Vancouver Canucks Acquire Elias Lindholm
The Vancouver Canucks announced that the team has acquired forward Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames. In return, the Canucks will send Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Joni Jurmo, a first-round pick in 2024, and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024. The Flames have also confirmed the deal.
Being a part of the Flames organization for the better parts of six seasons, Lindholm has turned into an effective two-way threat across the league. During his time in Calgary, Lindholm played in a total of 418 regular season games, scoring 148 goals and 357 points in the process. His best offensive output came during the 2021-22 season, scoring 42 goals and 82 points in all 82 games, helping the Flames finish third place in the Western Conference.
With their eyes already set on the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs in this deal, Lindholm brings limited postseason experience. Over his five full seasons in Calgary, Lindholm managed to take part in the postseason in three of those seasons, going as far as the Western Conference semi-finals. In 27 postseason games, Lindholm has scored eight goals and 17 points as well as a 55.5% success rate on the faceoff date, a bit of an improvement over his 53.3% regular season average throughout his career.
It will be interesting to see how exactly the Canucks deploy Lindholm, as J.T. Miller has shown considerable effectiveness as the team’s second-line center. With Lindholm’s versatility up and down the lineup, the team may opt to move either player to the wing to keep them both in the top six. Nevertheless, now tied at the top of the league standings, it will be increasingly difficult for any opponent to match up against a combination of Lindholm, Miller, Elias Petterson, and Brock Boeser on any given night. 
After the deal was first reported, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that no extension talks have been discussed between Lindholm and the Canucks. If Vancouver is indeed viewing him as a rental, the Flames received quite a haul for an asset the Canucks may only have for a few months.
Originally, Calgary was reportedly on Kuzmenko’s 12-team no-trade list, but LeBrun later confirmed that Kuzmenko signed off on his inclusion in the deal. Not fitting into Rick Tocchet‘s system in Vancouver, the Canucks have been looking to move on from Kuzmenko for nearly the whole season.
In the first season of a two-year, $11MM extension signed with Vancouver last season, Kuzmenko brings much-needed offensive prowess to the top of the Flames’ lineup. In a forgotten season last year for the organization, Kuzmenko finished fourth on the team in scoring, putting up 39 goals and 74 points in 81 games.
Setting aside some healthy scratches earlier in the year, Kuzmenko has still produced respectably this season, scoring eight goals and 21 points in 43 games. Furthermore, Kuzmenko’s powerplay abilities have led him to 17 goals already in his young career, which should help a Flames powerplay unit that currently sits 29th in the NHL.
As far as the prospects heading to Alberta, Brzustewicz was originally drafted 75th overall by the Canucks in last year’s draft. Suiting up for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL this year, Brzustewicz appears to be somewhat of a diamond in the rough. In 47 games played for the Rangers, Brzustewicz has scored eight goals and a whopping 61 assists, which is an impressive 17 more than the next closest player. With the Flames set to miss several defensemen to either trade or free agency by next season, the right-handed shooting Brzustewicz could feature in the lineup as soon as next year.
Jurmo, another defenseman, was also a third-round selection of Vancouver going 82nd overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. Not having made his professional debut in North America yet, Jurmo does not bring a similar offensive pedigree to the table as Brzustewicz. Nevertheless, standing at 6’4″, Jarmo can cover large swaths of ice for the Flames defensive core. Still playing in his native Finland, Jurmo has scored a total of four points in 35 games split between Ilves and KooKoo of the Finnish Liiga this year.
In the draft picks, the first-round selection acquired in the deal will undoubtedly be at the bottom of the draft, given that Vancouver is on pace to win this year’s President’s Trophy. Owning both their own and the New Jersey Devils’ fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the Canucks will be able to choose which pick exactly ends up in Calgary.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report that talks were intensifying between Calgary and Vancouver.
Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff was the first to confirm that Lindholm was headed to the Canucks.
Friedman was the first to report that Brzustewicz would be headed to Calgary.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Strong Trade Interest In Chris Tanev
Impact right-shot defensemen are typically in short supply and high demand and with the trade deadline now less than six weeks away, it appears this year will be no exception. Accordingly, those with one to move will have no shortage of suitors and that’s the case for the Flames with defenseman Chris Tanev as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that as many as ten teams have already reached out to Calgary GM Craig Conroy to inquire about the blueliner.
