. Chances are he won’t be a detriment defensively, but he’s been a black hole offensively for far too long now. And the pendulum probably won’t swing the other way when the games get even tighter.

So what exactly are Canucks fans waiting to see in the playoffs that would change anything about this trad

The thing is Lindholm has been largely deployed as a 3C/2nd PP unit guy, this idea hes going to produce at a 1st rate or that falling short of that production is how his value should be judged is flawed.

Personally id like to see him given a legit run in the top 6 with Miller, but thats not how the coaching staff has used him. His role is matchups, 1st PK, defensive zone draws, and hes done very well with it. His role hasnt been to produce offense.

Hes played great in that role since coming back from injury, should prob have another point or 2 even, and thats what needs to continue in the playoffs.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

It looks like Lindholm is staying on the 3rd line. He even looks meh when on the 3rd line. This guy just has no jam this year.

 

[gianni]

Amazing how easily a team could give up on a guy that scored over 60 goals in two seasons and actually chose their team over others

One thing that gets completely overlooked is how much Andrei Kuzmenko was becoming a negative focal point in the media, and taking away from a 1st place team. The whole team was firing on all cylinders, except him. Literally like a dark cloud over him, and just him.

Began w/ the whole off-season in Bali, then the lack of scoring & inability to play within the team's structure, and ended w/ the benchings/low ice time.

W/ how outspoken his agent is, things could've gotten extremely ugly. What the Canucks gave up is worth nipping any potential distraction/morale deflation in the bud.



That, along w/ gaining 5.5m in cap space this summer, should be taken into account in the Elias Lindholm trade.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Happy to see him scoring in garbage time

Make sure Calgary picks higher

 

[HighLifeManIsHigh]

It looks like Lindholm is staying on the 3rd line. He even looks meh when on the 3rd line. This guy just has no jam this year.

This year? The guy has had zero jam since Gaudreau and Tkachuk left. Guys a dud offensively

 

[Johnnybegood13]

This year? The guy has had zero jam since Gaudreau and Tkachuk left. Guys a dud offensively

People just don't want to believe how much Gaudreau had to do with Lindholm's success, he was a 40-50 point player until the Flames shifted him to RW with Gaudreau and Monahan and then moved him to C when Tkachuk took the RW side, that line had 301 points and Lindholm wasn't the reason why.

Conroy and the Flames dodged a nuclear bomb when Lindholm turned down a $65m+ contract extension.

 

[Petey O]

People just don't want to believe how much Gaudreau had to do with Lindholm's success, he was a 40-50 point player until the Flames shifted him to RW with Gaudreau and Monahan and then moved him to C when Tkachuk took the RW side, that line had 301 points and Lindholm wasn't the reason why.

Conroy and the Flames dodged a nuclear bomb when Lindholm turned down a $65m+ contract extension.

You sure did. The Canucks got scammed pretty hard on this player. Credit to the Flames for their great asset management on this one.

I like his defensive game and a few other aspects, but yeah. He's not good offensively, and should have cost a fraction of what the Canucks paid.

 

[Johnnybegood13]

You sure did. The Canucks got scammed pretty hard on this player. Credit to the Flames for their great asset management on this one.

I like his defensive game and a few other aspects, but yeah. He's not good offensively, and should have cost a fraction of what the Canucks paid.

Actually, I credit Lindholm dumbness for turning down the extension in the first place, I give Conroy the credit for pulling the offer after the bad start by both the team and Lindholm though.

 

[Petey O]

Actually, I credit Lindholm dumbness for turning down the extension in the first place, I give Conroy the credit for pulling the offer after the bad start by both the team and Lindholm though.

It was incredibly dumb. Klingberg-esque blunder for sure. I wouldn't have wished that contract on my worst enemy; not even the Flames.

 

[Ezpz]

Monahan was always the best forward available for this deadline.

 

[gach]

Monahan was always the best forward available for this deadline.

If you don't count Guentzel

 

[blankall]

You sure did. The Canucks got scammed pretty hard on this player. Credit to the Flames for their great asset management on this one.

I like his defensive game and a few other aspects, but yeah. He's not good offensively, and should have cost a fraction of what the Canucks paid.

Lindholm is a solid triggerman. When he's not being fed gimmes, he kind of a 50-65 point forward. Lindholm's ability to produce offensively is highly dependent on who he is playing with. I think he's better than he's playing on the Canucks, but, offensively, he's far from a legit #1 centre.

