Elias Lindholm

Entering the final year of his contract, Lindholm has gone from throw-in in the 2018 Dougie Hamilton trade with Carolina to an essential top-six forward for the Flames. The center has missed just three games over five years with Calgary, and he's recorded no fewer than 47 points in any of those campaigns. With 22 goals and 64 points in 80 contests, the 28-year-old struggled last year, as did many of his teammates, but there was some real chemistry between Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli on the top line. He's not your typical top-line center on offense, but he's a strong two-way forward who can make an impact in all situations. With his contract status, he may want to impress new coach Ryan Huska and incoming general manager Craig Conroy, but there's also a chance that Lindholm could be dealt away during the 2023-24 season if the Flames fail to return to playoff contention, and it's tough to see him centering a top line on most other teams.

Buoyed by a career-high and almost certainly unsustainable 17.9 percent shooting percentage, Lindholm finished with new high-water marks in goals (42) and points (82) a season ago, while also finishing with a plus-61 rating, second to only then-teammate/linemate Johnny Gaudreau. Lindholm's fantasy floor is enhanced by the fact he is one of the most durable players in the league and locked into a major role for the Flames, but both Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk left the team this offseason and it remains to be seen if the addition of Jonathan Huberdeau - who finished tied for second in the NHL in scoring a season ago - is enough to help Lindholm reach the levels we saw in the 2021-22 campaign.

While the shortened season did Lindholm few favors from a scoring total standpoint, he emerged as one of the Flames' most reliable all-around forwards. The 26-year-old shifted from right wing to center and consistently played the pivot on the top line. He produced 19 goals, 28 assists and 130 shots on goal in 56 contests while seeing a rotating cast of wingers, yet the Swede never went more than three games without a point. Both talented on offense and steady on defense, Lindholm showed solid chemistry with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk as his wingers late in the year -- that trio could be the Flames' top line to begin 2021-22. Lindholm carries 60-to-70-point potential while usually adding a hit per game and seeing usage in all situations, and he could be a steal in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.

Lindholm set a career-high in goals with 29 and added 25 helpers in 70 games last campaign. While he dropped from 78 to 54 points from 2018-19 to 2019-20, Lindholm's 17.2 percent shooting rate was the best of his career. The Swede has established himself as a clear top-six option during his two years in Calgary. Fantasy managers can count on Lindholm for 25 goals, and he's likely to challenge a 60-point pace for a whole season. He gets plenty of power-play time and also chips in solid physically having notched 93 hits in 2019-20. The 25-year-old could also see time at center this season -- that potential added versatility would make Lindholm a solid option in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.

Lindholm's first year with the Flames was a breakout story. Skating on Calgary's top line with the dynamic duo of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan helped the Swede make the jump from 44 points in 2017-18 to an impressive 78 points last season. In addition to a major improvement in terms of his linemates, Lindholm also saw his ice time jump by 2:08 on a nightly basis, averaging 20:02 per game. The forward played in all situations in 2018-19, recording nine goals and 17 helpers on the power play while adding another four points while shorthanded. The 14.8 shooting percentage he posted last campaign will likely drop a bit in 2019-20, but a 20-goal, 65-point campaign seems within reach for the 24-year-old. Lindholm will also continue to bring a physical edge to Calgary's first line this season. He notched 82 hits last year and has already posted two 100-hit campaigns over the course of his first six NHL seasons.

Lindholm was steady if unspectacular over the course of five seasons with the Hurricanes, registering between 39 and 45 points in four of those campaigns. Finishing last season as an unrestricted free agent and unable to reach an agreement on a new contract with the Canes, the team sent Lindholm along with young defenseman Noah Hanifin to Calgary, in exchange for Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and prospect blueliner Adam Fox. The 23-year-old Lindholm will be reunited with coach Bill Peters, who was the Hurricanes' head coach for the past four seasons. Following the trade, Peters indicated he would give Lindholm a look on the Flames' top line alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, a move which would give Lindholm significant fantasy upside heading into the 2018-19 season.

Lindholm skated mostly in a top-six role for the Hurricanes last season. He spent a good portion of the campaign on the top line alongside Jordan Staal and rookie Sebastian Aho, where he averaged 18:11 per game (including 2:12 on the power play) and finished with 45 points. Aside from missing a combined 10 games due to an assortment of injuries — one of which was reportedly a minor concussion — Lindholm has been mostly healthy the past three seasons, so durability is not much of a concern for the young winger at this stage. Drafted as a center when the Hurricanes selected him with the fifth overall pick in 2013, Lindholm has mostly played the wing over the past two seasons, but is still often called upon to take faceoffs (he won 55.6 of his draws last season). Overall, Lindholm is a versatile player that’s expected to form part of the Hurricanes’ offensive nucleus heading into the upcoming season.

The fifth overall pick in 2013, Lindholm was one of just a handful of bright spots for a mediocre Carolina team last year, falling barely shy of the 40-point mark for the second straight season. He also took a major step forward in ice time, cementing himself as a top-six fixture by averaging 18:07 of ice time per game, two full minutes higher than his rookie year. Lindholm was scheduled to undergo minor foot surgery this summer, but barring any complications, the 21-year-old should be ready to go when training camps open in September. He's only missed one game over the past two seasons, so durability has not been an issue for the young Swede to this point. The young Hurricanes are on the rise, and Lindholm should be a big part of whatever they can achieve as a franchise over the next several seasons.

Lindholm exploded for 17 goals in his second NHL season, establishing himself as a lethal sniper that the Hurricanes can build around. The 20-year-old potted four power-play markers, scored four game-winners, and fired an impressive 170 shots on goal, giving him 60 points in just 139 career NHL games. Expected to skate on the second line and first power-play unit once again in 2015-16, Lindholm projects to raise his scoring production again in 2015-16. The Swedish forward has a terrific shot and should do some damage on an increasingly dangerous power-play unit that also includes the Staal brothers and high-scoring defenseman Justin Faulk. Lindholm has gushing fantasy potential, so if he can stick in the Canes’ top-six throughout the campaign, a 20-goal season is a very realistic possibility.

Lindholm enjoyed a solid (if unspectacular) rookie year last season, providing 21 points in 58 games, including four goals and three assists on the power play. Keep in mind that Lindholm, who bypassed the AHL and landed on the Hurricanes’ roster straight out of the SHL in Sweden, started out averaging less than 10 minutes per game on the team’s fourth line, but gradually worked his way up the depth chart and finished the season as the Canes’ second-line right-winger alongside Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner. Assuming he begins the season in a similar role, there’s every reason to believe Lindholm will improve on his first year numbers. He has all the tools to become a top-six player in the NHL, so those in keeper formats should grab him now if he’s still available in your leagues.

Lindholm is a true blue-chip prospect who should be owned in all keeper leagues. He played 48 games for Brynas (SHL) in 2012-13, finishing third on the team in points (11-19--30) despite being the youngest player on the roster. He also was one of only two players on Brynas to finish the season with a plus rating (+1). He is a very solid kid with a complete 2-way skill set. Once he comes over to North America and gets acclimated he will rise quickly up the paper-thin Carolina organizational depth chart.