Flames trade Elias Lindholm to the Canucks

For the second time this season, the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks have made a trade. After the Canucks acquired defenseman Nikita Zadorov of Moscow, Russia on November 30, the Flames traded forward Elias Lindholm of Boden, Sweden to the Canucks in a blockbuster deal on Wednesday. In return, the Flames receive forward Andrei Kuzmenko of Yakutsk, Russia, defense prospects Joni Jurmo and Hunter Brzustewicz, and two draft picks. The draft picks are the Canucks’s first round picks and fourth round picks in the 2024 National Hockey League Entry Draft. The Flames already received the fifth round pick in 2024 and the third round pick in 2026 for Zadorov. The bottom line is the Canucks are playing for this season, while the Flames are playing for the future.

Elias Lindholm

Lindholm, who can play center and right wing, is joining his third National Hockey League team. He previously played five seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes from 2013 to 2018, and six seasons with the Flames from 2018 to 2024. In 49 games this season, Lindholm had nine goals and 23 assists for 32 points. He was a -8 with 21 penalty minutes, nine power-play points, two shorthanded points, three game-winning goals, 131 shots on goal, 547 faceoff wins, 40 blocked shots, 43 hits, 28 takeaways, and 25 giveaways.

One of the NHL’s best defensive forwards, Lindholm received high praise for his game in 2021-22. That year he was a +61 and was the runner-up to Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins for the Selke Trophy.

Andrei Kuzmenko

Kuzmenko has eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 43 games with the Canucks in 2023-24. He was a -1 with six penalty minutes, seven power-play points, two game-winning goals, 63 shots on goal, one faceoff win, 10 blocked shots, four hits, 10 takeaways, and 15 giveaways.

Kuzmenko’s first game-winning goal came on October 21 in a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Kuzmenko scored from Phillip Di Giuseppe of Toronto, Ontario and J.T. Miller of East Palestine. Ohio with four minutes and 57 seconds left in the third period to break a 3-3 tie. Kuzmenko’s second game-winning goal came on December 14, and also came against the Panthers in a 4-0 Vancouver win. He opened the scoring from Conor Garland of Scituate, Massachusetts at 4:03 of the first period.

Sixth Canuck in the All-Star Game

Lindholm now becomes the sixth Canuck in the 2024 NHL All-Star Game. He is joined by defenseman Quinn Hughes of Orlando, Florida, right winger Brock Boeser of Burnsville, Minnesota, goaltender Thatcher Demko of San Diego, California, forward J.T. Miller of East Palestine, Ohio, and center Elias Pettersson of Sundsvall, Sweden.

Best in the NHL

Vancouver is tied with Boston for the most points in the NHL with 71. They have a record of 33 wins, 11 regulation losses and five losses in extra time. Calgary is sixth in the Pacific, and five points back of the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators for a playoff spot.