Getting to Know Boston New Bruin Elias Lindholm – Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins had a glaring hole last season. After the departures of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, the team was without a true starting center. Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha stepped up impressively throughout the season, but the absence of their two legends was felt. They knew this was a need to be addressed through free agency, and they did, signing Elias Lindholm to a seven-year contract worth $7.75 million per year. Bruins fans should be excited about this acquisition: Lindholm should make an immediate impact on both ends of the ice right off the bat this season. Let's take a look at his career so far.

The Early Years

The game of hockey is in Lindholm's blood. His father, Mikael Lindholm, was a champion himself, playing 18 games for the Los Angeles Kings in the 1989-90 season. The younger of the two started playing the game from a young age, growing up in the city of Gävle, Sweden, which is also the hometown of NHLer and Lindholm's cousin Calle Jarnkrok. At the age of 15, he joined the U18 club of Brynas IF, a member of the Swedish Hockey League. He finished his first full season with the team in 2010-11 despite being younger than most players, putting up 61 points in 40 games. He moved up to the U20 team the following season and never slowed down, recording 49 points in 36 games despite being just 16 years old to start the season. He played the entire next season with the professional team and held his own despite his young age, scoring 30 points in 48 games to go along with 11 goals.

NHL career

Lindholm was a highly regarded prospect heading into the 2013 NHL Draft, and the Carolina Hurricanes ended up selecting him with the fifth pick. He had a brief stint of six games in the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2013-14 with the Charlotte Checkers but played 58 games at the NHL level. He was a steady presence in his five years with the Hurricanes. The Swede developed a solid 200-yard game and consistently put up something in the 40-point range each year, spending most of his time in the team's bottom six points. After the 2017-18 season, the Hurricanes dealt him to the Calgary Flames and Noah Hanifin in the trade that brought them Dougie Hamilton.

Lindholm's career began as a member of the Flames; in his first season in Calgary, he put up 78 points, scored 10 more goals and collected 17 more assists than before in Carolina. He had the third most points on the team and was a key reason they made the playoffs that season. He has been a constant presence on the Flames' roster over the years. He had his best NHL season in 2021-22, scoring 42 goals and 40 assists in a season where he played every game. Lindholm's numbers declined slightly the rest of his time in Calgary. However, that coincided with his entire team taking a step back after the Matthew Tkachuk trade.

Related: Canucks Could Be Dealing With Lindholm Trade For Years

Before the 2024 trade deadline, the Flames dealt Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, and two draft picks. He started his game in Vancouver hot, scoring two goals in his first game with his new team, however, he cooled off, scoring only two goals in the team's last 18 games. Lindholm turned it on in the playoffs, however, posting 10 points in 13 playoff games for the Canucks.

Joining the Bruins

Lindholm will look to be a true center for the Bruins in 2024-25 and beyond. At 29 years old he should be in the prime of his career, and fans should hope his best hockey is yet to come. While signing anyone for seven years at a high price is inherently risky, Lindholm has had a solid NHL career thus far, and there's no clear reason to believe this contract will age badly. Bruins fans should be excited to have him in Boston for years to come.