In the final four minutes of regulation time in Saturday afternoon’s game against the Washington Capitals, a disturbingly familiar scene played out. The score was tied at 2-2 when Capitals’ forward Justin Sourdif split the Bruins’ defense pairing on his way to the net, but Hampus Lindholm committed a holding penalty on the play. Lindholm simply couldn’t keep up with the Capitals’ forward and gave Washington a power play at the end of a crucial away game.
Fortunately, the Bruins penalty kill has been solid since returning from the Olympic break and was able to shut down the Caps’ power play, extending the game to overtime, where Fraser Minten secured the 3-2 shootout victory. The situation could have been easily reversed, though, as the Bruins’ record away from the TD Garden heading into Saturday's game was an awful 11-14-5.
They also blew their previous road game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, falling 5-4 in overtime after leading 3-1 entering the third period. The lone goal scored by the Penguins at the end of the second period to kick-start their comeback was a power-play goal caused by a slashing call on Lindholm.
Is Hampus Lindholm having injury problems?
The examples of Lindholm taking a penalty late or at a critical juncture in a game are just a couple of many similar holding calls and stick infractions he has been guilty of throughout the season. Lindholm is currently averaging a minor penalty in every other game (52 PIM in 52 GP). He has been having trouble keeping up with the pace of the game and defending plays coming his way. Even when he his skating with the puck, it looks like he is fighting his way uphill.
Lindholm’s fractured kneecap that ended his 2024-25 season early in November 2024 could be hampering him. Hampus has already made two separate trips to the IR this season, once in late October and again in early January, both for undisclosed reasons. One would have to think he is also dealing with aggravation of his knee. Hampus is granted some leniency as he is dealing with the recovery of his injury and is still a leader on the ice and in the locker room.
New pairing with Mason Lohrei and future with the Bruins
Since returning from the Olympic break, the Bruins filled in one of their gaps on right-side defense by shifting left-shot Mason Lohrei to his offside and pairing him with fellow left-shot Lindholm. Since the change Lohrei has been playing a smarter and more balanced defensive game. It makes sense that Lindholm would be a great mentor for the younger Lohrei, as they have similar builds and offensive-leaning styles. Lohrei has been trending in the right direction since late January, and the switch to his offside and pairing with Lindholm has continued to help him.
The 32-year-old Lindholm is signed with the Bruins until 2030, at $6.5 million per season. If the Bruins can fill their needs at RD and eventually move Lohrei back to his dominant side while continuing to mature his game, there could be questions about Lindholm’s future in Boston. Lindholm will likely continue to recover and play through next season; he also has a no-movement clause in his contract. The no-movement clause changes to a modified 15-team no-trade clause starting at the beginning of the 2027-28 season. If his situation doesn’t improve or gets worse, it could lead to the team taking calls and feeling out his trade value.