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

[McJedi]

Garland is a far better player than either of those guys, he has been excellent for us this year. He would not be a cap dump, he would return assets with 2 years left.

Mikheyev would be tougher to move for sure with 2 years left, but again is a far better player than either Pearson or Beau. May need a sweetener or a bit of retention, but if they need to move him they will be able to.

Allvin dumped nearly 8 mil of dead weight during this season, all I'm saying is that the Canucks have options to move salary out if needed.

I don’t think you’ll be correct aboard Garland. $5mm is still too much for a small 3rd liner. Even a play driving one like Garland. not with two years left on his deal. Who’s the buyer there? Not a rebuilding team. Too expensive for the capped out good teams. They wont give you picks for the right to overpay him with what little cap space they have.

 

[Bankerguy]

The more i think of the return the more i think it wasnt a great deal for Calgary, but rather fair value.

the 1st is going to be late, 24th - 32nd
Brzustewicz is a nice prospect but in a redraft he's probably going 20 - 30th and i think his ceiling if everything goes right is a second pairing offensive guy who struggles in his own end.
Jurmo is a 100% bust
and a 4th/3rd is what it is.

I think if you're trading away a player good enough to go to the Allstar game, you should get a blue-chipper back.... i dont think they got that UNLESS Kuzmenko comes back and scores at a 30 goal pace... then that's the bulk of the value of their return.

Really though, if i was Calgary i would have said
"Okay, we'll take Kuzmenko, and you can even have Tanev as well, BUT, we want one of Willander / Lekkerimaki, dont care which one, but we need one or the deal's off"
These guys look like NHL stud locks. Calgary should have demanded one of them

 

[LeapOnOver]

Nelson holds Crosby’s beer after he‘s finished with it

Enough, nobody thinks Nelson is better than Crosby, but Nelson's example of blossoming after 30 is a way better example than Crosby. Crosby has been consistently elite. Brock went from good to very good after the age of 30, which is a better illustration to the person I responded to than Crosby or Pavleski, who both have been consistently excellent.

 

[LesCanadiens]

The more i think of the return the more i think it wasnt a great deal for Calgary, but rather fair value.

the 1st is going to be late, 24th - 32nd
Brzustewicz is a nice prospect but in a redraft he's probably going 20 - 30th and i think his ceiling if everything goes right is a second pairing offensive guy who struggles in his own end.
Jurmo is a 100% bust
and a 4th/3rd is what it is.

I think if you're trading away a player good enough to go to the Allstar game, you should get a blue-chipper back.... i dont think they got that UNLESS Kuzmenko comes back and scores at a 30 goal pace... then that's the bulk of the value of their return.

Really though, if i was Calgary i would have said
"Okay, we'll take Kuzmenko, and you can even have Tanev as well, BUT, we want one of Willander / Lekkerimaki, dont care which one, but we need one or the deal's off"
These guys look like NHL stud locks. Calgary should have demanded one of them

I'd bet they tried and Canucks said no way, we'll just exercise plan B.

 

[Coffee]

Enough, nobody thinks Nelson is better than Crosby, but Nelson's example of blossoming after 30 is a way better example than Crosby. Crosby has been consistently elite. Brock went from good to very good after the age of 30, which is a better illustration to the person I responded to than Crosby or Pavleski, who both have been consistently excellent.

Fine.

 

[Bond]

The more i think of the return the more i think it wasnt a great deal for Calgary, but rather fair value.

the 1st is going to be late, 24th - 32nd
Brzustewicz is a nice prospect but in a redraft he's probably going 20 - 30th and i think his ceiling if everything goes right is a second pairing offensive guy who struggles in his own end.
Jurmo is a 100% bust
and a 4th/3rd is what it is.

I think if you're trading away a player good enough to go to the Allstar game, you should get a blue-chipper back.... i dont think they got that UNLESS Kuzmenko comes back and scores at a 30 goal pace... then that's the bulk of the value of their return.

