LAS VEGAS — Elias Lindholm has had a rocky start in Vancouver.
The 29-year-old Swede, acquired from Calgary on Jan. 31 for a package that included a first-round pick, prospect Hunter Brzustewicz, a third-round pick, Joni Jurmo and Andrei Kuzmenko as a cap dump, has scored just four goals and two assists in 15 games. He’s bounced around the Canucks’ top three lines, playing wing first and now center, and has been demoted from the No. 1 power-play unit. This week, his name even resurfaced in trade rumors. Lindholm has been a faceoff ace (58.2 percent) and has played responsible defensive hockey, but he’s the first to admit that he needs to pick things up.
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“I definitely think I can play better. I need to play better,” Lindholm told The Athletic after Thursday’s morning skate in Las Vegas. “It’s been a couple games now so hopefully I can turn the page and start playing better.”
When he arrived, Lindholm was given an opportunity on Elias Pettersson’s wing. Lindholm is a good finisher from the slot, which seemed like an excellent fit on paper with Pettersson’s elite playmaking skill. But that line didn’t mesh and Tocchet decided that he prefers Lindholm at center rather than the wing.
“Playing wing is definitely different,” said Lindholm. “You don’t get as many (puck) touches. It’s more of a straight-line game, chip pucks and so on. As a center, you can carry through the middle, have more possession and make plays from there. As a winger, you’re chipping a lot of pucks, forechecking way more and so on.
“I like to be responsible and stay above the puck so maybe as a winger I was just thinking too much.”
Recently, Lindholm’s centered Vancouver’s third line. He’s done a decent job there but the Canucks didn’t pay a premium price for a 3C upgrade.
“Maybe get a couple shots on net would be nice,” he said with a dry chuckle when asked about where he’d like to improve. “I got to shoot the puck more. Right now I’m playing with (Conor) Garland so hopefully we can keep building and find some good chemistry and score a couple of goals.”
It’s been a whirlwind of change for Lindholm on and off the ice. He was traded while on a flight back from Mexico during the All-Star break. He then had to rush to Toronto for the weekend All-Star Game festivities before immediately joining the Canucks on the road in Raleigh. With a road-heavy February schedule, Lindholm hasn’t had a chance to get many practices under his belt and until recently was living in a hotel when the team was home in Vancouver.
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“I was away from my family for almost a month, so that was kind of tough,” said Lindholm. “But now we’re settled, moved into a place and my family’s in town as well. It’ll be nice to get back to (Vancouver) and settle in a little more, see my family.”
Lindholm also noted the system differences in Vancouver compared to Calgary.
“Here, I think we’re more free, work hard, finish hits and make plays,” he said. “In Calgary, it was really ‘Follow the system.’ I think it’s more free here but it’s definitely some changes that took a little bit to get used to. But now I’ve played 15 games, so I feel pretty comfortable.”
Adding another wrench to Lindholm’s adjustment are the rumors that the club has considered flipping him elsewhere. The peace of mind of getting past Friday’s trade deadline should be a relief.
“Yeah, it’s a couple more hours and it’s over,” said Lindholm. “I’m here and we’ll see.”
“I talked to him and he’s a veteran, he understands,” head coach Rick Tocchet added about the Lindholm rumors. “It just takes one person to throw a rumor out there and then it gets heat, right?
“I think nowadays guys understand that there’s going to be a lot of talk and you gotta deal with it. But it’s important that as a head coach too that you talk to your players about that and try to help them out with the rumors.”
Required reading
- Why Elias Lindholm is poised to thrive with the Canucks: Film breakdown
- How the Elias Lindholm trade happened: Mexican vacations, a no-trade list and no in-flight Wi-Fi
- Canucks go ‘all in’: Why Elias Lindholm was the best available hockey fit
(Photo: Bob Frid / USA Today)
