Elias Lindholm and The Blue Jackets

 For as long as the Blue Jackets have existed, a true top line center has seemingly eluded the team. Everyone from a way past his prime Sergei Fedorov to borderline 4th liner in Manny Malhotra has been thrown into the spot to attempt to solve this seemingly never-ending problem. In recent years, the Jackets have moved to address the spot by drafting Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger as well as plugging Jenner and Roslovic in but to this point, none of these options have emerged as viable as of yet. With the Jackets assured of a top 4 pick in the upcoming draft, the Jackets seem likely to finally address the issue at hand by drafting one of Bedard, Fantilli, Carlsson or Smith. But there may be another option out there, one with a significant resume and may be available to boot. Let’s take a look at Elias Lindholm and what acquiring him could mean to the Jackets.

    Lindholm is an elite two-way center who just one season ago, centered one of the most complete and dynamic lines in Calgary with Matthew Tkachuk and intriguingly, current Jackets superstar Johnny Gaudreau. It was his most offensively productive season, scoring 82 points while playing every game and he was also a finalist for the Frank J. Selke award, given to the league’s best defensive forward. Despite the expected regression due to losing both of his linemates, he was the only Calgary forward not named Tyler Toffoli to surpass the 60 points mark this season. His main asset is his elite hockey IQ, he always seems to be in the right spot and overall , Heading into a contract year and still only 28 years old, Lindholm cast further doubt on his future in Calgary in his exit interview, sparking speculation that he may be on his way out sooner than later. 

    In a world where the Jackets can pull off this trade, what would Lindholm’s fit be on the Jackets? Well for starters, it goes without saying that the Jackets should only be making this trade if he comes with a long-term contract, it is the only way this deal makes any sense to make. Given that caveat, you can juxtapose locking in Lindholm with the presumption that the Jackets are likely to pick a guy with their top 4 pick and reasonably say that Lindholm could provide that veteran influence to help that pick develop. In this scenario, you could say that Lindholm would fill the number 1 center role for a season or two as the high-end prospect develops behind him away from the main pressure. Eventually, he would slide back to the second line center role and provide veteran leadership as he ages into his mid-30s. Alternatively, he could also fill a more longer-term role as the top line center if his past chemistry with Gaudreau continues and the high-end prospect behind him needs more time to develop.

    So what could a package for Lindholm potentially look like? Trevor Neufeld who covers the Flames for Last Word on Sports and Hockeybuzz, pointed out that the market may already be set for first line centers in their late 20s as Bo Horvat was just recently traded for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a protected ‘23 1st round pick. If we are to build around that framework, the Jackets would have to start with their ’23 1st round pick that they acquired from LA in the Gavrikov trade. After that, it becomes a little less clear. Would the Jackets consider trading Cole Sillinger? Even though he is still only 19 years old, he did just go through a brutal sophomore slump of a season, and one could make the argument that his ceiling is no more than a 2/3 center even once he is fully developed. In that case, maybe trading for a more established veteran player could help push the Jackets along. It also wouldn’t be so much of a stretch to say that Calgary will likely push for Sillinger if the Jackets are indeed at least somewhat open to the idea. If the Jackets decide to hold firm and instead look in a different direction, the Jackets could attempt to package Roslovic and one of their other prospects, Corson Cuelemans among others, comes to mind together with the pick.

    To delve in a little deeper, is it worth it at this point to consider including Sillinger in a potential Lindholm trade? As already mentioned, Sillinger had a disastrous year and looks like he is on a path to spending a chunk of time in the AHL to focus on his development. Additionally, his on-ice play has led to speculation that his ceiling at the NHL level may not be as high as originally thought. In that case, the Jackets could make the blockbuster move to instead prioritize winning sooner and use Sillinger as a primary piece in a trade for Lindholm. It certainly wouldn’t be a subtle move and it absolutely comes with a significant amount of risk, but it may end up being worth it in the end especially since the Jackets would be locking in a top line center to a long-term contract, something which the Jackets have never really had.

    On the other hand, it seems foolish to give up on a player who is still so young and has such a bright future despite his struggles. Even if he only develops into an above average middle 6 center, there is still a projected roster spot for him down the line especially as guys like Jenner and Kuraly age out of the lineup. And especially since he doesn’t need waivers to go get top line minutes in Cleveland for an extended period next season, it would seem wiser to hold onto a prospect who is far from fully developed and instead try to make a Lindholm trade without including Sillinger in a potential package.

    Additionally, even if the Jackets can acquire Lindholm, with an extension in tow and they find a way to make it work without including Sillinger, it is not without risk to commit money to a player who is already 28 yet has only gone over the 70-point mark only twice. He may have previously established chemistry with Gaudreau which would provide immense value but if the Jackets end up picking one of Bedard/Fantilli/Carlson, would he block a spot for them down the line? It may seem a bit far fetched but it does need to be taken into consideration. Also, given his age, it would be fair to wonder how well he and his contract would age and if it could handcuff the Jackets down the road. Remember, the Jackets have dealt with this before with Nathan Horton and David Clarkson and may be wary to shell out.

    There is an additional unanswered question that needs to be addressed, is Lindholm actually available? The situation in Calgary is murky at best as they just parted ways with their GM whom one could reasonably guess that Lindholm wasn’t all that happy with due to the team’s performance and the losses of their star players (hey that sounds familiar!). It would really come down to who they end up hiring and if the new GM is able to get Lindholm on board with committing to staying in Calgary long term. Neufeld suggests that he could be looking at a 6-to-8-year deal at around $7.5 to $8.5 million AAV which can be a tricky contract to negotiate especially if the player is uncertain about committing. Whether or not Lindholm will be available is likely to become clearer around the draft when Calgary will by then have hired a new GM and have made a decision on Darryl Sutter’s future with the team.

     In conclusion, there are merits to both sides of the argument. There are more than enough positive aspects about Lindholm that trading for him would be worth it for the Jackets, even if that means giving up on a top prospect early in his development. On the other hand, it may be too much of a risk for some despite the upside. One thing is for sure, who the Jackets end up selecting in the draft will have the most impact on whether or not they end up seriously pursuing Lindholm. And overall, it seems that regardless, the picture around this scenario will likely resolve itself as we get closer to the draft.

Thank you to Kevin Knight for contributing to this article! You can follow him on Twitter @KK22530. Also thank you to Trevor Neufeld for providing insight from a Calgary perspective! You can follow him on Twitter as well @Trevor_Neufeld.