Really though, if i was Calgary i would have said
"Okay, we'll take Kuzmenko, and you can even have Tanev as well, BUT, we want one of Willander / Lekkerimaki, dont care which one, but we need one or the deal's off"
These guys look like NHL stud locks. Calgary should have demanded one of them

Rentals don’t get blue chip prospects as the norm. They especially don’t get blue chips back when they are playing like they are checked out.
Coleman or Weegar should have been going to the all star game for the Flames if they went by who deserved it.

 

[RasmusAndersson]

Great return for Calgary. Value-wise I don't hate it for the Canucks either (I think Lindholm is worth that) but I think there's gonna be many frustrated Canucks fans around here when they lose to Vegas/Edmonton in round 2.

I respect the all in attitude of Allvin, but I don't think they're enough of a contender yet to start giving up firsts and good prospects.

 

[The don godfather]

The more i think of the return the more i think it wasnt a great deal for Calgary, but rather fair value.

the 1st is going to be late, 24th - 32nd
Brzustewicz is a nice prospect but in a redraft he's probably going 20 - 30th and i think his ceiling if everything goes right is a second pairing offensive guy who struggles in his own end.
Jurmo is a 100% bust
and a 4th/3rd is what it is.

I think if you're trading away a player good enough to go to the Allstar game, you should get a blue-chipper back.... i dont think they got that UNLESS Kuzmenko comes back and scores at a 30 goal pace... then that's the bulk of the value of their return.

Really though, if i was Calgary i would have said
"Okay, we'll take Kuzmenko, and you can even have Tanev as well, BUT, we want one of Willander / Lekkerimaki, dont care which one, but we need one or the deal's off"
These guys look like NHL stud locks. Calgary should have demanded one of them

Kuz popped 39 goals last year he might alone tilt the deal to the flames plus hes 2 years younger the rest is gravy.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

With Miller at 8 clearly Lindholm would be less than that number if extended in Vancouver. Would 7.5 x 6 be fair value for him? Would he expect more on July 1?

Based on his performance this year with the Flames, that would be pretty fair value if not slightly over. Of course, in previous years he was much better. Guess we'll have to see but if he wants to stay on contending team, he's not getting 9M regardless if it's the Canucks or somewhere else.

The likes of Colorado, Vegas, Edmonton, Dallas, New York and etc don't have that amount anymore than we do.

 

[BCNate]

I don’t think you’ll be correct aboard Garland. $5mm is still too much for a small 3rd liner. Even a play driving one like Garland. not with two years left on his deal. Who’s the buyer there? Not a rebuilding team. Too expensive for the capped out good teams. They wont give you picks for the right to overpay him with what little cap space they have.

Thats what everyone always says about anyone with term though. We will see, he has had a really good season and the Canucks will try to make the cap work without dealing him. Going to be an interesting offseason in Vancouver.

 

[Fatass]

Based on his performance this year with the Flames, that would be pretty fair value if not slightly over. Of course, in previous years he was much better. Guess we'll have to see but if he wants to stay on contending team, he's not getting 9M regardless if it's the Canucks or somewhere else.

The likes of Colorado, Vegas, Edmonton, Dallas, New York and etc don't have that amount anymore than we do.

Not too sure where Lindholm (and his wife) want to raise their family. Calgary is a beautiful city, that’s for sure. But it’s doubtful he would go back there. So do he and his wife think Vancouver is a good spot for 5-7 years?

 

[Luck 6]

if he’s a good fit he’s going to ask for even more. It’s kind of lose lose that way for the Canucks. If he doesn’t fit you don’t want to sign him. If he fits well he’s going to demand more. If Lindholm puts up say, 1.25PPG with the Canucks, suddenly 9.5mil isn’t such an insane ask.

After failing to produce at an elite level over the past 2 years, without elite players, I don’t think he’ll get that.

Horvat, who is the same age, and was in the midst of a break out season, got 8.5m. Lindholm is probably capping out around 65 points, I think that would be his higher end comparable.

 

[LuLover96]

The flat cap is such an x-factor this year. I normally agree with needing a few years to get players acquainted with playoff hockey, but every recent top team has lost considerable talent in order to keep their cores together (Tampa, Toronto, Colorado in particular) while other teams have gotten caught up. The best teams in the league all had/have major holes on their roster compared to past years, which is why the top four teams (Vancouver, Boston, Colorado, Winnipeg) were all rumoured to be looking for a second line center. They obviously aren't bad teams, but they aren't as good as many teams we've seen in the past.

