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The large query, after all, is the place Lindholm will probably be after the commerce deadline
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Elias Lindholm is, by his personal admission, not a lot of an advance planner.
On this case, that saved some trouble.
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Whereas Lindholm was stunned to attain an invitation to skate within the 2024 NHL all-star recreation in Toronto, the Calgary Flames first-line centre had but to make alternate preparations for the bye week.
He wasn’t left scrambling to scrap flights and lodging or request a refund on a tropical trip package deal.
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“I’m a type of guys that plans on the final second, so our plans have been form of made however not booked,” he stated with a smile. “So all of it labored out.”
There’ll doubtless be some last-minute journey preparations in Lindholm’s close to future — he’s anticipated to be on the transfer previous to the March 8 commerce deadline — however the 29-year-old is that this week representing the Flames on the annual all-star shindig. The enjoyable begins with Thursday’s participant draft and wraps with Saturday’s three-on-three showdown.
“Because it sunk in a bit bit, it’s only a large honour,” Lindholm stated. “It will likely be cool, a great expertise. And my mother and pop are coming over, so it is going to be good for them, too.”
As a hockey-crazed child in Sweden, Lindholm would plead together with his dad and mom to permit him to remain up previous his common bedtime to observe the NHL’s mid-season showcase.
“That was again within the days of (Markus) Naslund and (Daniel) Alfredsson and (Peter) Forsberg and (Mats) Sundin and all these guys,” he reminisced. “That was at all times particular, watching them and looking out as much as them. You have been so younger, you couldn’t watch too many video games again then. However I attempted to observe the all-star recreation from time to time. So it’s fairly cool to be there and to play in a single.”
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The large query, after all, is the place Lindholm will probably be after the commerce deadline. His unsure future — he’s within the last yr of his present contract and extension talks with the Flames have fizzled — will probably be a scorching matter in Toronto.
It’ll trigger fairly a stir if Lindholm is chosen by Nathan MacKinnon in Thursday’s all-star draft, since he’s rumoured to be a prime commerce goal for the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon may at all times blame his movie star co-captain Tate McRae, a Calgary-raised singer who was noticed in a Flames jersey when she attended a recreation on the Saddledome in mid-December.
Lindholm snapped out of a 15-game scoring drought throughout Saturday’s 1-0 residence win over the Chicago Blackhawks, his first snipe in additional than a month.
His present stat line exhibits 9 objectives and 23 assists in 49 appearances this season, which places him on tempo for his lowest level whole in any of his 5 full campaigns in Calgary.
That helps clarify why many within the C of Pink have argued Blake Coleman or Nazem Kadri or MacKenzie Weegar would have been a extra worthy all-star rep — this choice was made by the NHL’s hockey ops division, not brass on the Saddledome — however Flames head coach Ryan Huska believes that Lindholm deserves to be spotlighted alongside the very best within the biz.
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“I believe individuals take a look at him and see a great participant, however they don’t see the good participant that we see,” Huska stated. “He does all the pieces very well and we all know that, however some individuals across the league don’t see his offensive means. He has confirmed prior to now that he can play with high-end guys. He’s confirmed prior to now, and continues to show as we speak, that he can shut prime guys down. So we all know it, however I don’t suppose everyone appreciates the kind of participant that he’s.
“He performs probably the most minutes on our staff for forwards. Once we’re killing a penalty, he’s the primary man over the boards. He’s the primary man over the boards on the ability play. And he performs towards prime traces each night time. Oftentimes, when individuals take a look at a participant, they’ll see a man like an Auston Matthews scoring all of the objectives after which they’ll take a look at Elias and say, ‘Hey, he’s not even a point-a-game man.’ However he does so many extra issues than simply rating for our staff.”
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Which is why the Flames, if/when Lindholm is traded away, will actually miss him. It speaks volumes that this franchise most just lately despatched a centre to the all-star recreation again within the ’90s.
It’s additionally why so many could-be contenders will probably be bidding for his companies. The Avalanche, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets have all been linked to this dependable two-way sort and trusted faceoff man.
For the subsequent few days, Lindholm will probably be representing the Flames in Toronto.
And the place will he be skating subsequent? What uniform will he be sporting on the finish of the season?
There’s no advance planning for that half.
wgilbertson@postmedia.com
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