Hampus Lindholm has had two very different seasons with the Bruins.
In 2022-23, his first full season after being obtained at the trade deadline the previous season, the Bruins started the year with an injured Charlie McAvoy and Lindholm stepped into the breach, putting together the best offensive season of his career (10 goals, 43 assists in 80 games), garnering some legitimate Norris Trophy consideration.
Last year, however, he settled into more of a defensive-minded role and his offensive production dropped off considerably (3-23-26 in 73 games), even though his third-period goal and spectacular assist to David Pastrnak helped the Bruins survive Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He wouldn’t mind combining the best of both seasons this year. He said he’d like to learn from being in a defensive role and still finding ways to create offense.
“I’m really excited about getting the season started because of that,” said Lindholm, who said in the offseason he worked on “finding more ways to get more pucks to the net. You look a the D’s who have a lot of stuff happening in front of the net, they funnel pucks and find ways to be shot-ready. As a corps and myself, I think we can do a better job of that, just getting more pucks to the net. Quality shots, too, to maybe create second chances or maybe get one in the net.”
Coach Jim Montgomery has said that he would like to see his defensemen push the offense more than they did last year. For the 30-year-old Lindholm, in the third year of an eight-year pact that carries a cap hit of $6.5 million, that sounds good to him.
“You have five guys out there and I’ve always prided myself on trying to make everyone else around me better,” said Lindholm. “That comes a lot from working as a group out there, doing a lot of give-and-go, talking. And with me and (Brandon Carlo) having played a full year together, you learn where you have each other. It’s a partnership. When you play with a D partner, it doesn’t matter if you play one game together or a hundred, you need to work together. It makes the game a whole lot easier.”
Lindholm believes his burgeoning familiarity with Carlo should help him eke more offense out of his game.
“Two big guys, both can skate. I don’t think guys like to play against us because of those two aspects,” said Lindholm. “Brando, you really know what you’ll get out of him – big, strong, steady guy. And I think that’s where I can lean on him and create even more offense because I always know that I have him there.”
Much has been made about the size of the Bruins’ defense corps with the addition of 6-foot-6 Nikita Zadorov. But there are no slow-pokes in the unit, Lindholm is quick to point out.
“Any time you can have a big D but also can skate, that’s our biggest strength. We have guys who can really move out there,” said Lindholm. “I think if you want to be good in this league as a D, you’ve got to be mobile and be good on your skates. Luckily, that’s a strength of our D corps right now.”
MESSAGE FOR LYSELL
Fabian Lysell, expected to be a candidate for the Boston roster, was a non-factor in Sunday’s first preseason game, registering zero shots and coughing the puck up a couple of times. His most positive play was preventing an empty-net goal on the late game 6-on-5.
Asked if the 21-year-old Lysell was just a slow starter, Montgomery said he didn’t know the player well enough to say that. But the coach said in no uncertain terms that Lysell needs to pick it up.
“He needs to do a little more than he’s done if he wants to make the Bruins,” said Montgomery.
Lysell was set to play on a line with center Jaxon Nelson and left wing Riley Tufte on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals.
LINDHOLM STILL OUT
Elias Lindholm, who hasn’t skated since the first day of training camp, is going to be on the shelf a little longer. Originally expected to try and skate on Monday to test out whatever undisclosed injury is ailing him, the two-way center was not ready to do so. Montgomery said he would not play in any of the preseason games this week, though he still termed him as day-to-day.
NOTES: Forward Max Jones, last seen playing in the black-and-gold scrimmage on Saturday, is also nursing an undisclosed injury. Montgomery termed him as day-to-day as well. He said Jones could play by the end of the week. … Better news on the injury front is that captain Brad Marchand, recovering from three separate surgeries (elbow, two core procedures), was back skating with his teammates, albeit in a red non-contact jersey. … The Bruins returned defenseman Loke Johansson, their sixth-round pick last June, to Moncton (QMJHL). The 6-foot-3, 215-pound teenager skates well for his size and is an intriguing prospect but he was not a threat to make the roster.
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