There are no juggernauts this year, meaning almost *anyone* can win. I wouldn't be surprised if any of the top 7 teams in the west won, and there's an argument for 5-6 teams in the east especially if the western teams are decimated by the time the finals roll around. Edmonton is an interesting case, especially with their stars finally defending. They've had crazy hot streaks before, obviously not as good at this one, but Woodcroft's coaching bump was received in a very similar way by fans as Knobloch's is now. I want to see how they play down the stretch, and how they deal with adversity (ie/ injuries) before I label them favourites. With their top level talent though, I could easily see them winning the cup in 20 games or less... just as easily as I can see their goaltending and systems falling apart against Vegas in the first round. It's a coin flip.

With the season being so up in the air, there's really no reason not to go for it. Parity has never been better in this league, and it'll probably come down to who can stay healthy, who gets hot, and who has the best secondary or tertiary scoring rather than who has the "experience." It also makes things interesting that it's a sellers market this year, so the fact that we got the best C available not only shores up our team, but it ensures that Boston, Winnipeg, Colorado don't get him. Now, they'll have to settle for a Henrique or Monahan, which is a substantial step lower.

Matchups also matter, because like I said, the west has 7 teams that can win. Unless the Kings make it interesting with their continued regular season suckage, it looks like the WC2 team in the west is the matchup you want. No disrespect meant to Blues/Kraken/Coyotes/Preds fans, but I'd rather face any of you than LA, Edmonton or Vegas. That makes winning the west that much more important, and adding Lindholm this early makes that all the more possible. Just need Edmonton to go back to losing games because frankly, 12 points back with 4 games in hand is slightly scary. At the very least the schedule is less dense for us in the back half of the season so even though the games get harder, we're much more rested than in the first half of the season.

Anyways, I love the trade, the timing, and the fact that hockey's fun in Vancouver again. Woo!

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Elias Lindholm is going to be by far the best player Pettersson has ever had on his line in his career. I think they have instant chemistry.

Lindholm has huge weight off his shoulders. I'm sure he's glad to be out of Calgary. He no longer has the constant pressure to produce night in and night out. He couldn't be in a better situation.

 

[Coffee]

Elias Lindholm is going to be by far the best player Pettersson has ever had on his line in his career. I think they have instant chemistry.

Lindholm has huge weight off his shoulders. I'm sure he's glad to be out of Calgary. He no longer has the constant pressure to produce night in and night out. He couldn't be in a better situation.

Why are you so hesitant on making a new thread ?

 

[Reinhart]

A lot of weird takes going on here.

Lindholm is NOT Calgary's best defensive center. That's Backlund. Backlund is basically an elite-level defensive center that is criminally underrated.

Lindholm is NOT an elite offensive threat. Being the center with two 100+ point wingers on either side of him has helped him generate.. exactly a PPG. 3 seasons before that, he hit 78pts in 81 games, once again playing with Gaudreau and Monahan, but as the RW on that line. I still count that as a PPG. Offensively, Lindholm is a 55-65pt center, who with the right line mates, will pop 40 goals.

Sounds like I am ragging on him. I am not. Keep reading.

I rate Lindholm as a very good 2nd line center without any warts. WITHOUT ANY WARTS. Yes, Backlund is a much better defensive player, but Lindholm is a damn fine defensive player himself. Yes, he isn't elite offensively, but he is good enough to not only play with elite-level talents, but help them excel.

He is not elite at any one thing in my opinion (though one could argue face-offs he is). What he is, however, is good at EVERYTHING and in ANY SITUATION.

• Good on the PP
• Good on the PK
• Good at EV
• You want him out in the last minute when your team is down a goal
• You want him out in the last minute when your team is up a goal
• Good at 3on3
• Good in the defensive zone, neutral zone and offensive zone
• Able to thread high-level passes
• Great shooter as well
• RHS is always welcome
• Plays RW or Center
• He won't 'wow' you with physicality, but he finishes his checks and and surprises people often with how much strength he has

Literally the only thing this player isn't good at, is fighting. He 'won' his last fight without even throwing a single punch by wrestling the guy to the ice. I can't remember him ever having another fight, and I am too lazy to check.

