When Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm took a face off just outside the blueline of his defensive zone late in the second period last Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators, it was our normal run of the mill face off.
As soon as the puck was dropped, Lindholm, you could tell, was uncomfortable, and that something was bothering him. He eventually made his way off the ice and to the locker room. During the third-period, the Bruins X account posted that he was not returning to the game due to an upper-body injury. After the game, head coach Marco Sturm did not have an update.
As if the Bruins needed another injury to a center, Pavel Zacha, two nights later, left a game against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period with an upper-body injury. Sturm didn't have an update after the game, but on Friday, he announced that neither player was traveling to Florida for the Stadium Series game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night. Sturm said that they were going to go through more testing, but on Monday, the club announced a tough update for Lindholm.
Bruins place Elias Lindholm on injured reserve
Boston announced that Lindholm was placed on injured reserve on Monday and defenseman Jordan Harris was recalled from a conditioning loan from the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL). The Bruins will play the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night before heading off into their Olympic Break. This is his second injury of the season for Lindholm.
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 2, 2026
As for Lindholm, this puts his spot on Team Sweden in jeopardy for the Olympics this month, but in the overall big picture, it remains unclear how long he'll be out. This will keep Matthew Poitras in the lineup for the game against the Panthers, and it is very unlikely that Zacha will play either. Injuries continue to be a big part of the 2025-26 Boston Bruins.