The 34-year-old has never been a significant point producer and has just nine points in 46 games so far this season but Tanev has a well-earned reputation as one of the top shutdown defensemen in the league. He leads the Flames in shorthanded ice time while hanging around the 20-minute-per-game mark as he often does. On top of that, Tanev is among the league leaders in blocked shots, collecting 135 already, good for fifth-most in the NHL. Considering that teams are always looking to shore up their defensive reliability and penalty killing, it should come as no surprise that there are plenty of teams showing interest in Tanev.
Garrioch notes that the Maple Leafs, Canucks, and Kings are among those teams that have shown interest. Toronto GM Brad Treliving is quite familiar with Tanev from his days in charge in Calgary and Garrioch suggests that the blueliner is currently their top target. As for Vancouver, Tanev would be quite familiar with them having spent the first ten years of his career with them before joining Calgary as a free agent back in 2020. Los Angeles, meanwhile, has an established top four but they have two youngsters (Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence) and journeyman Andreas Englund rounding out the rest of the group; Tanev would certainly give them some more stability.
Ottawa has also been speculated as a team that could be interested with GM Steve Staios looking for a quality veteran or two. However, with the Sens well out of playoff contention, it’s hard to see them coughing up the asking price and Tanev being open to going there over a postseason contender. Worth noting is that Tanev has a 10-team no-trade clause, giving him some control in where he might go. If an acquiring team wants to work out an extension at the same time, that also gives the veteran a bit more leverage to make sure he lands with a new organization of his choice.
With players of Tanev’s caliber hard to come by, it appears that Conroy has set a high asking price for his services. Garrioch relays that the ask is believed to be at least a first-round pick plus a prospect; if teams get into a bidding war, they could get more than that as well if they’re willing to retain the maximum 50%. Tanev has a $4.5MM AAV which is difficult for many contending teams to afford but if that is cut in half and perhaps Calgary takes a smaller contract back, most potential suitors should be able to make that work.
With more than a month until the trade deadline, there’s a good chance that Tanev won’t be leaving Calgary in the immediate future; the longer they wait, the easier it is for teams with regular cap space to afford the contract. But if his market is strong as Garrioch suggests, the Flames will be poised to land a quality future return for Tanev’s services by the time March 8th comes around.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Flames Likely To Seek Multi-Piece Return For Lindholm
Flames center Elias Lindholm is one of the top players believed to be available between now and the trade deadline should the two sides fail to work out an extension between now and then. In an appearance on 630 CHED (audio link), Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli suggested that Calgary’s asking price could involve a first-round pick plus multiple pieces, one of which being NHL-ready or close to it with the team not necessarily motivated for a long-term rebuild. Lindholm is only two years removed from a 42-goal season but has just nine so far through 49 games so far in 2023-24. However, with his track record and defensive ability, there’s a good chance the Flames can land a package like that for the pending unrestricted free agent who will be seeing a sizable raise on his current $4.85MM AAV.
Five Players Facing Charges Connected To 2018 Sexual Assault Investigation
5:50 p.m.: Attorneys representing Foote have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. Claiming innocence in the statement, Foote’s attorneys did not confirm what plea he would enter.
4:50 p.m.: Attorneys representing Hart have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per TSN’s Chris Johnston. Claiming innocence in the statement, Hart’s attorneys did not confirm what plea he would enter.
4:45 p.m.: Attorneys representing Dube have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. Dube will enter a not-guilty plea before the court.
3:14 p.m.: Attorneys representing McLeod have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. McLeod will enter a not-guilty plea before the court.
2:41 p.m.: Five players whose rights are owned by NHL teams are facing charges stemming from a London, Ontario police investigation into an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving members of the Canadian men’s national junior team, TSN’s Rick Westhead reports Tuesday. Per Westhead, Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, Devils center Michael McLeod, Devils defenseman Cal Foote, and Flames winger Dillon Dubé have been directed to surrender to London police.
Senators forward prospect Alex Formenton, who has not been under contract with the team since 2022, is the fifth player facing charges and surrendered himself to London police Sunday, according to his attorneys.
Robyn Doolittle of The Globe and Mail first reported last week that five players had been told to surrender to police to face charges connected to the 2018 incident. Neither the NHL nor the Flyers, Devils, Flames, or Senators have released statements on the matter.
As Ian Mendes and Chris Johnston of The Athletic outlined Tuesday, discipline for players involved in off-ice misconduct falls under the jurisdiction and discretion of league commissioner Gary Bettman. If league action is taken against any of the five players named, they have the right to file an appeal with an independent arbitrator.
It is unclear whether the Flyers, Devils and Flames have the jurisdiction to terminate the standard player’s contracts of Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dubé, given the definition of a material breach of the contract is not expressly defined.