Vancouver got an extremely versatile player that will never hurt you. They didn't get an elite PPG center, or a 40 goal scorer. If everything plays out swimmingly, will he get a PPG again? Sure, there is no reason as to why he can't. Can he get 40 goals again? Sure, again no reason why he can't. He is a very good player. Just don't EXPECT an elite-level center. He was by far the best center available this off-season (unless a surprise or two unfolds). Again, he is an EXTREMELY RELIABLE player in all zones.

This year, he has sucked in every zone and in practically every way. Let's just call that his "worst case scenario". He is hardly alone. He ended up not meshing with many players. He was fine with Toffoli last season. I am sure playing with "the Vancouver Elias with the different pronunciation" will result in an uptick in points. I have zero doubt. The coach will love him too - as long as isn't expecting a 'franchise center". He was never that in Calgary. He was a good center who filled in as a #1 center, and who us fans in Calgary HOPED was a #1 center, and for a season or two, it looked like he was. I honestly hate that terminology because the definition can vary so dramatically. To put it this way, let's call a #1 center by what people want or expect by it:

• A PPG player
• Play driver that makes others around him better

I wouldn't by those two points call him a #1 center. He is a GOOD center. He is a rather great player at everyhing, probably elite at nothing, and is not the catalyst that you expect.

As for the returns, I personally like them. I would be angry if Lindholm didn't return a 1st round piock (yes, late pick of course) + a decent prospect (nobody trades franchise prospects unless by some ugly accident). Flames got more than I expected. If Lindholm was getting traded right after being the center for the "Best Line in Hockey" year, the returns would be underwhelming. It seemed like he 'arrived' that year, but now with hindsight, we know that he is not that top-end player. He will certainly help Vancouver, and he is a good playoff guy too. Just expect him to be a part of the solution, not THE solution for your team, and you will love him. You guys will honestly love him. If you expect him to be at or near "the other Elias"'s level, then you will be be disappointed. Imagine what your Elias would cost in a trade this year if the shoe was on the other foot, and how underwhelmed you would be with this trade. I look at this trade as fair.

1. 1st round pick is a non-negotiable part of the trade
2. Kuzmenko - if he rebounds, it is another player to sell for another ticket, and how high that ticket is will be dependent on if he regains his scoring touch. I don't see him as a player that will be kept beyond next year's deadline
3. Brzustewicz is probably a guy that the Flames' scouts were high on already, and I trust them. Having a hell of a season. Probably has is warts as he isn't a blue-chipper, but he is at that very next level IMO.
4. Jurmo sounds like he won't amount to much, but I will wait until he comes to the AHL and see how they can help him develop. Size and skating ability are great, but it is a longshot.
5. Most important part of this trade - the 4th round pick. Hopefully it stays as the 4th round pick. Flames find money at the 4th rounc point of a draft (Gaudreau, Brodie, etc).

I am happy because it Lindhom was having a down season, and the hockey world started seeing him for what he was - a good 2nd line center. You guys should be happy with that, since you didn't pay for a 1st line center. You paid for an 'elite' 2nd line center, if that makes sense, who will help you win, and every single one of those assets sans the 1st round pick was essentially expendable at the moment.

Now hurry up and send us your 2025 first too, before Tanev ends up somewhere else.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

You could make a pretty decent argument this haul is better than what Horvat got

There's a pretty profound (likely) difference in value between picking between 13th and 18th (what the Horvat 1st rounder looked like) or picking between 27th and 32nd (if Canucks continue their pace).

