It has been well-documented that the Boston Bruins aren't the same team without Hampus Lindholm in the lineup. The return of Lindholm after missing 65 games last season was seen as a great thing for the Bruins, and the reason why they were going to be a bit better than last season.
Through eight games this year, Lindholm has been in the lineup for just three of them. He played the season opener and four minutes of the second game, then didn't return until the 4-1 beatdown at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche last Saturday night. In an attempt to load manage and protect his lower-body injury, Lindholm was a healthy scratch on Sunday night.
The load management should've opened Lindholm up to return on Tuesday night at the Garden. However, when the teams came onto the ice for warmup, the cheers for Brad Marchand's return were met with questions about why Lindholm wasn't on the ice. After he participated in the morning skate, everyone expected him to be back.
"It was a game-time decision, and he said he can't go after the morning skate today, or this afternoon,” head coach Marco Sturm told reporters after the game. "So, we'll see tomorrow."
Lindholm cannot stay healthy, and after seeing the state of the Bruins' defense on Tuesday, it's clear that this team cannot win without Lindholm, and maybe not even with him, which leaves the Bruins in quite a dilemma.
Where do the Bruins go from here with Hampus Lindholm?
The 31-year-old Swedish defenseman should still have plenty of tread left on his tires. His health hasn't been much of a concern since joining the Bruins, as he played in 70+ games in each of his past three seasons. However, the injuries are starting to pile up.
The team claims the lower-body injury is unrelated to his knee issue from last season, but this is likely not the case. Even if it isn't a "knee" injury, a year of rehab for something on a player's lower body can affect another part of his lower body, as he compensates for last year's injury. While the team has been quiet about the nature of the injury, there's a possibility that it is just related to the previous year's recovery process.
It isn't time to retire Lindholm yet, but it wouldn't be illogical to start having conversations about whether he will ever be the same. There's always a chance that he will be 100% healthy by November, and the team is just being cautious. Still, the fans deserve to be a bit concerned that their No. 2 defenseman isn't able to play. The best ability is availability.