All four players remain on indefinite leaves of absence from their respective teams. Formenton is on an indefinite leave of absence from HC Ambrì-Piotta in the Swiss National League, where he’s contracted for the 2023-24 season.
The London Police Service is expected to hold a press conference next Monday to comment further on the charges. Attorneys for Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dubé did not respond to or declined requests for comment from Westhead.
Martin Pospisil Activated From IR, Flames Assign Three To AHL
While most teams prepare for an informal roster freeze over the upcoming NHL All-Star break, many are also stripping their roster down to the bare minimum to save as much cap space for the encroaching trade deadline in early March. Today, the Calgary Flames activated forward Martin Pospisil from the injured reserve, while optioning Matthew Coronato, Adam Klapka, and Cole Schwindt to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers.
According to Ryan Pike of Flames Nation, this set of transactions by the Flames will save the organization approximately $497K in cap space, just by sending them down over the All-Star break. As one of the expected sellers leading into this year’s trade deadline, the nearly half a million in cap space could allow Calgary to weaponize their cap space, as many deadline sellers have done.
For development’s sake, with the NHL returning to regular season action on February 5th, the trio of players sent down by the Flames today will have the opportunity to play in three games for the Wranglers. Coronato projects to factor in the most, still leading Calgary’s AHL team in points, having already scored 12 goals and 29 points in 27 games for the Wranglers this season.
- Similarly to the Flames, the Vegas Golden Knights have optioned Brendan Brisson, Sheldon Rempal, and Jonas Rondbjerg to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, per a team announcement. Having been recalled on January 18th via an emergency loan, Rempal has largely been the most successful of the bunch over the last several games for the Golden Knights, scoring a goal against both the New York Islanders and New York Rangers over the last four contests.
A.J. Greer Out Eight Weeks With Foot Fracture
The Flames got some bad news on the injury front on Saturday. While they were hopeful that winger A.J. Greer avoided a fracture on his foot, that wasn’t the case as the team announced (Twitter link) that he will miss the next eight weeks due to a foot fracture.
The 27-year-old is in his first year with Calgary after being claimed off waivers late in training camp from Boston. Since then, Greer has been a regular on the fourth line for the Flames, playing in 47 of 48 games, picking up six goals and four assists while chipping in with 77 hits despite averaging less than nine minutes a night of ice time.
Notably, Calgary hasn’t brought anyone up from the AHL’s Wranglers despite Blake Coleman also being banged up. Instead, Coleman will play through his hand injury per Sportsnet’s Eric Francis (Twitter link), giving them 12 available forwards against Chicago.
Winger Martin Pospisil took part in the morning skate, giving hope that he’d return but they’ll give him the extra rest instead. The 24-year-old has held his own in his first taste of NHL action, collecting four goals and seven assists in 33 games. He has been out a little more than a week due to his lower-body injury.
Once Pospisil is officially activated after the break, Calgary’s roster will be at 23 skaters although Greer can easily be shifted onto injured reserve. Considering their tight cap situation, there’s a good chance that Greer will eventually land on LTIR although with a cap hit of just $762.5K, the extra flexibility they’d gain from that would be quite limited but it would be enough to get a recall up from the Wranglers if needed.
Pacific Notes: Kraken, Greer, Thrun
The Seattle Kraken have activated Matthew Beniers off of injured reserve. The former second-overall pick is expected to make his return to the Kraken lineup on Friday, after missing the team’s last five games. Jaden Schwartz and Eeli Tolvanen are expected to be game-time decisions, per Mike Benton of Kraken Audio Network.
Getting this trio of players back will be substantial for Seattle, as each ranks inside the team’s top seven scorers. Tolvanen leads the pack with 12 goals and 29 points through 47 games, while Schwartz has managed 20 points, split evenly, in 31 games, and Beniers has 19 points in 42. The former Calder Trophy-winning Beniers was in a bit of a lull before his injury, with just one goal through his last seven games. He’ll look to catch up to Tolvanen and Schwartz in the scoring column with a return against the St. Louis Blues on Friday.
Other notes from the Pacific Division:
- The Calgary Flames are not yet sure if A.J. Greer will require surgery after his ankle went awkwardly into the boards in the team’s Thursday night game. The forward is expected to miss, “considerable time”, though, per Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. Francis speculated that Greer’s injury could lead to Clark Bishop getting recalled from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, though former first-round pick Jakob Pelletier is making his AHL season debut this weekend and could also be considered for a recall soon.