 

[RandV]

Really though, if i was Calgary i would have said
"Okay, we'll take Kuzmenko, and you can even have Tanev as well, BUT, we want one of Willander / Lekkerimaki, dont care which one, but we need one or the deal's off"
These guys look like NHL stud locks. Calgary should have demanded one of them

That's the type of trade you can live with if you win the Cup, but if you're bounced in the 1st or 2nd round becomes extremely painful. Which is why playoff teams buying rentals trade a tier or two below those guys, late 1sts and B prospects like Brzustewicz. Saying 'if we give you Tanev too will you switch Brzustewicz to Willander' is more of a fantasy hockey thing.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Conroy did say that multiple teams were in on Lindholm. I bet the other two serious teams were Boston and Carolina and maybe even Winnipeg. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Vegas was in on him too. Expect Vegas to make a big splash at the deadline to counter what Vancouver just did.

I predict that this wasn’t the original offer the Canucks put on the table but Conroy was patient and he got a bidding war and drove the price up. Im sure the original offer was just Kuzmenko straight up but Conroy knew how much they needed picks coming back.

Conroy gets a A+ on this deal. Can’t wait to see what he gets for Hanifin and Tanev.

 

[Double Dion]

A lot of weird takes going on here.

Lindholm is NOT Calgary's best defensive center. That's Backlund. Backlund is basically an elite-level defensive center that is criminally underrated.

Lindholm is NOT an elite offensive threat. Being the center with two 100+ point wingers on either side of him has helped him generate.. exactly a PPG. 3 seasons before that, he hit 78pts in 81 games, once again playing with Gaudreau and Monahan, but as the RW on that line. I still count that as a PPG. Offensively, Lindholm is a 55-65pt center, who with the right line mates, will pop 40 goals.

Sounds like I am ragging on him. I am not. Keep reading.

I rate Lindholm as a very good 2nd line center without any warts. WITHOUT ANY WARTS. Yes, Backlund is a much better defensive player, but Lindholm is a damn fine defensive player himself. Yes, he isn't elite offensively, but he is good enough to not only play with elite-level talents, but help them excel.

He is not elite at any one thing in my opinion (though one could argue face-offs he is). What he is, however, is good at EVERYTHING and in ANY SITUATION.

• Good on the PP
• Good on the PK
• Good at EV
• You want him out in the last minute when your team is down a goal
• You want him out in the last minute when your team is up a goal
• Good at 3on3
• Good in the defensive zone, neutral zone and offensive zone
• Able to thread high-level passes
• Great shooter as well
• RHS is always welcome
• Plays RW or Center
• He won't 'wow' you with physicality, but he finishes his checks and and surprises people often with how much strength he has

Literally the only thing this player isn't good at, is fighting. He 'won' his last fight without even throwing a single punch by wrestling the guy to the ice. I can't remember him ever having another fight, and I am too lazy to check.

Vancouver got an extremely versatile player that will never hurt you. They didn't get an elite PPG center, or a 40 goal scorer. If everything plays out swimmingly, will he get a PPG again? Sure, there is no reason as to why he can't. Can he get 40 goals again? Sure, again no reason why he can't. He is a very good player. Just don't EXPECT an elite-level center. He was by far the best center available this off-season (unless a surprise or two unfolds). Again, he is an EXTREMELY RELIABLE player in all zones.

This year, he has sucked in every zone and in practically every way. Let's just call that his "worst case scenario". He is hardly alone. He ended up not meshing with many players. He was fine with Toffoli last season. I am sure playing with "the Vancouver Elias with the different pronunciation" will result in an uptick in points. I have zero doubt. The coach will love him too - as long as isn't expecting a 'franchise center". He was never that in Calgary. He was a good center who filled in as a #1 center, and who us fans in Calgary HOPED was a #1 center, and for a season or two, it looked like he was. I honestly hate that terminology because the definition can vary so dramatically. To put it this way, let's call a #1 center by what people want or expect by it:

• A PPG player
• Play driver that makes others around him better

I wouldn't by those two points call him a #1 center. He is a GOOD center. He is a rather great player at everyhing, probably elite at nothing, and is not the catalyst that you expect.

