Bruins coach Marco Sturm not shedding religion in Elias Lindholm after down 12 months

“For me he is nonetheless a dependable centerman who I belief.”

Marco Sturm hopes Elias Lindholm performs an enormous position in Boston this season. (Ken McGagh/The Boston Globe)

The Bruins made a little bit of an uncharacteristically aggressive effort to accumulate Elias Lindholm in the summertime of 2024. His two seasons in Boston have been largely uneventful, although.

Each years he scored 17 objectives, ending with 47 factors in 2024-25 and 48 in 2025-26. These numbers could be positive if he hadn’t been tabbed because the top-line heart to enrich offensive celebrity David Pastrnak within the black-and-gold sweater.

And to make issues worse, Lindholm revealed this offseason that he’d been taking part in by means of a major again damage for almost his complete tenure in Boston. That’s led to some doubts about his future capabilities as a first- or second-line heart for the Bruins.

However Marco Sturm isn’t able to relegate Lindholm to the bottom-six but. Talking on Evan Marinofsky’s “Bruins Beat” podcast, Sturm voiced an optimistic outlook for Lindholm, particularly concerning his well being main into the season.

“I do assume so, personally. I actually hope so,” Sturm mentioned when requested if Lindholm can nonetheless be on one of many prime strains. “I can’t look inside his physique, however I believe he says he felt good, had a superb summer time. Began skating once more [with] no complaints, however hopefully it’s going to remain like that.

Boston has some promising expertise rising by means of its pipeline, together with James Hagens, who actually seems able to dealing with top-line duties at the same time as a younger prospect. However Sturm famous he’s going to let each participant, younger and outdated, earn no matter spot they wind up on this 12 months.

For Lindholm, the hope is that he rediscovers his footing at or close to the highest. Sturm reminisced about watching Lindholm tear it up on the Calgary Flames just a few years earlier than each he and Lindholm landed in Boston. Lindholm’s finest season in Calgary noticed him file 82 factors and 42 objectives — over double his objective output in both of his Bruins seasons.

Is that Lindholm nonetheless round someplace? That’s anyone’s guess. However Sturm is aware of that even the model he’s gotten with the Bruins has loads of upside.

“For me he’s nonetheless a dependable centerman who I belief,” Sturm mentioned. “Sure, lots of people would really like him to attain extra objectives and have extra factors, I get that, all of us need that. He needs it, too. But in addition, he does loads of good issues. Performs a 200-foot, two-way sport. … We clearly wish to get extra out of him, however we don’t overlook that he does loads of good issues that folks don’t even see.

“He’s nonetheless an enormous a part of our group, and if we may get extra out of him that may be good.”

Lindholm is coming into 12 months 14 within the NHL, and he’ll be tasked with serving to lead a hungry Boston roster that outperformed expectations final season. And this season will probably be telling whether or not he can stay as much as the expectations positioned on him individually.