Bruins newcomer excited to play with star forward.
BRIGHTON — Elias Lindholm arrived in Boston in August and has been getting acclimated to his new city. And after a year of not knowing what his future held, he’s happy to be with the Bruins long-term after he signed a seven-year deal.
But he could do without the traffic.
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“Not a huge fan, but I’ll get through it,” Lindholm said after captains’ practice Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena.
Lindholm figures to slot into a top-six center role — it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him on the top line — and help fill some voids with his 200-foot game the Bruins have been missing since Patrice Bergeron retired ahead of the 2023-24 season. The 29-year-old could see time playing alongside David Pastrnak.
“He’s one of the best players in the league,” Lindholm said. “Obviously, it’s if that’s the case, it’s super exciting. But we’ll see what’s going to happen. There’s a lot of good players in this team, and that’s why I wanted to come here. I think we have a good chance to do something special. And obviously, you always want to win. And I feel like, right here, we have a good chance.”
The Bruins fulfilled needs at center with Lindholm and added size on defense by signing Nikita Zadorov. Lindholm, who was traded to the Canucks by the Calgary Flames at last year’s trade deadline, shined in the playoffs for Vancouver with five goals and as many assists in 13 postseason games. In 26 regular season games for the Canucks, Lindholm amassed just 12 points.
“I always looked at myself as a two-way forward. Obviously, I think I can produce points,” he said. “Obviously, the last season didn’t go as well as I would like to. But I think in the playoffs, I kind of found my game again, and that’s how I want to play.”
Lindholm admitted during his introductory press conference in July that not knowing where he and his family would be long-term and the trade itself impacted how he played last year. But now that he and his family are settled — his wife Annica is pregnant with the couple’s second child — and know where he’ll be playing for the foreseeable future, Lindholm is ready to help contribute to the Bruins.