As for the returns, I personally like them. I would be angry if Lindholm didn't return a 1st round piock (yes, late pick of course) + a decent prospect (nobody trades franchise prospects unless by some ugly accident). Flames got more than I expected. If Lindholm was getting traded right after being the center for the "Best Line in Hockey" year, the returns would be underwhelming. It seemed like he 'arrived' that year, but now with hindsight, we know that he is not that top-end player. He will certainly help Vancouver, and he is a good playoff guy too. Just expect him to be a part of the solution, not THE solution for your team, and you will love him. You guys will honestly love him. If you expect him to be at or near "the other Elias"'s level, then you will be be disappointed. Imagine what your Elias would cost in a trade this year if the shoe was on the other foot, and how underwhelmed you would be with this trade. I look at this trade as fair.

1. 1st round pick is a non-negotiable part of the trade
2. Kuzmenko - if he rebounds, it is another player to sell for another ticket, and how high that ticket is will be dependent on if he regains his scoring touch. I don't see him as a player that will be kept beyond next year's deadline
3. Brzustewicz is probably a guy that the Flames' scouts were high on already, and I trust them. Having a hell of a season. Probably has is warts as he isn't a blue-chipper, but he is at that very next level IMO.
4. Jurmo sounds like he won't amount to much, but I will wait until he comes to the AHL and see how they can help him develop. Size and skating ability are great, but it is a longshot.
5. Most important part of this trade - the 4th round pick. Hopefully it stays as the 4th round pick. Flames find money at the 4th rounc point of a draft (Gaudreau, Brodie, etc).

I am happy because it Lindhom was having a down season, and the hockey world started seeing him for what he was - a good 2nd line center. You guys should be happy with that, since you didn't pay for a 1st line center. You paid for an 'elite' 2nd line center, if that makes sense, who will help you win, and every single one of those assets sans the 1st round pick was essentially expendable at the moment.

Now hurry up and send us your 2025 first too, before Tanev ends up somewhere else.

False, he's a terrible interview.

Seriously though. Good post. Backlund is a much better defensive C. But he's pretty much a better defensive C than anyone (JEE and Danault are in the conversation). I'd add Lindholm is an elite PKer and pretty close to elite on the dot.

 

[PG Canuck]

Hunter Brzustewicz: “I’ve said for the last couple of weeks that it would be really cool to be part of a trade”

Seems obvious now he was never going to be a Canuck and the Canucks then sold high on him before this became an issue.

 

[Double Dion]

Hunter Brzustewicz: “I’ve said for the last couple of weeks that it would be really cool to be part of a trade”

Seems obvious now he was never going to be a Canuck and the Canucks then sold high on him before this became an issue.

Interesting. I wonder what the issue was with not wanting to stay with Vancouver?

 

[Bone Density]

I'd assume he didn't see a clear path to the NHL with Quinn/Hronek/other prospects, and I doubt the Canucks would want/need another guy like that, making him expendable. Now he gets a clear path and plan with the Flames, Good for him, seems like both sides got what they wanted.

 

[unicornBLOOD]

Huge SWING by the Canucks. I like it, they gave up some assets for sure, but Lindholm, while having a down year offensively, is a very good 2-way centre. I bet his production goes up pretty quickly once he settles in with Vancouver.

Not a bad deal for the Flames either, they got multiple assets, some with some good value.

Could end up being a win/win for both teams.

 

[Shareefruck]

A lot of weird takes going on here.

Lindholm is NOT Calgary's best defensive center. That's Backlund. Backlund is basically an elite-level defensive center that is criminally underrated.

Lindholm is NOT an elite offensive threat. Being the center with two 100+ point wingers on either side of him has helped him generate.. exactly a PPG. 3 seasons before that, he hit 78pts in 81 games, once again playing with Gaudreau and Monahan, but as the RW on that line. I still count that as a PPG. Offensively, Lindholm is a 55-65pt center, who with the right line mates, will pop 40 goals.

Sounds like I am ragging on him. I am not. Keep reading.

I rate Lindholm as a very good 2nd line center without any warts. WITHOUT ANY WARTS. Yes, Backlund is a much better defensive player, but Lindholm is a damn fine defensive player himself. Yes, he isn't elite offensively, but he is good enough to not only play with elite-level talents, but help them excel.

He is not elite at any one thing in my opinion (though one could argue face-offs he is). What he is, however, is good at EVERYTHING and in ANY SITUATION.

