By Joel Smart (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: February 29, 2012
After fighting their way into first place in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis stunned fans on February 27, Trade Deadline Day, by making some of the biggest trades in the league. Fans had their hearts in their throats after learning that promising rookie Cody Hodgson, who they’ve been watching develop for the last several years, was on his way out the door – traded to the 25th ranked Buffalo Sabres along with teammate Alexander Sulzer. Coming to Vancouver in the trade were two young Canadian players: power forward Zack Kassian and puck-moving defenceman Marc-Andre Gragnani.
The Canucks also made deals to bring in Samuel Pahlsson, a friend and former teammate of the Sedins, as well as a less significant move that brings Halifax-native Andrew Gordon into the Canucks organization; though Gordon will likely play with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL unless the Canucks get into injury trouble.
Gillis was quick to defend his decision to bring in Kassian, a 21-year-old Canadian right winger who stands six-foot-four, and weighs 228-pounds. “I think we got more balance in our line-up, more diversified,” he said. “If you look at centre ice, we’ve got a lot of strength with a lot of veteran players there and the only real power forward we have on our team with that kind of size and speed would be David Booth and we now have a younger player, who’s 21, who has that.”
Given the criticism the Canucks faced in last year’s playoffs for their lack of big-bodied grit, the moves this year to bring in both David Booth and Zack Kassian–along with Dale Weise and Byron Bitz–seems to address those concerns adequately. According to the Toronto Maple Leaf’s prospect profile of Zack Kassian on their website, his favourite player growing up was then-Canuck Todd Bertuzzi. Kassian is also a vicious fighter who, in a February 16 fight against Philadelphia tough guy Tom Sestito, was able to drop the six-foot-five player with two powerful punches to the head.
Upon hearing the news of his trade to Vancouver, Kassian’s anticipation was clearly evident. “I’m very excited to be part of Stanley Cup contender,” the rookie told Sportsnet, “but at the same time there’s a lot of nerves and expectations. I’m very excited and I just can’t wait to get to work.”
Kassian knows he has to earn his spot, but as the 13th overall pick in the 2009 Entry Draft, he has a lot of promise. He has even been compared to Milan Lucic. It’s pretty clear, though, that he’s not really in the same category as a player like Cody Hodgson. Unfortunately, there just didn’t seem to be room for Hodgson to truly flourish with Vancouver, considering Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler have the centre positions locked up on the first two lines for the foreseeable future. Canuck fans will inevitably experience a certain amount of self-loathing when Hodgson, with more time and space to develop, starts to really shine offensively in the next few years.
There is potential for this deal to pay off big, however, especially in the short-term, as Kassian, Gragnani and Pahlsson all add important components for a playoff team that intends to go the distance. Considering Pahlsson was nominated for the Selke Trophy after he helped the Anaheim Ducks win the Cup in 2006-2007 (and also won the Olympic Gold that year), he has the potential to really help the team defensively in the postseason. “It’s been a few years since I was in the playoffs,” he told Sportsnet, “but I know I can give everything I’ve got.” The fact that he’s from the same city as the Sedins—and has enjoyed playing with them before—is a very positive sign. Though Montreal-native Gragnani is still developing, he will be useful in a pinch; it’s impressive that in 44 games with the worst team in the league this year, the 24-year-old has managed to wind up a plus-10, which is seven higher than second best on the team.
Though some may mourn the departure of an upcoming star they’d been so anxious to celebrate (we’ll miss you CoHo), a closer look into the deals the Canucks made ultimately suggests the team is more prepared for a shot at the Cup than they’ve ever been before. Time will tell.
