Hampus Lindholm has yet to play a game in a Bruins uniform, but the team ensured Sunday he'll be skating in plenty over the next eight seasons.
The 28-year-old defenseman was acquired Saturday by the Bruins in a trade with the Ducks and subsequently signed to an eight-year, $52 million contract extension. Lindholm was set to be a free agent this offseason but instead, is locked in long-term with the Bruins.
#NHLBruins Agree To Terms With Hampus Lindholm On Eight-Year Extension: https://t.co/LHU6f6s0p6
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 20, 2022
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek tried to sign Lindholm before shopping him ahead of the deadline. Lindholm said on Sunday that while the Ducks offered more money, they did not want to give him eight years. Instead, the Ducks traded the Swedish blueliner to the Bruins for a 2022 first-round pick, second-round picks in 2023 and 2024, and defensemen Urho Vaakanainen and John Moore.
An extension needed to happen to justify general manager Don Sweeney giving up so much for Lindholm. A first-round pick, two seconds and a young defenseman is quite the overpay for a rental. But it's a much more reasonable cost with the extension coming as a result of the deal.
With Boston locking in Lindholm, the club has solidified its top-four defensive group of Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk and Brandon Carlo for the next few seasons. It's a move that helps the Bruins win now, in addition to improving the team's future.
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Hampus Lindholm contract details
Lindholm received an eight-year contract extension that will go into effect next season, carrying a total salary of $52 million.
The contract is front-loaded a bit, with Lindholm getting a signing bonus each of the first four seasons, making the cap hit in the last three years $4.8 million.
Hampus Lindholm#NHLBruins
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) March 20, 2022
8 x $6.5M
Breakdown:
22-23: $5.25M + $2M SB
23-24: $6.0M + $2M SB
24-25: $6.0M + $2M SB
25-26: $6.0M + $2M SB
26-27: $6.35M
27-28: $4.8M Salary
28-29: $4.8M Salary
29-30: $4.8M Salary
Lindholm is represented by @4sportshockeyhttps://t.co/4WM3eArrN5
It also carries a no-movement clause the first five years of the deal and a modified no-trade clause the final three.
Eight years is a lot for a player who just turned 28 in January and will be 36 when the contract expires. But term was key for Lindholm to sign an extension, as we learned in the failed negotiations with the Ducks. It also keeps the AAV down each season, allowing the Bruins to have slightly more cap to work with going forward.
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How does Lindholm fit in with the Bruins?
Sweeney attempted to improve Boston's left side on the blue line this past offseason, signing Mike Reilly and Derek Forbort to identical three-year, $9 million contracts. While Reilly has been a decent addition for a second-pair defenseman, Forbort has not lived up to expectations, bouncing up and down the pairings, even getting scratched at times.
Lindholm immediately bumps both of them down on the depth chart. The logical spot for him would be alongside McAvoy, giving the Bruins a formidable top duo on the blue line. With Lindholm playing a more defensive role, that gives McAvoy more freedom to jump into the play and attack on the rush, knowing that he has a reliable partner opposite of him.
That's not something he's really had while he's been in Boston. McAvoy is sensational in a shutdown role, but has offensive attributes that he hasn't utilized a ton. He's a great playmaker who gets overlooked among offensive defensemen because of his responsibilities in his own zone. Playing with Lindholm, it would allow McAvoy to be a bigger part of the offense.
However, coach Bruce Cassidy likes the pairing of McAvoy and Grzelcyk together. The two have been one of the best units in hockey this season. In fact, the duo leads all defensive pairs and offensive lines in expected goals share (70.3%) and expected goals against per 60 minutes (1.46), per MoneyPuck. So if Cassidy does not want to break that unit up, that gives you a pairing of Lindholm and Carlo, two excellent shutdown defensemen who could pair against an opponent's best forward group.
Boston will have plenty of time to figure out the best combination of the four blueliners. Lindholm and McAvoy are both signed through 2030, Carlo is locked in until 2028 and Grzelcyk's contract keeps him in Boston for another two seasons.
Of course the focus is on 2022, and with the addition of Lindholm, the Bruins have a shot at a Stanley Cup. It was a much-needed move with the Bruins playing in a deep Atlantic Division and looking like a first-round matchup against the Panthers, Hurricanes or Lightning is on the horizon.
As Cassidy put it in his press conference Sunday, the Bruins "are a better team today." They sure are a better team now and in the future as well.
