The Vancouver Canucks opted against waiting until March’s NHL trade deadline to buff up their roster. On Wednesday, the team announced it had acquired veteran center Elias Lindholm in a trade with the Calgary Flames.
The deal sees Lindholm join the contending Canucks, who sit atop the Pacific Division with 71 points in 49 games (33-11-5). The Flames, who are in fifth in the division, will receive a package headlined by forward Andrei Kuzmenko.
In addition to Kuzmenko, Calgary will acquire Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 first-round pick.
In 2024, Lindholm, 29, has recorded 32 points including nine goals across 49 games and was named an NHL All-Star for the first time in his career. He’s scored 20 or more goals in four of the last five seasons–he had 19 goals during the shortened 56-game season in 2020-21–and racked up 357 points in 418 games throughout his six-year tenure in Calgary.
Lindholm is in the final year of his contract, a six-year, $29.1 million deal he signed with the Flames in 2018, and is due to hit unrestricted free agency after the season, making him a rental for Vancouver barring a long-term contract extension.
Kuzmenko, who turns 28 this weekend, agreed to waive his no trade clause in order to facilitate the deal. After an impressive 74-point campaign last season, Kuzmenko’s production has tailed off in his second NHL season, as he’s registered 21 points in 43 games this year.
