NHL Rumors: Should the Vancouver Canucks Consider Re-Signing Elias Lindholm?

Donnie & Dhali: Rick Dhaliwal, Don Taylor, and Ryan Henderson talk about about what the Vancouver Canucks gave up to acquire Elias Lindholm and if they should try to extend him despite things not going near the way they had thought it would.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Taylor: “There’s course way more to this trade than just Andrei Kuzmenko. The Canucks giving up Jani Jarmo. They signed him to a contract.”

Dhaliwal: “Calgary did.”

Taylor: “Yeah, the Flames did. Hunter Brzustewicz, same thing. They signed him, signed him to an entry level deal. Then you’ve got those two draft picks coming up.”

Dhaliwal: “A first rounder Don.”

Taylor: “A first-rounder and a fourth-rounder, and then you look at the way Kuzmenko’s playing. And here’s a question for you, just how bad was Kuzmenko defensively for Rick Tocchet and the Canucks to give up on him.”

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Dhaliwal: “Give up on him. And there’s that player coach relationship. Some players and coaches just don’t see eye to eye. These two did not see eye to eye. That’s why he’s out.

The other thing about this trade Don, it could end up being a rental. It could be end up, if you don’t re-sign him you gave up.”

Taylor: “If you don’t, they’re going to re-sign Lindholm? Please.”

Dhaliwal: “Hey, Donnie, Donnie, if he comes in and, he rejected $8, $9 million a year in September in Calgary. He’s not getting that on the market and especially if this wrist injury lingers for weeks and weeks after the season. He might have a tough time on July 1st, Lindholm.

This might be a rental Don. You gave up all that for a rental.

Taylor: “It might be? Yeah, but that, that was, that was, that’s the risk going in. You knew that with this trade and the thought is, ‘hey, this is a now trade. What can he do for us for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs?’

And so far like it with all due respect, there hasn’t been much there?”

Dhaliwal: “No.”

Taylor: “In the face offs? Great, you know, but more was expected, right?”

Dhaliwal: “Yes. And now the Canucks are in a position where they don’t have a first, they don’t have a second. And if they make the, what is it the Western Conference Final it becomes the third. So now there’s a possibility that you might not have picks in rounds, one, two and three this summer, Don.”

Taylor: “But you say there’s a possibility it’s a rental. Like what would the reaction be in this town?”

Dhaliwal: “If you get them cheap, there’s your centerman. You’re strong up the middle Don. I’m sure they’re gonna sit down and talk with Lindholm’s agent and say, ‘hey, hey, buddy. What do you want on the market?’ You know, I mean, if you get them cheap, Don, you’re gonna be super strong up …”

Taylor: “What would be cheap after him turning down $8 million?”

Dhaliwal: “Well, you better get them in the fours. I’ll tell you if you can get them in the four.”

Taylor: “Can you imagine? Oops”

Dhaliwal: “Can you imagine? Oops, I rejected eight now I’m down to four. I don’t know. I’m guessing, I’m guessing by the way.”

Ryan Henderson: “So there’s caveats to this that need to be talked about.”

Dhaliwal: “What?”

Henderson: “Kuzmenko was in Tocchet’s doghouse. You can criticize talking if you want.

Didn’t you Rick have some questions about Brzustewicz signing here in Vancouver? Wasn’t there talk about that, or was he always gonna?”

Dhaliwal: “He was gonna, the story that Brzustewicz was not going to sign a Vancouver is I’m going to call BS.”

Henderson: “Okay.”

Dhaliwal: “That guy, they had been negotiating with Brzustewicz for months and months…”

Henderson: “But he wasn’t signed.”

Dhaliwal: “They were going to do it in March is what, the way I was told by certain people in their camp, that there was no issue signing in Vancouver.”

….

Taylor: “But you say, like, you know, re-signing Lindholm. What …”

Dhaliwal: “You got to think about it, Don. You gave up so much for him – first-rounder, a third-rounder possibly, a prospect, two prospects. And you got to think about re-signing the guy.”

