Things are taking turn for the worse for Elias Lindholm in Vancouver...

In the weeks leading up to the Trade Deadline on March 8, Elias Lindholm trade by the Calgary Flames to the Vancouver Canucks was one of the shocking moves of the season. The Canucks appear to be set to adding star power up front to become a Stanley Cup contender for years to come and rumours of a contract extention for Lindholm quickly emerged after the trade.

However, things have changed in Vancouver it seems as signs point to Lindholm’s tenure with the Canucks being short lived.

It first started when rumours surface that the Canucks were considering a three-way swap that would’ve seen the Pittsburgh Penguins trade Jake Guentzel to the Canucks, with Lindholm landing with the Boston Bruins. That deal never materialized, but it did raise questions about Lindholm’s future in Vancouver and the fact that the forward might have been insulted by talks of already being shipped by the Canucks.

The fact remains that Lindholm is set to become a UFA on July 1 and is seeing third-line duty in Vancouver with just seven points in 20 games.

When Pierre LeBrun of the Athletic spoke with general manager Patrik Allvin, his answers suggested that he spoke with Lindholm’s camp regarding a contract extension.

Though it’s still pretty vague if you ask me.

“Obviously, it’s got to work for both sides. We’ll see,” said Allvin, adding that those discussions will likely occur after the 2023-24 season is over.

According to Puck Pedia, Vancouver has $25.7 million in cap space for 2024-25 with 14 active roster players under contract, and is currently focused on re-signing pending restricted free agent defenseman Filip Hronek, who has arbitration rights.

As his six-year deal with an average annual value of $4.85 million comes to an end, Lindholm could command seven-year deal worth around $8 million annually, which could price him out of Vancouver.

With Lindholm’s tenure with the Canucks looks to be coming to an end, chatter has already emerged on how coveted he will be on the free-agent market, with potential suitors including the Bruins, who apart from the rumours three-way trade ahead of the deadline, were linked to Lindholm before his trade to Vancouver in early February.

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