After slow start with Canucks, Lindholm preparing to play ‘best hockey’ in playoffs

LOS ANGELES — Having failed to harvest bushels of goals and points that get players paid in free agency, all Elias Lindholm can do now is win. Which is why the Vancouver Canucks acquired him two months ago.

Lindholm’s difficult season got worse when a wrist injury forced the 29-year-old centre out of the lineup five games ago. 

Uncertainty about his contract and future beyond this season contributed to the Swede’s slow first half with the Calgary Flames. But after his blockbuster trade to the Canucks on Jan. 31, Lindholm scored even less.

His first six games with the Canucks included a pair of two-goal games, but in the next 16 he had one goal and three assists. Rejoining teammates for practice here Friday, Lindholm has just 14 goals and 41 points in 71 games. He is not expected to play Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings but should play soon.

The Canucks have only six regular-season games remaining before the National Hockey League playoffs open in two weeks.

“My main goal here is to win the Stanley Cup,” Lindholm told Sportsnet after the Canucks practised at the Kings’ training facility in El Segundo. “Whether that is me putting up zero points or putting up (many), I don't even care, honestly. But I want to be helping the team in the right way. And I think I can help this team by playing my best hockey and help this team take the next step and have a good run in the playoffs.

“Going into the last year of your contract and I'm a UFA after this season, obviously I put a lot of pressure — even before the season started — on myself. I wanted to produce and be the best version of myself and, obviously, it hasn't really worked out. That's just the way it has been. But then the trade happened and I was excited to be here and be part of this group, and hopefully I can play my best hockey in the playoffs and show the real me.”

The real Lindholm is one of the premier two-way centres in the NHL, a Selke Trophy runner-up two seasons ago who scored at a 31-goal, 72-point pace over 82 games during the last five years in Calgary.

The real Lindholm is “a guy who will do anything to win and help the team,” Canuck defenceman Nikita Zadorov said. A teammate of Lindholm in Calgary, Zadorov previously compared the centre to Selke legend Patrice Bergeron and said the Flames would not have beaten the Dallas Stars in the playoffs two years ago without Lindholm.

On Friday, Lindholm took turns with a couple of lines during drills. Coach Rick Tocchet has made it clear he believes the Canucks’ strongest lineup is built around a spine of J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, Lindholm and Teddy Blueger down the middle.

Lindholm left the lineup — ironically, after breaking a 15-game goal-less streak with an empty-netter against the Flames on March 23 — due to the worsening of a wrist injury suffered “a couple of games” before.

“It's been kind of brutal to deal with,” he said. “Obviously, you're using it a lot and when I played it wasn't getting better. We’re in a pretty good spot (in the standings) so it was a good time to step away and let it heal. I feel pretty good now.”

Tocchet was non-committal about which game might be the target for Lindholm’s return, but said he wasn’t worried about the veteran needing much of a runway to get ready for the playoffs.

“If he only played 200 games (in the NHL), I'd be a little more concerned,” Tocchet said. “But he's played 800. He's a veteran guy, he's played in the playoffs before. I bet he'd like to get some warmups in here and get in some games. But I'm not as concerned for a veteran. But yeah, of course, you know, I'm sure he'd like some reps.”

“I don't feel like I need reps,” Lindholm said. “You know, I'd rather play sooner than later. But at the same time. . . when I come back, I want to be healthy and be the best version of myself.”

Besides having time to heal physically, Lindholm’s injury allowed him to reset mentally after the constant stress of a challenging contract year.

“When I was younger and sometimes you weren't playing, it was good to sit upstairs and watch the game and see it from a different view,” he explained. “I was playing through this (injury) for a couple of games and it wasn't getting better, so it was good for me to put this to rest and heal and hopefully. . . be back playing games soon. I think it was a good refresher, to reset my mind and, obviously, try to come back and then be a better player.”

THE MARK OF Z

Zadorov got attention around the NHL, and especially in L.A., last week when he offered Sportsnet this assessment of the Kings’ ultra-conservative style: “They don’t really make plays; they just rim the puck and sit back all game. I mean, it’s their goal to don’t play hockey and don’t let the other team play hockey, pretty much.”

After using their 1-3-1 retreat to frustrate the Canucks in a 3-2 win at Rogers Arena, the Kings moved on to Edmonton, where veteran defenceman Drew Doughty told reporters: “Pretty absurd comments. We’ve heard the frustration from so many top guys, in-game. Guys yelling at our bench: ‘What kind of hockey is this 1-3-1 crap?’ and whatnot. It puts a smile on our faces to frustrate them a little bit.”

Apart from being one of the NHL’s best defencemen, Doughty is a chirper of renown on the ice. So, does Zadorov expect to get a Doughty headache on Saturday?

“No, I’ve known him a long time,” Zadorov smiled. “He’s a good guy. I’m not worried about that.”

The defenceman said he didn’t receive any blowback about his remarks.

“I mean, it’s true,” he said. “But they’re very good at it.”

GOALIE UPDATE

Injured star Thatcher Demko did not practise with the Canucks on Friday, but instead had another one-on-one ice session with goaltending coach Ian Clark. Demko is eligible to return from long-term injured reserve on Saturday but won’t be playing against the Kings.

Tocchet went so far as to say that minor-league callup Arturs Silovs could get another start, which means Demko may be unavailable until the final three or four games of the regular season. Regular backup Casey DeSmith is the expected starter on Saturday.

“Casey has done it all year for us and he deserves to play,” Tocchet said. “But I think Silovs, he could definitely play another game for us.”

Silovs has won both of his starts since being recalled when Demko injured his knee on March 9, and in Wednesday’s 2-1 road win against the Arizona Coyotes stopped 20 of 21 shots.