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By Eric Duhatschek, Shayna Goldman and Corey Pronman
Trade
The Canucks get: Elias Lindholm
Flames get: F Andrei Kuzmenko, a 2024 first-round pick, D Hunter Brzustewicz, D Joni Jurmo and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick
Eric Duhatschek: There is a strange notion in the NHL that fierce division rivals will not make trades with each other, a fact that has been disproved many times recently, including once earlier this season. That’s when the Canucks and Flames made their first trade of the year: Vancouver got Nikita Zadorov from the Flames and Calgary settled for third- and fifth-round picks in return. Most didn’t like the deal at the time. Most have come to grudgingly admit that their value is decent over time.
This is also how the latest transaction between the two teams will need to be evaluated.
Over time.
GO DEEPER
Canucks acquire Lindholm from Flames for Kuzmenko
In the short term, this helps the Canucks tremendously. If Lindholm was the best center on the market this year, then the Canucks signed him, five weeks before the NHL trade deadline, without giving up any contributing players on the roster. This is reminiscent of another deal made about a year ago, when the Canucks traded the No. 1 center available at the 2023 deadline, Bo Horvat, to the New York Islanders for a first-rounder, a player and a prospect. .
But Horvat was having an excellent year with Vancouver, so his value was high. Lindholm was down during a much less effective year for Calgary, his scoring numbers were very low, even though his reputation remains good. At his best, he can be one of the most effective two-way centers in the league. Good in the confrontation circle. Good on the penalty. Some years, he would be mentioned in the Selke Trophy conversation, although not this year.
But Lindholm adds an element to Vancouver’s team that it can use, if not desperately need. Someone who can play in the top nine and has the versatility, if necessary, to move to the right wing, which is where he started his career in Calgary. For Vancouver, it’s a clear sign that the Canucks believe this year’s surge is no fluke and that their chances of making some noise in the playoffs are as good as anyone.
Lindholm was arguably the most coveted talent available at the deadline, and Vancouver took him off the market with five weeks left. He’s a nice feather in his cap, and talks about how the relationship between two relatively inexperienced general managers, Patrik Allvin of the Canucks and Craig Conroy of the Flames, has developed rather quickly.
But Calgary also did well. A first-rounder in 2024. A conditional fourth-rounder in 2024. Also, two prospects, both intriguing, probably Brzustewicz more than Jurmo, and then Kuzmenko, the more visible and therefore better-known product, who suffers a bad streak Second NHL season after a very good debut in the NHL.
In Kuzmenko, the Flames hope they have found another player who needs a change of scenery.
Remember how harshly the Flames were criticized when they took Yegor Sharangovich from the New Jersey Devils, plus a third-round pick, for Tyler Toffoli? It took time, but ultimately that trade has paid dividends for Calgary. You can easily imagine a scenario where Sharangovich and Kuzmenko develop some chemistry and could be a top-six forward on a Flames team that is trying to add some of its younger players and prospects to the everyday NHL lineup.
Conroy also made it clear that he would prefer prospects over draft picks and that’s what Brzustewicz looks like. Selected 75th overall last June, in the third round of the 2023 draft, the 19-year-old has 69 points in 47 games with OHL Kitchener this year, spectacular numbers for a right-shot defenseman. You don’t have to watch Calgary for long these days to understand the urgent need for someone to quarterback on the power play.
In theory, that’s what Brzustewicz will eventually become. Jurmo was a third-round player, drafted in 2020 and currently playing in Finland, who has a big frame: 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds.
Some might wonder if Conroy had waited, could he have received a larger package? But as was the case when he bought Zadorov earlier this season, he let teams know what it would take to get the deal done; and if the bidders were lukewarm, then he went in a different direction.
Personally, I like that approach, especially when it comes to a first-year GM. Set your price. Firm hold. Make the best deal you can. But stick with it, which sends a message to your new peers.
Recently, Conroy and I spoke at length about trading philosophy, and he pointed out this to me: While everyone on social media wants every trade to be a clear win, the goal is to reach a fair deal, one that, in theory, help. Both teams are meeting whatever their specific goals are at the moment. This has the opportunity to do just that. Vancouver’s Stanley Cup hopes will get a huge boost, especially if Lindholm, who is in a contract year, arrives motivated to prove that he can be an elite contributor, because he clearly wants to be paid like one. Calgary gets something for today and, in theory, a lot more for tomorrow. Fair, in other words.
Canucks Grade: b
Flame grade: b
Shayna Goldman: Credit to the Canucks for daring sooner rather than later. The team isn’t just counting on a strong start to get through the second half: they are actively improving the team to improve their chances when it matters most. Vancouver is absolutely right to go all-in. This is the kind of season to invest in.
