Lindholm relieved to be dealt: 'Back of my mind for a long time'

Elias Lindholm is pleased to put trade rumors behind him after being dealt from the Calgary Flames to the Vancouver Canucks earlier this week.

"Kinda had this in the back of my mind for a long time. So, I'm kinda happy it's over with," Lindholm said at the All-Star festivities Thursday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "Get a fresh start. Go to a really good team. Hopefully, we can continue to do what they've been doing and have some fun later on."

Lindholm added, "I was ready. I was prepared for anything."

The Canucks acquired Lindholm for Andrei Kuzmenko, two picks, and two prospects to supplement a first-place roster looking to do damage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Lindholm, a pending free agent, had been rumored to be a prime trade candidate since the end of Calgary's disappointing 2022-23 season. The Flames, currently six points back of a wild-card spot, have already sold off fellow pending UFAs Tyler Toffoli and Nikita Zadorov since Craig Conroy took over as general manager.

Calgary may not be done dealing, as Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin are expected to generate buzz before the March 8 deadline as well.

Lindholm admitted he hasn't begun to think about potentially signing an extension with the Canucks, but the move to the West's top seed has him energized.

"Going to Vancouver, one of the best teams in the league. So many good players, good goaltending, good defensemen," Lindholm said. "I'm super excited and can't wait to get started."

Lindholm has registered 32 points in 49 games this season and is expected to be used in all situations for the Canucks.

Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.