If not for the Red Sox signing Trevor Story on Sunday, the biggest move of the weekend would have been the Bruins trading for Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm. Lindholm, 28, subsequently agreed to an 8-year contract extension worth $52 million dollars, a deal which will keep him at the top of Boston’s defense corps until 2030. Lindholm will likely pair with Charlie McAvoy as shutdown top pairing, but he could also spend time on the second pair with Brandon Carlo to provide the Bruins with a formidable top four grouping.
Lindholm is a two-time all-star and minutes eater with some offensive pop. He has five goals and 17 assists in 61 games on a Ducks team that is young and trying to rebuild. He averages over 22 minutes of ice time per game throughout his career and has 55 playoff games under his belt including two trips to the Conference Finals.
The Bruins have tried to address their left-shot defensemen need in the past year with a trade for Mike Reilly and the signing of Derek Forbort. Lindhom provides an upgrade over both of them.
In addition to Lindholm helping maximize the Patrice Bergeron/ Brad Marchand championship window, his contract extension means he will be around for the prime years of McAvoy, David Pastrnak and Jeremy Swayman. The acquisition of Lindholm gives the Bruins a significant upgrade now and for years to come. He is not an elite, Norris Trophy type defenseman, but he is a very good player who fills a spot the Bruins desperately needed filled.