The Boston Bruins put a lot of expectations on Elias Lindholm after signing him to a 7 year, $54.25 million contract in the offseason. But the 2024-25 season didn’t go as planned for the 30 year old center and neither did he nor the team know what to do. But his strong finish has set him up for redemption in 2025-26.
A Rocky Start to the 2024-25 Campaign
Lindholm’s season got off to a rough start when he missed 9 days of training camp due to an injury. On Thursday, during the Bruins’ breakup day at Warrior Ice Arena, Lindholm revealed that a back injury he suffered in early August kept him out for most of the preseason.
“The main reason was probably that I got injured,” Lindholm said. “But yeah, definitely, you sign a big contract, you want to perform and deliver.”
The pressure mounted as Lindholm struggled to find chemistry with David Pastrnak and his own game early in the season. He was demoted from the top line, and that added to his frustration.
“It’s been a lot of good years here (in Boston) and obviously this year wasn’t as good,” Lindholm said. “So you kind of put a lot of blame on yourself when you’re here to kind of help the team. And it went the other way. So yeah, definitely some pressure but it’s for everyone.”
Finding His Groove Late in the Season
Things started to come together for Lindholm after the trade deadline when interim head coach Joe Sacco put him back with Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie. Over the final 16 games of the season, Lindholm had 6 goals and 9 assists, 3rd on the team in scoring with 17 goals and 30 assists for 47 points overall.
“I was chasing it for a long time there,” Lindholm said. “Couldn’t do too much on the ice or off the ice, and felt like I was behind and tried to get back in shape to play at a high level, but felt like I was behind for a long time. But, yeah, definitely at the end I started feeling better and started playing better.”
This late season run has Lindholm feeling good heading into the offseason.
“For myself, it was something to kind of put in my back pocket and build off and try to improve in the summer and come back and hopefully have a better camp, be healthy, and start where I left off and help this team next year.”
What Teammates Are Saying About Lindholm?
Defenseman Nikita Zadorov has played with Lindholm for five years in Calgary and Vancouver and knows what the center brings to the table even when the numbers don’t show it.
“He’s a leader, for sure,” Zadorov said. “And you see the last seven, eight games and they put him with Pasta like he’s been playing. That’s where we expect him. He had some stuff to deal with this year and no excuses, obviously, but I’ve seen him at his best. I know what he can bring and I know he’s an unbelievable playoff player as well … and he’s gonna bounce back for sure.”
Zadorov also pointed out Lindholm’s intangibles that fans don’t see.
“You guys look at the points, yeah, he didn’t produce points, but you don’t see the other stuff. What he does good, faceoffs, PK, he plays power play. He’s a great complementary player. He’s always in the right position for D. He’s a perfect center to play with.”
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