Utah Named Possible Suitor for Canucks Star

Another day, another player that the new Utah NHL franchise could be a possible suitor for. This time it is Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Lindholm.

There are a few destinations that make sense for him this off-season. The Boston Bruins, the Carolina Hurricanes, Utah, and the Canucks. All four teams could push hard to bring him in next season or retain his services.

This is the type of player that Utah can shortchange; they are willing to spend the money, so they need to. He could truly impact his roster and the young core that they have with Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, and Josh Doan.

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Lindholm was traded early in the 2023–24 season from the Calgary Flames to the Canucks, and it seemed that the change may have taken some time to get used to. He appeared to struggle this season with only 15 goals and 44 points in 75 games; he wasn't as offensively dominant as he had been in previous years.

In the playoffs with the Canucks, he did turn it around. In 13 games, he has five goals and five assists for 10 points and was a +4. He showed flashes of his old self, and that should have a lot of NHL teams excited to see him.

Utah needs a game-changer, someone who can score 70–80 points alongside Keller. Lindholm has the makeup to do so, and with the attraction of the Utah arena, fans, and hockey market, he may just be as interested.

For Utah, money won't be an issue, unlike the three other teams previously listed. They will spend the necessary cash needed to help this team find success. In terms of Lindholm's contract, he will likely want something in the range of $7–8 million for five-seven years for a total of around $35–50 million, which Utah's owner, Ryan Smith, will gladly pay.