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

[Lunatik]

I dig it.

Kuz is a rebound candidate, and if he does we could get something decent for him at the deadline next year.

Brzustewicz is tearing it up with Kitchener. Jurmo is a huge dude that can skate well. Not a bad couple of defensemen to add to the organization.

 

[Rubi]

Craig Conroy done good. 3rd trade of his GM career.

 

[mkatcherin00]

I wonder what this does for the other rentals. Calgary got that much for a guy who has looked like a ghost all year. I would pay that for a Backlund. MTL is probably going to want a pretty penny for Mony

 

[wintersej]

Seems like a win win.

Vancouver got their guy while protecting their best prospects.

Calgary was going to have to either retain or take back a cap dump. Kuz won’t be the guy from last year, but he has a chance to be somewhere in between last years version and this years. That’s a much better dump than other teams would have been offering. Plus they got a solid prospect at a position of need. And a 1st. The 1st and prospect of that quality were a given, but it’s a much better wildcard in Kuz than say the Horvat return.

I still question Vancouver’s depth ability to contribute without a crazy high shooting percentage, but every team has holes and this move clearly helps protect them from any smoke and mirrors wearing off while also giving them a matchup guy that they were lacking. Tip of the hat.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

NHL franchises have analytics departments.

That's not how it works.

His value in a month will be no different than his value right now. You don't think the Canucks were trying to find good value for him?

Teams do still get starry eyed, and teams do still panic when the deadline gets too close.

Even teams with analytics departments (and in my experience, a non-trivial number of teams have analytics departments but don't actually pay attention to them).

 

[wintersej]

I wonder what this does for the other rentals. Calgary got that much for a guy who has looked like a ghost all year. I would pay that for a Backlund. MTL is probably going to want a pretty penny for Mony

I don’t think it changes much. Vancouver paid high to secure the best forward rental out there early.

 

[Coffee]

I hate to say it , but the west is Vancouvers

 

[DJJones]

So what else does Vancouver have to offer for Tanev?

Go all in you p***yes

 

[Grub]

Craig Conroy done good. 3rd trade of his GM career.

2 from Vancouver LOL. Most friendliest division teams.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

It's certainly not a bad deal for Calgary. There is probably a bit of overreaction from fans with takes on the extreme edge of either side.

- Kuzmenko isn't talentless. He will probably score some goals for Calgary. But the idea that he's just having a down year is extremely flawed. He rode an absolutely insane shooting % and PDO on a very bad team last year to some gaudy counting stats. He's not suddenly going to be flip-able for a 1st even if he does get hot for the Flames over the next month. He can be a contributer but is he going to move any needle or asset package in the long-run?

- Hunter is not a "throw-in". He and the 1st are the main attractions here. His OHL stats are great. He's certainly increased his stock from 3rd round value last year. He's also heavily flawed when it comes to projecting a "high-end" NHL player down the road.

- The 1st...to me, even if #30 or #31 - that's still the main piece. What Calgary does with it will matter but it was important to get that.

- Lindholm is probably not ever going to be 40-goal Lindholm again but there is track record here, there is elite level defensive play here, there is positional premium here...so to take an extremely lucky Kuz year (I will eat my hat is his 22-23 season isn't a ridiculous outlier in his entire career) and then say Lindholm is a 9 goal center is absurd. He offers the Canucks an elite 2C who let's them keep their mega-line of EP and JTM together while stiching together a bunch of all-weather, all-zone 2nd line possibilities.

Kuzmenko has only been in the league for 1 year lol. He's probably a bit lucky last year just like the Canucks are a bit lucky this year, but he's still a solid 2nd line player. A Burakovsky type with the hands to succeed with enough support.

 

[BKarchitect]

Teams do still get starry eyed, and teams do still panic when the deadline gets too close.

Even teams with analytics departments (and in my experience, a non-trivial number of teams have analytics departments but don't actually pay attention to them).

What about Kuzmenko's game strikes you as the type of playoff-performer or rugged, nuts-to-the-wall two-way talent that GM's WILL overpay for come the TDL?

Unless a team is deep, deep in a top six injury crisis - he doesn't fit the mold of "guy I'm willing to overpay for even if I am a dinosaur GM".

Besides, I genuinely think the Flames see him as a guy they want to keep. I sitll think they are trying to thread the needle between "oh crap we signed all these vets" and "we need a future youth movement".

 

[FlyguyOX]

Because Lindholm has 9 goals this year and was walking at the end of the season. Kuzmenko is a pretty good bounce back candidate for them as well (see Sharangovich success)

Sharangovich was never straight up bad and healthy scratched. He was very good for NJ before getting bumped down the lineup by their high draft picks

 

[5 14 6 1]

I truly wonder about Lindholm as he has been a ghost this year, he has ONE more goal than Kuzmenko fwiw. He never really produced at a high end clip without Johnny and Chuk, so I am curious how they deploy him in Van. I think he and Petey could be a good duo.

 

[Duck Off]

This is a fantastic deal for Calgary.

 

[MessierII]

2 from Vancouver LOL. Most friendliest division teams.

He’s pumping them up to try and avenge their loss vs Edmonton that sent the flames into a tailspin. He’s going to try and live vicariously through the schmucks.

 

[Michoulicious]

Holy smokes coulda had Monahan for a third

Yes, I read that somewhere around here as well. A 3rd rounder, nothing more!

 

[Phrasing]

Raty is a bust lol. And kuzmenko will get them a decent haul, beau is a bust as well

Kuzmenko isn’t getting a decent haul…. Did you think the Canucks were getting a decent haul for him before the trade?

 

[sting101]

this is a throw-in?





feels like cope

Very much could be but i caution about his skating and defensive play.

He will be a longer term project but could be well worth the wait. His look offs and stretch passing is elite

 

[BKarchitect]

Sharangovich was never straight up bad and healthy scratched. He was very good for NJ before getting bumped down the lineup by their high draft picks

Shara is also a great special teams - PK guy. Something nobody will ever accuse Kuzmenko of being.

 

[InfinityIggy]

I truly wonder about Lindholm as he has been a ghost this year, he has ONE more goal than Kuzmenko fwiw. He never really produced at a high end clip without Johnny and Chuk, so I am curious how they deploy him in Van. I think he and Petey could be a good duo.

Mentally checked out. He will be fine in Vancouver.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Kuzmenko isn’t getting a decent haul…. Did you think the Canucks were getting a decent haul for him before the trade?

That's probably what Flames fans said when they paid a first to offload Monahan.

 

[AslanRH]

Definitely a high variance return for the Flames, but for a rental I think they did pretty well

 

[fancy dan]

great deal for calgary, not sure why it happened this far away from the deadline, seems like calgary could have turned some screws later?

 

[mkatcherin00]

I truly wonder about Lindholm as he has been a ghost this year, he has ONE more goal than Kuzmenko fwiw. He never really produced at a high end clip without Johnny and Chuk, so I am curious how they deploy him in Van. I think he and Petey could be a good duo.

Who would be the third guy on that line. It would be perrty perrrty soft

 

[ATypicalCanadian]

Love this fit for the Canucks. The ability to change the lineup with an extra bona-fide center option was always going to make more sense than a straight up winger. Especially with the Lotto line being reunited.