A fully healthy Hampus Lindholm makes the Bruins a different team
Hampus Lindholm's return to the lineup didn't go as smoothly as the Swedish defenseman might've wanted. Lindholm missed most of last season with a knee injury, and another lower-body injury to start this season had most Boston Bruins fans thinking the worst. He was on the ice for both New York Islanders goals in the first period of Tuesday night's return, but he slowly started to settle in after those hiccups.
""I wanted to hug him after the game, I'll tell you that. Maybe not his first shift, because he missed the net and then they went the other way. But other than that he was outstanding. He's definitely a guy we need in our lineup.""Marco Sturm
Lindholm's presence and chemistry with David Pastrnak were back on display shortly after those two goals against. The defender walked in from the blue line to sell that he was going to shoot, and fired a perfect slap pass onto the stick of Pastrnak for a goal. It was a great representation of the kind of impact Lindholm can have for all his teammates, and why he should also be the one passing the puck to Pastrnak from the quarterback spot on the powerplay.
""It's tough being sidelined ... It's nice to be back out there and I think the guys did a hell of a job tonight to get that win.""Hampus Lindholm
Lindholm has been adamant that the injury had nothing to do with the knee issues last year. He believes the injury is behind him and that he can continue to operate at 100%. If the Bruins are really serious about contending,
Lindholm giving himself the 100% tag is paramount. He adds much-needed depth on the second pair, chips in enough offense to make up for some of the team's issues, and his presence also helps Charlie McAvoy settle into his role. It's no coincidence that McAvoy had one of his better games of the season with Lindholm in the lineup (and maybe something to do with being away from Mason Lohrei as a pairing).
The Bruins need Lindholm healthy and playing like he did on Tuesday night. They are a much different and more well-rounded team when that is the case.
Vikings Trade Pitch Lands 10-Time Pro Bowler to Back Up JJ McCarthy
The Minnesota Vikings signed veteran quarterback John Wolford to the practice squad on Wednesday, October 29, but the team still has five days to take a swing at a bigger name with a more proven track record to back up J.J. McCarthy.
Wolford played for Kevin O’Connell when the latter was the offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams, so clearly Minnesota’s head coach knows and trusts the 30-year-old QB to a meaningful degree. But Wolford has seen action in just seven NFL games, earning only four starts (2-2). He has thrown for 626 yards, one TD and five INTs on 58.7 percent passing and hasn’t taken a regular-season snap since 2022.
If the Vikings intend to make undrafted rookie Max Brosmer their QB2 behind McCarthy and Wolford the third-string/emergency quarterback, then the signing makes more sense. But even then, Minnesota is risking a great deal.
McCarthy missed the entirety of his rookie campaign with a knee injury. He played two games to start this season and sat out for the next six weeks with a high-ankle sprain. Even though he’s just 22 years old and the sample size is small, history says McCarthy won’t last nine straight games through to the end of the season, and a porous and injured offensive line further supports that theory.
O’Connell and company traded for Sam Howell during draft weekend, but pivoted to Carson Wentz once they realized an experienced veteran was who they needed. That type of player isn’t available in free agency currently, though if Minnesota pivots soon enough it can still find one via the trade market.
Arguably the best option is Russell Wilson of the New York Giants.
Russell Wilson Threw for 450 Yards and 3 TDs in Week 2 Against Cowboys
Wilson isn’t the Super Bowl champion superstar that he used to be, but he still has something left in the tank as he approaches his 37th birthday.
He showed as much when he put up 450 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, who are admittedly fielding one of the worst defenses in the league, but an NFL defense it remains. Wilson also has 204 games played, 202 starts, nearly 47,000 passing yards and 10 Pro Bowls to his credit, along with the aforementioned title.
Should McCarthy suffer another injury, and should the Vikings decide they still want to be competitive if he does, Wilson is a far better solution than Wolford by any metric.
Russell Wilson Should Prove Low-Cost, Both in Terms of Salary and Trade Price
Wilson is also playing on a one-year deal worth $10.5 million, but his base salary is just $2 million. Thus, if Minnesota acquired him following Week 9, he would cost the team a total of $1 million for the remainder of the season and then become a free agent in March.
His trade value is also incredibly low at the moment after the Giants benched him for Jaxson Dart. Most likely, the Vikings could acquire Wilson for a sixth-round pick, or maybe even a seventh-rounder.
“[Giants fans] also must be prepared for Big Blue to possibly sell, with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston likely available for a song,” Eric Edholm of NFL.com wrote October 24.
