The Boston Bruins have been kicking the tires on Elias Lindholm for the past two years. Lindholm opted to test free agency instead of signing back with the Canucks, and his reward was a seven-year, $54.25 million contract. He will make $7.75 million annually until the end of the 2030-31 season, making him a lot of money as a 36-year-old. Will the Bruins build on their second-round exit with their upgraded roster? Let's make some bold predictions for Elias Lindholm's first season after the Bruins signing.
The Bruins were the frontrunners to acquire Lindholm at last season's trade deadline, but the Canucks ended up giving the Flames a better trade offer. Lindholm wasn't the player that the Canucks expected him to be, tallying just 12 points in 26 regular season games. However, he regained some favor by contributing five goals and five assists in 13 playoff games. Lindholm was one of their most efficient contributors to a team that struggled with offense in the playoffs.
The Bruins aren't concerned about Lindholm's production in the final years of his contract. They have a short window to maximize Brad Marchand's run as captain. Marchand will be a UFA at the end of next season as a 37-year-old, meaning he likely won't be a Bruin when Lindholm's contract ends. The Bruins are hoping that the additions of Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov will put them over the top and win the second Stanley Cup of Brad Marchand's career and the first for their young core of David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman.
Elias Lindholm eclipses career-high in assists
Lindholm has shown glimpses of being an elite playmaker in the past alongside Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary. He tallied 51 assists in his first season with the Flames, which is his career-high. He also had seasons of 42 and 40 during his time there.
Lindholm played with talented players but has never been on a line with a sniper like Pastrnak. Any center who spends time with Pastrnak can put up high assist totals, including Pavel Zacha, who had 38 last season in his first full-time duties with his fellow countryman.
There's a good chance that Lindholm will move to the middle alongside Pastrnak while Zacha will return to the wing on that first line. Zacha showed he couldn't handle top-six center duties in the playoffs, while Charlie Coyle was a good fit alongside Brad Marchand.
Lindholm is a more natural playmaker than Zacha and could benefit Pastrnak just as much as Pastrnak benefits him. Pastrnak's career-high for goals came in 2022-23 when David Krejci returned from Czechia to play alongside him. Lindholm isn't as good a playmaker as the Bruins legend, but his presence will boost Pastrnak's production.
Bruins win a Stanley Cup before contract ends
The Bruins have a lot of good pieces that continue defying the odds to make runs at the Stanley Cup. They were a playoff team in 2022-23 in Patrice Bergeron and Krejci's suspected last dance, but no one could have predicted they'd have the best regular season in NHL history.
The Bruins' centennial season this past year looked like it may be one of their more disappointing years in a while, but they held first in the Atlantic Division for most of the year until a late Panthers run. They advanced past the Toronto Maple Leafs before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions in the second round.
Boston seems like a team that needs one hot run in April and May to return to their fourth Stanley Cup Final in the last 15 years. They've fallen short in every playoff run since 2011, but the additions of Lindholm and Zadorov help their depth. They also have young talents like Pastrnak, McAvoy, Swayman, Matthew Poitras, Trent Frederic, Mason Lohrei, and Brandon Carlo, who will keep improving.
Pair their core with emerging prospects and star veterans, and the Bruins may not be as far away from their seventh Stanley Cup as people think.
Lindholm becomes a Selke Trophy finalist
The Bruins have been playing sound defensive hockey for over a decade, anchored by Bergeron. The future Hall of Famer won six Selke Trophies in his career, awarded to the best defensive forward in the NHL. Lindholm was careful not to raise his expectations too high in his first meeting with the Boston media, explaining that he won't be Patrice Bergeron but plays a similar style.
The Bruins' system turned the most average offensive players into valuable defensive stoppers over their nearly two-decade run, and joining the Bruins may be the key to Lindholm becoming a two-time finalist. Lindholm finished second in the voting in 2022 to, you guessed it, Patrice Bergeron.
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