When the Bruins inked Riley Nash to a two-year, $1.8 million contract in 2016, Don Sweeney and Co. seemed to already have a good idea as to what to expect from the 26-year-old forward.
Standing as a low-risk July 1st signing with an annual cap hit of $900,000, Nash was expected to chip in offensively on Boston’s bottom-six unit (22 points over 66 games in 2015-16) while lend a hand on PK duties (0:52 PK ATOI).
Nash performed admirably in such a role during his first campaign in Boston — appearing in 81 games and tallying 17 points while primarily operating away from the offensive zone (45.75 O-zone faceoff percentage).
But in Year 2, Nash emerged as one of the most effective cogs on Boston’s roster — down both ends of the ice — while staking a claim as one of the top steals in the entire NHL in terms of production versus annual payout.
As the anchor of a third line with David Backes and Danton Heinen that logged 331 minutes of 5v5 TOI together in 2017-18, Nash drove a bottom-six unit that tallied 14 5v5 goals — giving Boston some much-needed scoring depth further down in the lineup.
And when pressed into action on Boston’s top line with Patrice Bergeron sidelined due to injury, Nash thrived as the pivot between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak — with that trio controlling a 55.25% shot share while outscoring the opposition, 12-4, in 165 minutes of 5v5 TOI.
By the time he exited Boston by way of a three-year, $8.25 million deal with the Blue Jackets in 2018, Nash had gone from a solid, penalty-killing contributor into an invaluable Swiss Army Knife that tallied 41 points in his final campaign with Boston.
Nash might be long gone now, but when it comes to untapped offensive potential, Bruce Cassidy sees plenty of similarities between Nash and Par Lindholm’s game.
While Nash had surpassed the 20-point plateau in three straight seasons before arriving Boston, Lindholm's production in the NHL — albeit brief — has been a bit more muted.
Making his North American debut last season with both the Maple Leafs and later the Jets, Lindholm was limited to just one goal and 11 assists over 65 games played. It was a far cry from the numbers he put up in his native Sweden — where the 27-year-old forward averaged 16.5 goals and 39 points over his final two seasons with Skelleftea of the SHL.
Those offensive totals were expected to dip upon making the move over to North America, for sure. But Lindholm wasn't exactly given a chance to flex his muscles in the O-zone too often in 2018-19. During the 588:42 of 5v5 TOI that Lindholm logged over 61 games with the Maple Leafs, the center was rarely granted shifts in the opposition's end of the ice — with just 30.79% of his faceoffs coming in the O-zone. Only one other forward, Frederik Gauthier, had a lower Off. Zone Faceoff % (27.08).
Lindholm still provided value as a regular penalty killer in Toronto (1:39 PK ATOI) and steady, two-way skater in a bottom-six corps. But Cassidy believes that one of Boston's new additions up front could have much more to offer if given a chance to contribute offensively.
"I thought he’s a little bit undersold in that part of his game," Cassidy said of Lindhom's offensive abilities. "I think last year, when he came into the league, I talked to a bit about this this summer, I think he wanted to — not survive, but make sure he was good defensively and he thought he had more to give. And we’re seeing that. He’s got some talent, can make plays, sees the ice. I think his offensive game is there now."
Lindholm has certainly helped his case with his play this preseason. Even with his Off. Zone Faceoff % still hovering below 40% through three games with Boston, Lindhom has spent plenty of time holding onto the puck around the opposing net — with Boston boasting a dominant 10-2 edge in shots on goal during the 13:22 of 5v5 ice time that a line of Lindholm, David Backes and Anders Bjork logged together during Wednesday's win over the Devils.
(Over the course of three games, Boston's SOG advantage with Lindholm on the ice is 31-19.)
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Along with setting up Backes' backhand tally after shielding the puck away from Jack Hughes in the opening minutes of the third period, Lindholm nearly tallied his own goal later in the stanza, beating MacKenzie Blackwood in net but failing to pot the biscuit due to a clang off the post.
"They seem to complement one another, that line," Cassidy said. "Sometimes it just happens. Lindy’s a solid two-way player, so the other guys can go on the forecheck. Bjorky brings some speed, likes to carry the puck whereas Backes is more the guy going to the net, maybe getting it off the wall to the middle."
For a player that didn't seem to have a set role on this roster when combing through the depth chart back in July, Lindholm could be looking at some extended regular minutes as soon as next Thursday's opener in Dallas — especially if some of Boston's sidelined skaters are not back in the fold.
With David Krejci set to miss Saturday's preseason finale due to a lower-body injury, Charlie Coyle could get a look at second-line center for the matchup against the Blackhawks, while Lindholm centered a third line with Bjork and Brett Ritchie during Friday's practice at Warrior Ice Arena.
"He looks like he’s a guy that you could plug in (with) one of your top guys, I’m certain he could go in there for a few games and play with the (Jake) DeBrusks and distribute the puck well enough for the Marchys (Brad Marchand), whoever it happens to be," Cassidy said of Lindholm. "He’s an example of — can probably give you some games there, kind of like Riley Nash did."
If Krejci is not cleared by next Thursday, Lindholm could find himself in a similar situation that Nash was in during the 2017-18 campaign as the club's third-line center (albeit on a short-term basis). If Krejci is given the green light, the versatile Lindholm could likely still earn a starting role on this club, given that Joakim Nordstrom's status for the opener is a bit murky given his slow recovery from a foot fracture.
"He won't play tomorrow," Cassidy said of Nordstrom. "I was hoping that he'd get a game in before it was all said and done. We didn't think he would play until at least Wednesday or Saturday, but he's got neither. So, a little behind schedule. We'll see how that plays out. … "I think something just lingered. I guess setback may be the word."
Whichever spot Lindholm fills in the lineup — 3C, 4C, 4LW, hell, might as well add him to the 2RW carousel at this point — Cassidy believes that the Swede can offer much more than what his baseline numbers might project.
And even if he's not the second coming of Nash, Boston still has plenty of value locked in ($850,000 annual cap hit) with a steady, penalty-killing, fourth liner.
It remains to be seen what kind of opportunities Lindholm will be given to showcase that offensive spark in 2019-20. But given the nature of a grueling regular-season campaign in the NHL, the injury bug will make its presence felt. And valuable minutes are going to be up for grabs.