The Calgary Flames look rejuvenated after the Lindholm trade

The Calgary Flames are back in the playoffs. Thanks to a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night, the Flames are just one point out of the wild card spot in the Western Conference. They are currently riding a three-game winning streak and have looked like a completely different team since the All-Star break.

It depends: Huberdeau will have his best game in a Flames jersey against the Bruins

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The funny part of all of this is that the Flames are expected to get worse going forward. Last week, they traded their most complete forward in Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks. It was a move that marked the beginning of their selloff period, as they were also expected to move on from Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. While those moves could have a serious impact on their playoff hopes, Lindholm seems to have really helped.

Kuzmenko is a great addition

While there were several pieces the Flames received from the Canucks in the Lindholm deal, the only player that returned was Andriy Kuzmenko. The 28-year-old has fallen out of favor with Canucks head coach Rick Tockett this season, as he's struggled with health on several occasions. He had eight goals and 21 points in 43 games before the loss.

Flames fans were hoping Kuzmenko would elevate his game to the point where he could move for a draft pick or prospect this summer or next season. However, few expected him to return to the caliber of 39-goal, 74-point player he was in 2022-23. Now Flames fans have a different opinion.

Even though it's only been two games, Kuzmenko has been impressive for the Flames. Each one has a purpose and more importantly seems to have helped Jonathan Huberdeau get his game on track. These two have shown great chemistry on the Flames' top line along with Egor Sharangovic.

Another good thing about Kuzmenko is that he seems to want to be in Calgary. He seemed frustrated with his role in Vancouver this season, and his fun-loving persona of a year ago seemed to have disappeared. Since coming to Calgary, he's been back to his former Kuzmenko self, always seeming to have a smile on his face and giving his teammates a good vibe.

Those good vibes are working early, and as mentioned, the Flames have been playing great hockey lately. Not only have they won every game since the All-Star break, they were all over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, a team that currently sits in second place in the NHL standings with a 32-10-9 record. On the other hand, the Flames were able to get a disgruntled Lindholm out of the locker room. By no means was Lindholm a bad team, but it was clear he didn't want to be with the Flames anymore, and his performance on the ice showed that. The former 42-goal scorer lacked intensity and had a disappointing 32 points in 49 games prior to the deal.

Flames are not provided

Despite many fans hoping the Flames will get a high pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the rest of the players in the locker room continue to struggle. Although they are not the most talented team in the league, they are very hard workers. After one season under former coach Darryl Sutter, they seem to have completely bought into Ryan Huska's systems. Leaving Lindholm, who no longer wants to be there, is probably what this team needed to get back into a playoff position.