On Saturday, players were flying all over the place as the NHL trade deadline neared. The Boston Bruins made one of the biggest splashes as they acquired All-Star defenseman Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks. One day later, the Bruins locked up Lindholm to a massive contract extension, inking him to an eight-year, $52 million deal.

It certainly was costly for the Boston to acquire the big defenseman. The Bruins sent to Anaheim defensemen Urho Vaakanainen, John Moore, a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

That certainly is a lot to give up for a player who has already played 582 career regular season games. Lindholm also comes with playoff experience, something that tends to make a difference. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy detailed how much he believes that can help, as well as his potential role with Boston, as noted by NHL.com.

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“He moves the puck well,” Cassidy said. “He's been a power-play guy in Anaheim. … But at the end of the day, still a first-pass, has some respectable offensive numbers. We'll see how he fits for us in that regard. … I think he's well over two minutes a game, so he's a good PK guy. He's going to be in there, helping us in that regard. So a lot of his strengths I think will translate to how the Bruins play as well, good defensive structure.”

Lindholm is a two-time All-Star who is known for his defensive prowess. But he is not inept offensively. Lindholm has five goals and 17 assists this season with Anaheim.

Boston is almost a lock to make the postseason. Their hope is Lindholm can make a difference against some of the elite offensive teams in the east, both this year and beyond.