 

[Johnsie19]

Lindholm is a solid triggerman. When he's not being fed gimmes, he kind of a 50-65 point forward. Lindholm's ability to produce offensively is highly dependent on who he is playing with. I think he's better than he's playing on the Canucks, but, offensively, he's far from a legit #1 centre.

hes also not good defensively, hes soft and he can't skate. whoever pays him will be sorry.

 

[iFan]

It looks like Lindholm is staying on the 3rd line. He even looks meh when on the 3rd line. This guy just has no jam this year.

Yea but he wins face-offs and is good defensively. Glad Kuz is turning his goal scoring around but he was a big liability defensively and wasn't buying into the coaching staffs system. If Kuz isn't scoring, he's dead weight.

 

[HairyKneel]

Lindholm is a solid triggerman. When he's not being fed gimmes, he kind of a 50-65 point forward. Lindholm's ability to produce offensively is highly dependent on who he is playing with. I think he's better than he's playing on the Canucks, but, offensively, he's far from a legit #1 centre.

Vancouver has two of the top 10 centres in the game. They don’t need him to be a legit #1 centre. I still think he should play the wing with his countrymen on the second line. Give the reins back to Tedy on the third line. Suter or Lafferty can play the hole on line 4.

 

[DFF]

Yea but he wins face-offs and is good defensively. Glad Kuz is turning his goal scoring around but he was a big liability defensively and wasn't buying into the coaching staffs system. If Kuz isn't scoring, he's dead weight.

Except he is scoring. Hope that you are winning with Tocchet, because if you are not he is dead weight lol

 

[Peter Griffin]

Except he is scoring. Hope that you are winning with Tocchet, because if you are not he is dead weight lol

What a stupid post.

I swear some Flames’ fans are so butthurt because the majority of Canucks’ fans aren’t lamenting the trade because Lindholm has struggled and been injured and Kuzmenko is succeeding in a completely different system, different environment and with different usage. Happy for Kuz, he’s a very likeable guy and the way he was playing he was only going to hurt this team in a playoff run and cost assets to dump in the offseason.

The trade hasn’t worked out the way the Canucks envisioned, it happens. But suggesting they would’ve been better off keeping Kuzmenko and allowing him to deviate from the coaches expectations in a season when that coach is very likely the favourite to win the Jack Adams, is silly.

 

[DFF]

What a stupid post.

I swear some Flames’ fans are so butthurt because the majority of Canucks’ fans aren’t lamenting the trade because Lindholm has struggled and been injured and Kuzmenko is succeeding in a completely different system, different environment and with different usage. Happy for Kuz, he’s a very likeable guy and the way he was playing he was only going to hurt this team in a playoff run and cost assets to dump in the offseason.

The trade hasn’t worked out the way the Canucks envisioned, it happens. But suggesting they would’ve been better off keeping Kuzmenko and allowing him to deviate from the coaches expectations in a season when that coach is very likely the favourite to win the Jack Adams, is silly.

What a stupid post

Nobody is suggesting the Canucks to deviate from anything. The comment was if people are not doing what they are good at then they are dead weight , not just Kuzmenko. Sound butt hurt and it’s not Flames fans only

 

[Peter Griffin]

What a stupid post

Nobody is suggesting the Canucks to deviate from anything. The comment was if people are not doing what they are good at then they are dead weight , not just Kuzmenko. Sound butt hurt and it’s not Flames fans only

Not true. Kuzmenko is a one dimensional player, if he isn’t scoring he literally provides nothing else AND is a huge liability defensively. Lindholm, if he isn’t scoring, isn’t hurting the team, and provides functionality in other areas. Somehow relating that to “Tocchet not winning” being dead weight is bizarre to say the least.

 

[ijuka]

Not true. Kuzmenko is a one dimensional player, if he isn’t scoring he literally provides nothing else AND is a huge liability defensively. Lindholm, if he isn’t scoring, isn’t hurting the team, and provides functionality in other areas. Somehow relating that to “Tocchet not winning” being dead weight is bizarre to say the least.

Dunno. And these are pre-trade.

Post-trade, Lindholm has been junk, while Kuzmenko has been great.

Add the picks and the prospects, and this is nothing short of a fleecing.