Bruins believed that Hampus Lindholm had ‘another couple of levels in him’ - and so far, he’s answering the challenge

Hampus Lindholm’s resume speaks for itself.

Drafted sixth overall by the Ducks back in 2012, the Swedish blueliner was as advertised during his eight seasons in Orange County — averaging over 22 minutes of ice time in six of those campaigns, while also surpassing the 30-point threshold three times.  

That two-way production and habit of chewing up heavy minutes were enough to entice the Bruins to relinquish three draft picks and two NHLers in Urho Vaakanainen and John Moore in a deadline swap for Lindholm back in March — with Boston looking to add another top-pairing stalwart alongside Charlie McAvoy on the B’s blue line. 

And with McAvoy on the mend for at least the first six-plus weeks of the 2022-23 campaign, Jim Montgomery and the B’s were more than comfortable with entrusting the keys to Boston’s D corps to Lindholm — with heavy minutes on the horizon for the 28-year-old skater. 

But even with Lindholm’s track record of stout play, Boston’s bench boss wasn’t exactly satisfied with just the status quo when it came to the B’s No. 2 D-man. 

"I texted him yesterday that he has another couple of levels in him,” Montgomery said of Lindholm earlier this week. “And he agrees. I think he's been good for us. I think he's been good since day one of camp, but I think there's another level in him that he can get to.”

It’s a lofty challenge to set down for a player, at least one who is already being tasked with keeping a patchwork defense afloat.

But so far this season, Lindholm has answered Montgomery’s challenge — and then some. 

When it comes to doling our praise for the individuals who have helped Boston jump out to an 8-1-0 start this season, there is plenty of commendation to go around. 

There are the star players who haven’t missed a step — be it David Pastrnak (now with a league-leading 16 points in nine games), Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci (when healthy) and a now-healthy Brad Marchand. 

There is Linus Ullmark, arguably the team’s MVP out of the gate after commencing his second season in Boston with a 6-0-0 record and a .945 save percentage between the pipes.

Of course, there are the under-the-radar footsoldiers further down on the depth chart who are pulling on the rope in the early going — be it vets looking for bounce-back campaigns like Nick Foligno, journeymen looking to find a home like A.J. Greer and unheralded contributors like Derek Forbort.

But when it comes to the current play of Boston’s defensive unit — a group that has now relinquished six total goals over this five-game winning streak — the efforts of Lindholm can’t be understated.

In a far-from-shocking development, Lindholm has been taxed early with a boatload of reps, especially in the first week of action when other top-four contributors in Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk were also out of commission. Through nine games, Lindholm is now leading all B’s skaters with 23:44 of ice time per contest — the 20th-highest mark across the NHL. 

Lindholm’s poise with the puck and sound decision-making may not always make the highlight reels. He doesn’t have the speed and playmaking prowess of a Cale Makar, or the booming howitzer of a slapshot that Victor Hedman wields. 

But on a D corps prone to miscues, especially in the early going when the B’s were still learning the ropes of Montgomery’s system, having a top-pairing regular capable of limiting risk with crisp first passes and sound defensive play offered tremendous value over these first few weeks. 

“When you have elite players like Hampus Lindholm, it's just talking to them,” Montgomery said of his conversations with Lindholm. “They don't need to show it on video because their brain works at such a high level that, to me, that's real easy. And that's why I think he has at least two more levels in him offensively.”

Even with his 6-foot-4 frame, Lindholm isn’t necessarily known as a bruiser, but the B’s defenseman has been more aggressive this season when it comes to playing the body and using that heft to turn skaters away from Grade-A ice.

Some of the merits of that added thump came through during Friday’s 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets — with Lindholm’s continued checks against Columbus winger Patrik Laine eventually prompting the sniper to lose his cool and try to finish a hit on the Bruin.

As Laine tried to enact vengeance near the endboards, his hotheadedness led to a complete structural collapse by the Jackets, with Boston countering with a counter-rush in the closing seconds of the second period.

With Laine behind the play, Pastrnak glided through the neutral zone with little resistance, eventually snapping a puck past Elvis Merzlikins to give Boston a four-goal cushion going into the second intermission.

It was a sequence where Lindholm didn’t earn an apple on Pastrnak’s tally, but his efforts of frustrating the Columbus forward set the chain of events in motion. 

Of course, beyond the finer details of Lindholm’s game, he’s also stuffing the stat sheet during his tenure as Boston’s top dog on the blue line. 

“I think it's more the offensive line part of just on and off his tape, whether it's him shooting or redistributing, especially on the power play,” Montgomery said of where Lindholm has more to give. “Because I think he looks to make the best play, and he's more of a pass-first defenseman than shot-first. And I just want to get him more into an attacking mindset in the offensive zone with less stick handling."

Again, it seems as though Lindholm is taking note of Montgomery’s musings — scoring two goals and recording seven points through these first nine games. His latest tally back on Oct. 22 against the Wild will likely be a focal point of Montgomery and John Gruden’s film sessions all year long, with the D-man pushing off the offensive blue line and snapping a puck home in a fantastic heads-up sequence. 

There are still 73 games left on the docket this season — but so far, Lindholm is going above and beyond previous projections when it comes to his role on Boston’s blue line.

And with McAvoy still on track to return in under a month, this Bruins D corps — once thought of as the Achilles heel for this club in the early going — could suddenly become yet another pillar of strength for a team that is rolling into November.