As he adjusts to trade, Canucks’ Lindholm offers preview of what’s to come

VANCOUVER – For the Vancouver Canucks, it was the first home game after a road trip. For Elias Lindholm, it was a sixth straight game in a strange city – and his biggest game yet for his new team.

Two weeks since he was traded to the Canucks from the Calgary Flames, Lindholm played his first game in Vancouver, scoring twice as Elias Pettersson’s centre in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. An empty-net goalpost deprived the 29-year-old Swede a hat trick in his “home” debut.

It may be a while yet before Vancouver feels like home for Lindholm, who spent more than 5 ½ years in Calgary and spent his initial five-game trip with the Canucks trying to adjust on the fly to the first in-season trade of his National Hockey League career.

Thursday helped. So should this weekend, as his partner Annica and their son Levi are flying in from Calgary so the family can be together for Levi’s first birthday, on Sunday.

NHL on Sportsnet

Livestream Hockey Night in Canada, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the Oilers, Flames, Canucks, Leafs, out-of-market matchups, the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the NHL Draft.

Broadcast Schedule

Coach Rick Tocchet tried Lindholm in two positions and in three different line combinations during the road trip, but declared after Thursday’s win that Lindholm will play centre, his natural position. For now, that means Pettersson, the Canucks’ leading scorer, will play on the wing. The third member of the all-Swedish line is winger Nils Hoglander.

The trio was plus-three against the Red Wings, and Pettersson assisted on both goals by Lindholm and another by defenceman Nikita Zadorov, who returned after a two-game suspension for a hit-to-the-head on Red Wing Lucas Raymond during the Canucks’ 4-3 overtime loss in Detroit on Saturday.

Pettersson was named the game’s first star, although Canuck goalie Thatcher Demko was equally worthy. But no one’s game was more important than Lindholm’s.

“I thought it was going to be a little bit easier,” Lindholm said of the adjustment to new, well, new everything. “Everyone has been great, but just to get used to everything. . . I thought it would be an easier thing for me to get used to the system and stuff. But I think that’s been more on me overthinking stuff and so on. 

“I’m here because they wanted me and to try to help this team do some special things. The first game, I wasn’t thinking too much. But since then I’ve been thinking a little bit more. That’s more on me to kind of, you know, just play my game and help this team and no over-think things.”

Lindholm’s only previous trade, from Carolina to Calgary in 2018, occurred in the summer. He had months to prepare for that huge change in his life. Two weeks ago, he was on plane home to Calgary after an All-Star Break holiday in Mexico when he learned he’d been traded to Vancouver for Andrei Kuzmenko, two draft picks and two prospects.

Lindholm had one night at home to pack for the All-Star Game and Vancouver’s five-game trip that followed it. Annica and Levi stayed behind in Calgary.

“It’s just an adjustment, right?” Zadorov said, having experienced the same transition 2 ½ months ago when he also moved from Calgary to Vancouver. “You’ve got to find a place. New atmosphere, new teammates, new everything. We are routine people, right? We do the same stuff every day for 11 years, so it’s important for us to be in that routine. That’s when you feel super comfortable. It took me a long time. Some people adjust quicker. He’s got friends, a kid, wife, dogs — it’s all combined. I think there’s still a lot of time until playoffs. He will adjust and he is going to be at his best for sure.”

How good?

“You will see,” Zadorov said. “I mean, he’s been our top player in Calgary the last three years. He’s an unreal centreman. I put him in the same category as (Alex) Barkov and (Sean) Couturier. When he’s really good, he’s in the same category as Patrice Bergeron — those Selke centreman who can play both ways. He is a great teammate. He can play anything. He’s a horse; he can play 25 minutes a night. It was huge trade for us and I was super excited when it happened.”

Through six games, Lindholm has four goals and an assist for the Canucks. Imagine what he might do once he gets more comfortable.

“We’ve been kind of bouncing him around so, it’s kind of a little bit on me,” Tocchet said after the morning skate. “It’s my job to get him settled in. I wanted to try a little different few things. I like him at centre. I’d like to see him settle in a little bit at centre. (Points) will come. To me, it’s being in the right spot at the right time when we have breakdowns. That’s when he’s really good.”

Five-on-five shots were 8-2 for the Canucks when Lindholm, Pettersson and Hoglander were on the ice. Lindholm led the team with four shots, and his 18:15 of ice time included 2:11 on the power play and 3:49 shorthanded. The right-shot centreman also won 12 of his 18 faceoffs.

“I think Hoglander plays really good hockey,” Lindholm said. “He brings a lot of energy and a lot of skill. And obviously, Petey is an unbelievable player, one of the top players in the league. For me, it’s just to read the play. . . sometimes in the corner, sometimes try to be high and responsible (defensively). I try to let them, you know, do their thing and try to be a complementary guy there.”

Lindholm had another chance on a two-one-one to shoot for the empty net and his hat trick, but dished to Pettersson, whose return pass was broken up by the Wings.

“We’re Swedes, you know,” Lindholm smiled when asked of the mutual generosity. “We’re good guys. I probably could have shot it. But I knew when I passed it, I was probably going to get it back. They made a nice play there on the backcheck. I’ll save (the hat trick) for another time.”

ICE CHIPS – Vancouver winger Dakota Joshua missed his first game with an “upper body” injury suffered when he fought Chicago Blackhawk MacKenzie Entwistle on Tuesday during the Canuck’s Gordie Howe hat trick. Tocchet offered no time frame for Joshua’s return except to say he won’t play Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. . . Zadorov waved off a late line change so he could be on the ice until the end of the game – just in case any of the Wings wanted to say something about his hit on Raymond in Detroit. None of the Wings did. . . Demko made 27 saves and had a chance at his first goalie goal, but his shot headed for the empty net was saved by Detroit defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere.

“I was celebrating,” Zadorov said. “Like, I saw him go for it and I lifted my arms already. I was hoping, but their guy late-changed and he was on top of the hashmarks there. But I respect that. Guys are making dance moves in overtime, so might as well go for it.” 

The dance moves was a reference to Detroit defenceman Jake Walman’s “Griddy” celebration after scoring Saturday’s game-winner against the Canucks on an overtime penalty shot.

More from Sportsnet

Canucks downplay Phil Kessel news, add emphasis on team

Canucks’ Joshua to be evaluated for upper-body injury, no timeline for return