“Yeah, for sure,” said Sturm, the new coach of the newly minted 2-0-0 Bruins. “I think not just him, but any of our big guys. We just have to make sure we’re going to be smart … We need him for the long run. It sounds like it’s not too bad, but we’ll see tomorrow.”
To state the obvious, ever-worrying fans of the Black and Gold, it’s an “uh-oh” moment whenever Lindholm, 31, leaves the action. That’s not going to change, not this season, and not for as long as he wears a Spoked-B sweater (possibly another four-plus years on a contract that pays an average $6.5 million).
Lindholm exited for the season last Nov. 12, while Jim Montgomery was still the coach, after fracturing his right kneecap in St. Louis. His departure wasn’t the sole, or even central, reason the Bruins didn’t make the playoffs, but it was a significant factor, particularly with a power play that sputtered and backfired like a rusted-out 1957 Nash Rambler the entire time he was gone.
The Bruins failed to score a power-play goal in 51 of 82 games last season, and 41 of those whitewashes came in the 65 games Lindholm was hors de combat. At some point, Montgomery or interim coach Joe Sacco at least would have had the opportunity to give him a few games as the quarterback of the power play. Surgery, and subsequent complication with healing, took away that chance.
With Lindholm out Thursday night after logging only 4:26 across six shifts, the five remaining defensemen had to absorb the 14-16 additional minutes he likely would have banked.
Charlie McAvoy, fresh off his team-high 22:31 in Washington, logged 27:26 against the Blackhawks. He should enjoy a Friday spent in a hammock. Nikita Zadorov punched the clock for 25:11, followed by Andrew Peeke (22:13), Mason Lohrei (18:42), and Henri Jokiharju (18:28).
A quick note about Lohrei: He finished last season with a league-worst minus-43. Two games into the new season, he is plus-1. A small sample size, but it does indicate progress for the young backliner.
Yet one more time, the Bruins have learned that it’s impossible to have too many defensemen on hand. It’s a league that puts blue liners through the wood chipper.
If Lindholm again needs time on the sideline, the next man up will be ex-Northeastern defenseman Jordan Harris, who wrapped up his four-year tour with the Huskies in the spring of 2022. The Haverhill native was a smart offseason signing, and if pressed into duty Saturday night, he’ll be able to handle the 15-18 minutes Sturm asks of him. Like Lindholm, he’s a left shot. Unlike Lindholm, he will not be expected to impact the game shift to shift
Following a long summer rehabbing back home in Sweden, Lindholm finally made it back into the lineup Wednesday night in Washington, some 11 months after being injured. He logged a robust 20:01 in the 3-1 win over the Capitals.
For today, Sturm et al. will keep fingers crossed that Lindholm is back sooner than later. It’s a lineup that can’t afford another protracted absence. He is, as Sturm noted, one of “the big guys” in the lineup, and it’s not a lineup deep in big guys. Lindholm, McAvoy, David Pastrnak, and goalie Jeremy Swayman are the club’s headliners, and a long-term absence by any of those four could be the difference between making the playoffs or logging a DNQ for the second season in a row.
The Bruins still have kinks to work out. They didn’t steal the win over the Blackhawks, who have at least an equal number of kinks and fewer headliners, but their overall game lacked flow, particularly when moving through the neutral zone.
By the looks of it, the Bruins will spend the season with an “under repair” sign hanging over their heads. That’s not a surprise, not after missing the playoffs last season and cashiering old, reliable names such as Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, and Brandon Carlo. Quick rebounds can happen in the NHL, but such bounce-backs normally are measured in years and not months
A team’s best players, noted a realistic Sturm, have to be its best players. If they’re not in the lineup, as we saw last season with Lindholm, best turns to bust.
It’s a team that needs Lindholm back soon, and back for the duration. Because while true that the 2025-26 Bruins will have to deliver on grit, and get contributions up and down the lineup, ultimately it’s the big guys who’ll define the winter and produce wins.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.
About the Author
