What The Elias Lindholm Trade Means For The Rangers

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The Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks pulled the trigger on a monster cross-rivalry trade on Wednesday, with center Elias Lindholm the centerpiece of the swap:

Larry Brooks of the New York Post had reported earlier in the day that Lindholm was at the top of the Rangers trade target list, and within hours, the coveted pivot was off the board five weeks ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline.

In 49 games, Lindholm has racked up 32 points (nine goals and 23 assists). He has been the topic of trade discussion all season as he is an unrestricted free agent this summer, earning $4.825 million per year.

The Canucks traded rookie sensation and struggling second-year forward Andrei Kuzmenko, OHL prospect Hunter Brzustewics who pundits believe has NHL potential, along with Joni Jurmo and two 2024 draft selections to acquire Calgary’s All-Star.

The Rangers may have dodged a hypothetical bullet based on the return the Flames received for the rental center.

The Canucks only have four draft picks left in the 2024 NHL draft after seeing their first and a conditional fourth to the Flames.

Vancouver is putting all of their chips on the table to solidify their Stanley Cup contender status.

The Rangers have two sterling centers that will not be moving from the first and second lines, therefore the 29-year-old two-way forward would be playing on the club’s third line.

It would automatically make the team’s middle lane one of the deepest in the NHL but at a risky cost.

Kuzmenko is an immediate addition to the Flames roster that could strike in the same fashion the Tyler Toffoli-Yegor Sharongovich swap hit for the Flames.

The 27-year-old Sharangovich left winger scored an impressive 39 goals last season but has struggled to replicate that production this season, recording eight goals through 43 games.

The 19-year-old Brzustewicz leads the OHL in scoring by a defenseman (eight goals, 61 assists, 69 points, and ranks third amongst all skaters through 47 games.

The Canucks drafted the Kitchener Ranger blue liner in the third round (No. 75) at the 2023 NHL Draft. The rearguard is noted for his puck-moving skills, his vision, and his quarterback abilities.

The Rangers would have had to fork up two draft picks, including their 2024 first, a prospect with a high stock, a roster player like Kaapo Kakko or Alexis Lafreniere, and another Hartford regular prospect to have pulled off this trade.

That would be risking a lot of future assets to acquire a third-line center rental that likely wouldn’t sign an extension and may not fit into the team’s plans for 2024-2025 and beyond.

If this trade is an indicator of the current market, the Rangers will have to be more diligent with what assets they should move to bolster the roster.

A team whose goal this season was to get the most out of the current roster is 14-12-2 since Dec. 1. An all-in trade could backfire on the organization shrinking the clubs’ contention window.

The Rangers will need reinforcements with Filip Chytil out for the season. General manager Chris Drury will be tested again as the deadline looms, with $5.2 million in cap space to work with.

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