NHL Rumors: Elliotte Friedman claims Canucks will part ways with Elias Lindholm to make space for $30,000,000 D-man

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Jun 17, 2024 20:19 GMT

In a recent episode of The Jeff Marek Show, Elliotte Friedman discussed the Vancouver Canucks' decision-making regarding Elias Lindholm.

The Calgary Flames locked up Lindholm for six years with a $29.1 million deal on July 16, 2018. The 29-year-old joined the Canucks in January after a trade from the Flames. He faces uncertainty as he approaches free agency.

Friedman suggested that Lindholm's departure could pave the way for acquiring a high-priced defenseman. He is signaling potential changes in Vancouver's roster strategy.

"I've been watching Vancouver because I've been kind of waiting. Like, I think Elias Lindholm is out and the trade opens the door to others. We most likely are, but I'm not willing to pronounce that one officially done yet. I do think that there's a framework of a Tyler Myers deal there," Friedman said.

"And I've said that before. But, you know, I'm trying to figure out exactly where Vancouver's going here. They've got a lot of players they've got to make decisions on," Friedman added.

Even though Elias Lindholm played well in the playoffs (10 points in 13 games), his regular season scoring was low. This raises questions about what his next contract will look like.

Apart from Elias Lindholm, Canucks will also have to decide on Nikita Zadorov

Vancouver Canucks lost 4-3 to Edmonton Oilers in round two of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was a sad end to their Stanley Cup hopes under new captain Quinn Hughes.

Vancouver were looking good defensively and this helped the team in qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

They entered the playoffs after leading the Pacific division with 109 points during the regular season. In round one, they defeated Nashville Predators with a series score of 4-2 to qualify for round two. This was made possible because of defencemen like Nikita Zadorov among others.

Zadorov was acquired by Canucks in December 2023 and he accumulated 102 penalty minutes in just 54 games with the team. Apart from that, he helped the team with 14 points which included five goals and nine assists.

Zadorov's two-year contract which he signed with Calgary Flames will end this July 1 and he will enter free agency. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently claimed that Canucks' decision with Zadorov will arrive soon.

On the 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman said:

"I think we're gonna know in the next few days if there's any hope on Zadorov. Like I said, it appears unlikely, but someone reached out to me and said, 'That one's not over yet. It might be over soon, but not yet.' I would say the odds are less than 50 percent."

The free agency is only close to two weeks away and Zadorov's future will be decided soon.