- San Jose Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun will be out until after the All-Star Break, per team reporter Curtis Pashelka. The 22-year-old is working his way back from a shoulder injury, with Pashelka adding that nothing seemed structurally wrong, insinuating that Thrun might have dodged the worst outcome. With Thrun out, San Jose will give top defensive prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin his first NHL game. Mukhamadullin has managed 26 points in 39 games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda this season.
Calgary Flames Activate Oliver Kylington Off LTIR
After nearly a year and a half away from the NHL, the Calgary Flames are ready to welcome back defenseman Oliver Kylington back to their active roster. Staying all of last year in his native Sweden, Kylington is set to play in his first NHL game tonight since May 26, 2022.
Assuming that Kylington can return to his previous level of play relatively quickly for the Flames, it should create an immense opportunity for the organization on multiple fronts. Having already moved on from defenseman Nikita Zadorov earlier in the season, Calgary is famously carrying two of the most oft-rumored defensive trade candidates in Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin. If Kylington can return to his previous capabilities, that should allow the Flames to feel more comfortable in moving one of their more veteran pieces.
As a second-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, Kylington rose through the ranks of the Flames organization relatively quickly, earning a full-time spot on the roster as soon as the 2018-19 season. Unfortunately, it would take several years for Kylington to make his mark in the NHL, scoring a career-high nine goals and 31 points in 73 games. Being the third-highest-scoring defenseman on the team at the time, Calgary rewarded Kylington’s effort with a two-year, $5MM contract extension.
Now almost two years past the contract extension, Kylington is an upcoming unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and his play over the next couple of months will dictate his future with the Flames. Nevertheless, after a lengthy amount of time away from the game, Kylington is now ready to return, which is a tremendous positive for both the player and the organization.
New Jersey Devils Claim Nick DeSimone Off Waivers From Calgary
The New Jersey Devils have claimed defenseman Nick DeSimone off of waivers from the Calgary Flames. The 29-year-old has appeared in 23 games with the Flames this season, netting five points and a -4. He’s also appeared in 10 AHL games, recording eight assists and a +7.
DeSimone is in his eighth professional season since making his AHL debut at the end of the 2016-17 season – signing a two-year contract as an undrafted free agent with the San Jose Sharks. DeSimone served as a locked-in lineup piece for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda for five seasons, before moving to the New York Rangers organization in the three-team trade that sent Mattias Janmark and Brett Howden to Vegas. DeSimone signed with the Calgary Flames soon after this move, continuing to serve as a minor league option for a variety of AHL clubs.
The Flames finally rewarded DeSimone’s long tenure in the minors with four NHL games last season. The defender went without a point, adding two penalty minutes and a -4. He’s gotten a chance at a much bigger NHL role this season, finally playing a majority of the year in the top league. He will look to continue carving out an NHL role on a Devils team that’s currently missing top defenseman Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler, as well as depth option Brendan Smith. The Devils also granted defenseman Callan Foote a leave of absence on Wednesday, effectively sliding DeSimone into the role of seventh defenseman.
Arizona Coyotes Claim Adam Ružička Off Waivers From Calgary
The Arizona Coyotes have claimed Calgary Flames forward Adam Ružička off of waivers. Ružička has appeared in 39 of Calgary’s 47 games this season, netting three goals and nine points. He’s also recorded six penalty minutes and a -8.
Ružička has slowly established his place in the NHL over the last four seasons, making his debut with the Flames in 2020-21. He’s since totaled 114 career NHL games and 40 career points, adding 26 penalty minutes. He is one of seven players from the 2017 NHL Draft’s fourth round to play in at least 100 NHL games, alongside players like Ottawa’s Drake Batherson and Buffalo’s Jacob Bryson. Ružička has also appeared in 98 AHL games across three seasons, totaling 68 points.
Ružička provides much-needed center depth to a Coyotes team that currently has Barrett Hayton and Travis Boyd on injured reserve. The team has turned towards Dylan Guenther in light of their injuries, with the 20-year-old winger managing six points in nine games this season. Guenther also leads the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate in scoring with 28 points in 29 games – despite the team playing in nine more games since the winger’s call-up.
Now without Ružička, the Flames will need to turn towards one of Cole Schwindt, Adam Klapka, or Walker Duehr to takeover the open bottom-line role. Schwindt and Klapka have only played in one and two games respectively, while Duehr has seen 19 appearances and scored four points. Calgary also has Matthew Coronato currently in the NHL lineup. The former first-round pick is 13 games into his rookie NHL season, boasting just two points, four penalty minutes, and a -9.