Lindholm is a great fit for the Canucks. This team could really use a boost from the middle six he should provide. He is a versatile center who can be trusted in all situations, against the best competition.
The only red flag is that his play has declined over the past two years since his peak in 2021-22, and his scoring is down this season. But Vancouver should feel pretty confident of a recovery; Lindholm won’t shoot below 7 percent forever and should start taking advantage of his chances at a higher level in the second half of the season. Additionally, the Canucks don’t expect him to come in and serve as the high-end first-line center the Flames needed him to be: He’ll move comfortably behind Elias Pettersson on the second line. Between that even-strength role and probably some time on the top power play, he should have more support than he has had in Calgary this year.
Still, if that rebound doesn’t happen, Vancouver won’t be locked in beyond this season. Management didn’t sign him to an instant extension and didn’t commit too much from the start, which is for the best considering Lindholm’s likely request, his long-term trajectory and the Canucks’ salary cap situation.
From the Canucks’ perspective, the return is relatively high for a player in a bad year. But it’s also not far from the latest changes for Horvat and Ryan O’Reilly. Vancouver added the best player on the market to fill their center needs, which will add value to this roster. And there is still time (and resources) available to make other necessary adjustments. Additionally, the return not only brought in Lindholm, but also saved Kuzmenko’s $5.5 million cap hit. That was critical for Vancouver, especially with rising costs looming next season.
Calgary’s return isn’t perfect or overwhelming, but that’s okay. Perhaps the Flames could have waited longer, as teams felt the need to improve as the deadline approached. But its influence may also have diminished by then, as it is becoming quite obvious what its direction should be.
Sure, Calgary is taking a pay drop on Kuzmenko. But maybe he can bounce back and play a bigger role with the Flames than he did this season in Vancouver. It’s unrealistic to think he’ll shoot nearly 27 percent again. But if he can finish somewhere between last season’s highs and this year’s disappointment, he could add a much-needed scoring boost to the Flames’ core six.
Calgary’s highlight is the first of 2024. Brzustewicz is also a solid addition. The Flames need young, promising players to be a part of this next era. Adding a puck-moving defenseman like Brzustewicz is smart, as UFA-pending Noah Hanifin will likely be on the move before the deadline, provided he can develop into an NHL-caliber defenseman.
Canucks Grade: B+
Flame grade: B-
Corey Pronman: Lindholm is a great all-around center. He skates well. He has a lot of individual ability. He can make plays, has a strong shot and has a strong two-way game up the middle. While he has talent, he may not be the type of game-breaking skill player to be a true 1C on a contender, but he could be an excellent 2C on the Canucks. I’m a big believer in the Canucks. I like their group of goalies and skaters and think they have a real chance to win this season, so I’m all for betting their chips. They get the best rental on the market, which can help their top-ranked offense even out. more distinguished from the rest. They are also coming off a bad contract with Kuzmenko, who was becoming pretty replaceable in his lineup.
Kuzmenko is a forward with a lot of skill. He’s also a solid, competitive guy that he can create on the interior. Kuzmenko started off flying in his rookie season, but as a small, average winger who he wouldn’t call an elite offensive puck guy, he has come to earth this season. He’s not worth the big offer Vancouver gave him, but Kuzmenko is one of the NHL’s top nine forwards who can be on a power play.
Brzustewicz is a highly skilled puck-moving defenseman with high-level vision who has been one of the OHL’s best defensemen this season. He skates well and can make plays with pace, which gives some confidence that his offense will translate to the pros. Concerns about his game are his average size, his mediocre physicality and whether he will be able to make stops at higher levels given that his skating is not truly elite. Those issues are the reason he was cut from Team USA’s World Youth Team. I like the player and think he can play in the NHL, but I’m not sure.
Jurmo is a fringe NHL prospect right now, but he is a strong athlete, which is why he was drafted in the third round in 2020. He is a big defenseman who skates very well for his size and has some skill. However, he doesn’t have great hockey sense and isn’t that competitive, making him a long shot.
I don’t love that Calgary didn’t get a truly premium young asset in this deal, even if it was a rental. If you really believe in Brzustewicz as a potential top-four defenseman, which a minority of NHL scouts do, you might think they did, but I don’t currently project him that way. The best asset Calgary gets is a late first-round pick and the hope of turning around Kuzmenko with more opportunities. The performance of a top rental is always disappointing, but this one in particular doesn’t feel great for the Flames.
Canucks Grade: B+
Flame grade: B-
(Photo by Elias Lindholm and JT Miller: Derek Cain/Getty Images)