Larry Brooks writes that Calgary center and pending UFA Elias Lindholm is reportedly at “the top” of the Rangers trade deadline wish list and that was the case even before Filip Chytil was ruled out for the season. (NY Post)
He adds that while Calgary may take another run at trying to extend Lindholm, that he is also expected to be the top rental player available at the trade deadline and that the Flames are likely to conduct a “bidding war” for him. (NY Post)
Brooks writes that the Rangers would probably have to overpay “considerably” to acquire Lindholm sooner than closer to the deadline. (NY Post)
Lindholm, 29, has nine goals and 23 assists in 49 games this season, had 64 points in 80 games last season, 82 points in 82 games in 2021-22 and an average of .85 points per game in his 6 years in Calgary and .69 points per game when you add in his prior five years in Carolina.
Adam Rotter: Lindholm is a very good player and would give the Rangers, in theory, what they hoped to have this season with Vincent Trocheck as their third line center. That went out the window when Filip Chytil got hut and Trocheck got bumped up. Trocheck has been terrific and is an All-Star, but the center spot behind him has not been great with Nick Bonino and Jonny Brodzinski getting most of the time there. Lindholm would provide the Rangers with another strong two-way center, but it sure seems like it’s going to cost an awful lot, especially for a third line center. He had his best success playing with Jonny Gradeau and Matthew Tkachuk in Calgary and his numbers have dipped since then even though he usually plays on a line with Jonathan Huberdeau.
Would he make the Rangers better? Yes. Would he make them better it cost them a first round pick and a prospect? For this year, yes, but in the future no. Would he make them better if he cost them a first round pick and either Kaapo Kakko, Will Cuylle or Brennan Othmann. Maybe, but then you’d need to find someone to replace the player off your roster you are trading. At the moment it seems like it has the potential to be an awful lot to trade for a role that is needed and will boost the potential of the bottom-six, but is still just a third-line center. If they come back from the break and run off a big streak like they did at the start of the year and Igor Shesterkin is Igor Shesterkin again then maybe, but I’d prefer they approach the deadline similar to two-years ago when they made multiple moves to shore up depth instead of last year with two big trades that, for multiple reasons, didn’t really pan out.