TORONTO — Elias Lindholm was on his way back to Calgary Flames from a trip to Mexico when he learned he had been traded to NHL-leading Vancouver Canucks.
When he arrived at All-Star, a new Canucks jersey with his name and No. 23 on the back was waiting for him. It was a welcome sight for the pending free agent, who expected a move for quite some time.
“I was prepared for anything,” Lindholm said according to AP. “Didn´t know when or what team and didn´t expect to be traded in the air back from Mexico, but I´m super excited to join this team and pumped to get going.”
It´s the second consecutive year Vancouver made a major trade on All-Star eve. The team sent Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders just before the event last season.
This time, the Canucks aren’t sellers. They’re atop the league and buying – sending winger Andrei Kuzmenko, prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, a 2024 first-round draft pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick to Calgary for Lindholm.
“I´m just excited we got this guy,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “He´s just going to fill a huge need for us in the sense that he´s a jack of all trades and he´s a great penalty-killer, too, and he can play power play.”
Elsewhere, Alex Turcotte had his first NHL goal and assist and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 to snap a four-game skid in the final game for both teams before the NHL All-Star break, AP reported.
Playing his second NHL game of the season and 14th overall, Turcotte – the fifth overall pick in 2019 – made it 2-0 in the second period and had an assist on Trevor Lewis´ goal with 6:39 left. Turcotte said the goal was so exciting he kind of “blacked out” for a bit.
“Just a big relief. It was all Mooresey,” Turcotte said about Trevor Moore’s assist. “He made a great play through the neutral zone, and I just kind of found the opening. It got to me and just ripped it. I was fortunate for it to go in. It was awesome.”
It was just the third win in 17 games for Los Angeles, and coach Todd McLellan, whose job security has been questioned, noted his Kings haven’t quit.
“We still have a long way to go get our game back, but to go into the break feeling a little bit good about ourselves is a real good thing,” McLellan said.
Dave Rittich, who played 17 games for Nashville in the 2021-22 season, made 38 saves to improve to 5-1-3 this season.
Carl Grundstrom also scored and Kevin Fiala added an empty-netter.
Filip Forsberg tried to rally Nashville with his 24th goal of the season at 5:15 of the third. Philip Tomasino scored his seventh with 3:24 to go, pulling the Preds to 3-2. Nashville snapped a six-game home points streak against the Kings.
Nashville didn’t seem to be the team for Los Angeles to beat with the Predators taking the first game in Los Angeles on Jan. 18. Nashville had won 12 of 15 between the teams, losing only three times in regulation in the last 27 games going 17-3-7 coming in.