Taylor: “How many times does that happen? And then secondly, what would the reaction be in Canuck nation if they re-upped Lindholm. If they extended Lindholm and did, and got, and lost Dakota Joshua.”

Dhaliwal: “Yeah.”

Taylor: “Because you gave that money. So you’re agreeing with me?”

Gave that money to Lidholm. Nothing for Joshua. Goodbye.”

Dhaliwal: “If you get a sweetheart deal on Lindholm, you try and re-sign him. If he wants want $5, $6, $7 million.”

Taylor: “Versus Joshua.”

Dhaliwal: “Hey, if he wants want $5, $6, $7 million. Drive him to the airport.”

Henderson: “But what you just said, was one of the problems of the Jim Benning era here, which was, Benning rarely identified a mistake and tried his best to get out of the mistake. He just kept doubling, doubling down.”

Dhaliwal: “Benning’s problem was July 1st. It killed him.”

Henderson: “But I’m saying, he’s gonna say, ‘hey, we have to sign Lindholm because of what we gave up.’ You can admit a mistake and you can say hey…”

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Dhaliwal: “So your right now walking away from Lindholm.”

Henderson: “Yes.”

Taylor: “Versus other, other free agents they have.”

Dhaliwal: “I say if you get him cheap to bring, you’d be strong up the middle of the ice Don. The points aren’t there. He’s a good face off guy. He’s good defensively.”

Taylor: “But Rick, they’ve got (Elias) Pettersson up the middle. They’ve got (J.T.) Miller up the middle. So Lindholm is a bottom-six guy. You’re gonna pay him what?”

Dhaliwal: “And here’s your other problem. Teddy Blueger’s a UFA. They’re not as far as I know, they’re not close to signing him. He walks. Lindholm walks. Okay, so now who are your, who’s your third line center?”

Taylor: “Guess what?”

Dhaliwal: “What?”

Taylor: “they’ve got other players who can play center. Okay, including, if you look back in his career, Dakota Joshua. He has in the past, I don’t know how I would work here. But that’s that’s a possibility.”

Henderson: “This is, this is unsigned and it’s too bad because it’s really good. The Canucks also dumped Kuzmenko’ss $5 million for next year, which is a huge part of this trade. That’s, that’s what the people …”

Dhaliwal: “But they added Lindholm’s, same thing.”

Henderson: “No, no, but you know, what do you mean? Lindholm’s a pending UFA.”

Taylor: “Next year won’t be a factor.”

Henderson: “But next year…”

Dhaliwal: “Yeah next year, got rid of that.”

Henderson: “But next year, now you had to give something to allow Calgary to take that money, right? That you were losing on that part of the trade. That was a negative part of the trade that Canucks were presenting.”

Taylor: “But just the hockey part of it…”

Henderson “The hockey part.”

Taylor: “The hockey part of it does not look good right now.”

Dhaliwal: “It doesn’t look good. And when you cough up a first-round pick and prospects, you want a difference-maker? He hasn’t been a difference-maker. He hasn’t been.”

Taylor: “I don’t know if you agree with us or not. I can’t, I can’t really tell.”

Dhaliwal: “I’m just telling you if you get the guy cheap, bring them back. If you don’t, see ya later. Audios. Goodbye.”

Taylor: “Not expensive other other players.”

Dhaliwal: “Coughing up a first-round pick and prospects for a guy who has not been a difference-maker, he should be in the top-six Don after you gave up that much, not in the third line.”

Taylor: “Mean just force him in there?”

Dhaliwal: “But I’m sure that Canucks thought when they got him, did you think they were gonna give all that up for a third-line guy, Don? No, they, you got, you want to guy in the top-six whose a difference maker. He hasn’t been one.”

Should the #Canucks consider re-signing Elias Lindholm?

The guys debated that as he nears his return.https://t.co/h4e2SKM7eJ pic.twitter.com/O8OGVdQPjY

— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) April 10, 2024