The Carolina Hurricanes are not a team often associated with any preseason hype. Outside of their market, the team is fairly unknown on a national scale and there is little to no star power that exists on the team. Enter 2017 and all of this could change.
Elias Lindholm has won the confidence of most Hurricanes fans but has yet to get any real recognition on a public scale. Not to say that he should be mentioned among the likes of Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, but he has been a good choice at the center position.
Lindholm is in the final year of his modest $2,900,000 contract and he will be a restricted free agent going into next season. While he won’t be a high-profile free agent, he is likely to receive a lot of attention from other clubs. There is no real reason Carolina should let him go, noting that he has not performed at the level expected when he was drafted fifth overall. However, he has steadily improved every season.
Lindholm has managed to escape the label of a draft bust but has not managed to gain the title of a star so far in his four-year career. He rides his waves of successes then subsequently gets caught in lulls of poor play. He scored 45 points and logged 353 faceoff wins in 2016, both career highs, whilst leading the team on its franchise-long 14-game point streak. Unfortunately, we have only seen his best play come in streaks.
His spots of brightness were encouraging in 2016 and showed that he can control the center of play and lead the wings to the goal. Just as any player, all eyes fall on Lindholm in his contract year. The front office is expecting a career-best season and anything short could spell his expulsion from the Hurricanes organization.
He is beginning to be listed on fantasy sleeper boards and his name is gaining traction in trending lists. This swirl of coverage seems like a good thing, bringing attention to the club and the brand of the Carolina Hurricanes. As great as that sounds, we must remember that the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
Lindholm is not accustomed to being a popular player and the pressure he is receiving from his fans and coaches can make any athlete sweat before even touching the ice rink. The Swede must remember to take things slowly and everything else should fall in place. He is surrounded with great players like Sebastian Aho and Jeff Skinner that make life a little easier for the center.
Lindholm made his first preseason appearance on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lighting. Dutifully leading the team, he logged two points off two assists and had five shots on goal. He was held out of Carolina’s latest contest Saturday night against the Washington Capitals.
Just as any Sportscenter news anchor would say, Lindholm has the tools and the extra help he needs around him to succeed. He has a coaching staff that has full confidence in him transforming into the player they want him to be. Money is on the line and in his contract year, Canes fans should hope for a baller season from Lindholm.
The Hurricanes next preseason game is on September 25 at 9 p.m. against the Edmonton Oilers.