Report: Canucks Could Trade Elias Lindholm to Acquire Jake Guentzel

According to a bombshell report from NHL insider Chris Johnston, the Vancouver Canucks are pursuing Jake Guentzel and are reportedly willing to move Elias Lindholm to the Boston Bruins to help make it happen.

Lindholm, 29, was acquired by the Canucks in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Jan. 31 but has not exactly made a seamless transition from team to team. Lindholm started his Canucks tenure off strong, scoring two goals in his debut against his old team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Since then, the Swede has managed just two goals and two assists in 13 games.

With the #canucks believed to be among those pursuing Jake Guentzel, word is they've had discussions about potentially flipping Elias Lindholm to the #bruins as part of the machinations to make it happen.

Nothing concrete in place at this time. Still lots of moving parts.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 5, 2024

The Bruins have a well-documented need for center depth as they continue a playoff push of their own, and Lindholm would make for a logical target, as he did before he ended up in Vancouver. It’s unclear who or what Boston would need to part ways with in what would likely be a three-team affair here.

As for the Canucks, their interest in Guentzel remained strong even after acquiring Lindholm, and that clearly hasn’t changed with three days to go until the 2024 NHL trade deadline. Without moving Lindholm first, the Canucks would be up against the wall with their salary cap trying to fit Guentzel in.

At the time of this writing, the Canucks have roughly $3.375 million in cap space, but that is without accounting for the pending activation of Carson Soucy from long-term injured reserve. However, that $3.375 million would be about what is necessary to facilitate a Guentzel deal; Guentzel currently has a $6 million cap hit, meaning the Canucks would need close to half retained, but not more than that.

As Johnston noted, nothing is concrete and things can change between now and Friday. Until then, keep and eye on the Canucks, Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Lindholm, and Guentzel.

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