Does Elias Lindholm trade make the Vancouver Canucks outright favorites for Stanley Cup honors?

The Vancouver Canucks made another big splash as they acquired center Elias Lindholm on Wednesday evening. Lindholm was arguably the top player available ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline and has only strengthened the Canucks roster.

Currently, Vancouver is tied for first place in the NHL with 71 points, which has been a surprise. The Canucks are getting great goaltending from Thatcher Demko while J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Quinn Hughes are near the top of the league in points, as all four are having breakout seasons.

By adding Elias Lindholm, the Swede will likely become Vancouver's first-line center with Pettersson and Ilya Mikheyev. The addition of Lindholm pushes Miller down to the second line and Teddy Blueger to the third line, as Vancouver may have one of the best center depths in the NHL.

Following the addition of Lindholm, the Canucks are now +1300 to win the Stanley Cup which is tied for the seventh-best odds in the NHL. Although Vancouver has the best record in the NHL and is atop the Western Conference, they trail multiple teams.

These include the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Carolina Hurricanes, and are tied with the Winnipeg Jets.

It is a bit of a surprise that the Canucks are that far down in Stanley Cup odds given how well they have played this season. Many analysts still believe the likes of Pettersson, Miller, Boeser, and Hughes can't keep this pace up all season and if that does happen, Vancouver will falter.

However, the addition of Lindholm certainly helps their chances to win the Stanley Cup and go on a deep playoff run.

What does Elias Lindholm bring to Vancouver?

Elias Lindholm will come in and be the first or second-line center with the Vancouver Canucks and add some more offense to their lineup. GM Patrick Allvin discussed the signing with the media:

“In acquiring Elias Lindholm we feel that he vastly improves our hockey team. He is a proven front line performer and will give head coach Rick Tocchet some more options when putting together our top two lines."

Lindholm hasn't had a great offensive season, but perhaps the change of scenery will help him. The Swede can also come in, play well defensively and shut down the opposing team's top players, which will be key for Vancouver in the playoffs.

This season, Lindholm has nine goals and 23 assists for 32 points in 49 games.