• Good on the PP
• Good on the PK
• Good at EV
• You want him out in the last minute when your team is down a goal
• You want him out in the last minute when your team is up a goal
• Good at 3on3
• Good in the defensive zone, neutral zone and offensive zone
• Able to thread high-level passes
• Great shooter as well
• RHS is always welcome
• Plays RW or Center
• He won't 'wow' you with physicality, but he finishes his checks and and surprises people often with how much strength he has

Literally the only thing this player isn't good at, is fighting. He 'won' his last fight without even throwing a single punch by wrestling the guy to the ice. I can't remember him ever having another fight, and I am too lazy to check.

Vancouver got an extremely versatile player that will never hurt you. They didn't get an elite PPG center, or a 40 goal scorer. If everything plays out swimmingly, will he get a PPG again? Sure, there is no reason as to why he can't. Can he get 40 goals again? Sure, again no reason why he can't. He is a very good player. Just don't EXPECT an elite-level center. He was by far the best center available this off-season (unless a surprise or two unfolds). Again, he is an EXTREMELY RELIABLE player in all zones.

This year, he has sucked in every zone and in practically every way. Let's just call that his "worst case scenario". He is hardly alone. He ended up not meshing with many players. He was fine with Toffoli last season. I am sure playing with "the Vancouver Elias with the different pronunciation" will result in an uptick in points. I have zero doubt. The coach will love him too - as long as isn't expecting a 'franchise center". He was never that in Calgary. He was a good center who filled in as a #1 center, and who us fans in Calgary HOPED was a #1 center, and for a season or two, it looked like he was. I honestly hate that terminology because the definition can vary so dramatically. To put it this way, let's call a #1 center by what people want or expect by it:

• A PPG player
• Play driver that makes others around him better

I wouldn't by those two points call him a #1 center. He is a GOOD center. He is a rather great player at everyhing, probably elite at nothing, and is not the catalyst that you expect.

As for the returns, I personally like them. I would be angry if Lindholm didn't return a 1st round piock (yes, late pick of course) + a decent prospect (nobody trades franchise prospects unless by some ugly accident). Flames got more than I expected. If Lindholm was getting traded right after being the center for the "Best Line in Hockey" year, the returns would be underwhelming. It seemed like he 'arrived' that year, but now with hindsight, we know that he is not that top-end player. He will certainly help Vancouver, and he is a good playoff guy too. Just expect him to be a part of the solution, not THE solution for your team, and you will love him. You guys will honestly love him. If you expect him to be at or near "the other Elias"'s level, then you will be be disappointed. Imagine what your Elias would cost in a trade this year if the shoe was on the other foot, and how underwhelmed you would be with this trade. I look at this trade as fair.

1. 1st round pick is a non-negotiable part of the trade
2. Kuzmenko - if he rebounds, it is another player to sell for another ticket, and how high that ticket is will be dependent on if he regains his scoring touch. I don't see him as a player that will be kept beyond next year's deadline
3. Brzustewicz is probably a guy that the Flames' scouts were high on already, and I trust them. Having a hell of a season. Probably has is warts as he isn't a blue-chipper, but he is at that very next level IMO.
4. Jurmo sounds like he won't amount to much, but I will wait until he comes to the AHL and see how they can help him develop. Size and skating ability are great, but it is a longshot.
5. Most important part of this trade - the 4th round pick. Hopefully it stays as the 4th round pick. Flames find money at the 4th rounc point of a draft (Gaudreau, Brodie, etc).

I am happy because it Lindhom was having a down season, and the hockey world started seeing him for what he was - a good 2nd line center. You guys should be happy with that, since you didn't pay for a 1st line center. You paid for an 'elite' 2nd line center, if that makes sense, who will help you win, and every single one of those assets sans the 1st round pick was essentially expendable at the moment.

Now hurry up and send us your 2025 first too, before Tanev ends up somewhere else.

Was looking for a post exactly like this. Thanks.

A lot of guys on the Canucks board are parroting that he doesn't like to carry the puck. Is that blown out of proportion? Kind of seems like it.