Trade news: Boston should sign $55 million Canucks center, according to Bruins fans.
Based on a recent survey conducted by Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic, Boston Bruins fans have spoken, and they have overwhelmingly identified adding a center as the team’s primary need this offseason.
The results of the survey showed that, according to 86.2% of respondents, the Bruins should target a center in the upcoming offseason. This belief greatly outweighs that of other needs, such as a left-shot defenseman (1.4%) or a scoring wing (12.5%).
The biggest lesson that Shinzawa learned from the outcome is that Boston actually won’t have a legitimate No. 1 center to start in lieu of 2023–24 center Morgan Geekie in the upcoming campaign.
“Morgan Geekie, beside David Pastrnak, was the top center at the end of the playoffs. That’s not Geekie’s identity, according to Shinzawa. “Geekie is a No. 3 center in an ideal scenario. In the same way, Charlie Coyle.
This directly relates to the following survey question, which discussed possible centers the Bruins should look at and sign when they have free agency.
The poll’s results were uncontested once again, with Elias Lindholm, a future unrestricted free agent with the Vancouver Canucks, garnering the most votes (58.4%), more than twice as many as Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning (23.5%), who came in second.
It remains to be seen if Lindholm can reach his career-high of 82 points from 2021–2022. However, Shinzawa said, “The right-shot center brings enough of an all-around game.” “The Bruins wouldn’t absolutely need him to be a top offensive driver. Like Zacha and Coyle, Lindholm may be an all-around pivot who strengthens the Bruins’ most pressing weakness.
Lindholm recently finished a $29.1 million, six-year deal that he signed with the Flames in 2018. According to Evolving Hockey, Lindholm is expected to agree to a seven-year contract with a $56 million total value and a cap cost of approximately $8 million.
Bruins Allegedly Show Interest in Elias Lindholm of the Canucks
If a deal can be reached, Lindholm and the Bruins would be a fairly seamless fit in free agency.
Boston is the “most interesting potential suitor” to sign Elias Lindholm, according to hockey analyst Eric Beaston, who made this assessment in a blog published over Bleacher Report on June 18.
Beaston’s assessment is not out of the blue; rather, it is based on remarks made by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedma during an appearance on the Jeff Marek Show on June 10, when she stated that it was doubtful that the Canucks would re-sign Lindholm, leaving the center to become a free agent.
Since I’ve been waiting a bit, I’ve been watching Vancouver. As an example, I believe Elias Lindholm is out and that the move makes room for others. We most likely are; but, I won’t say that one is finalized just yet. Friedman stated, “I do believe that there’s a Tyler Myers deal there.”
After moving from the Calgary Flames to Vancouver in February 2024, Lindholm played in 26 regular-season games for the Canucks, but he only managed to score 12 points sometimes.
However, insider Chris Johnston, who revealed the interest on March 5, claims that the Bruins attempted to finalize a trade before the March 8 deadline after the transaction between the two Canadian teams occurred.
According to Beaston, “the most intriguing possible suitor would be the Boston Bruins, a team that has loaded rosters but has failed to win the Stanley Cup each of the last two seasons.”
Michael DeRosa of The Hockey News speculated in another post on Lindholm’s potential arrival in Boston that the center might be the last piece missing from Boston’s Stanley Cup puzzle.
On June 11, DeRosa noted, “There is no question that the Bruins need a top-six center.” “If Lindholm signed with the Bruins, he would be their best center right away.”
Vancouver Short Stint for Elias Lindholm
With the Canucks, Lindholm played in 26 games during the regular season and 13 during the postseason, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively. If he does really depart Vancouver in July, he will have finished his brief 39-game career with the team, accumulating 22 points.
In Vancouver, the center played 17:42 on average per game. That number, which was the lowest for him since the 2017–18 campaign, may indicate that he will likely not be playing for the Canucks in the future.
Should Vancouver choose to pursue a top-tier forward in free agency and that player happens not to be their current center, Lindholm may be available for grabs. On June 18, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff revealed that when winger Jake Guentzel becomes an unrestricted free agent, the Canucks may try to sign him.
With 17 of the 23 active roster spots filled, CapFriendly forecasts the Bruins to have $21 million in salary space coming into the offseason. Beaston thinks the Bruins can manage their cap and maybe sign Lindholm, particularly if they make additional cap space available before July 1.
According to Seravalli, “the Vancouver Canucks should make a serious push for pending free agent forward Jake Guentzel.” “They won’t be alone—many teams are anticipated to be in the running for the Stanley Cup-winning winger.”