At first glance, this looks OK to me, and makes sense. The Canucks get two players who can play right now as well as another first-round pick. Bonino and Sbisa are right in that 24-26 year old sweet spot we're after, Bonino's a center who scored 22 goals last year (just three less than Kesler), and both have reasonable salaries and can be locked up for awhile. Bonino's starting a new three-year deal with a $1.9 million cap hit and Sbisa will be an RFA after one more year at $2.175 million.
There's always a chance that some of these pieces get flipped over to Florida as part of the package for the first pick but if anything, I'd expect that would be one of the picks: maybe our sixth, maybe this new 24th.
It looks like this deal will be confirmed before the draft begins. The action gets underway at 4 p.m. on TSN, and I'll be liveblogging over at BleacherReport.com.
Dale Tallon said yesterday that he has received some solid offers for that first pick including one that is "over and above" what they were hoping for.
I do think the Canucks are very interested in acquiring Sam Reinhart with that No. 1 pick, but I'm not sure we have the organizational depth to be offering multiple assets at this time. I hope Vancouver's not the group that's poised to overpay—and I wonder if Dale Tallon is posturing to improve his bargaining position.
There's something weirdly ironic about the fact that Dale Tallon was the consolation prize that the Vancouver Canucks drafted second overall in their first year in the league, after just missing out on the No. 1 pick and a chance to draft Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault.
The 1970 draft offered up something new - a can't-miss prospect. And, what's more, one of two expansion teams would have the opportunity to build their new lineup around that player. That prospect was Gilbert Perreault - a super-skilled forward playing with the Montreal Junior Canadiens.
The intrigue would only build on draft day when the spin of a customized roulette wheel would determine which of the two expansion teams – the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks – would luck into the opportunity to select Perreault.
The wheel was set up as followed - No. 1-10 was allotted to Vancouver while No. 11-20 belonged to the Sabres.
With a spin from NHL president Clarence Campbell, the needle appeared to land on the number one. Perreault would go to the Canucks. Until, of course, new Sabres GM Punch Imlach pointed out that the needle hid an extra number one. The No. 11 meant Perreault was going to Buffalo and the future Hall of Famer would wear that very same number throughout his NHL career.
Now that the Kesler deal is done, I think we'll start to see the action heat up around the league, with plenty still to come here in Vancouver.
The acquisition of Sbisa lends credence to the idea that they're trying to move Jason Garrison. Murph says it's possible:
This may be out there, but #canucks did ask Garrison to waive NTC last week and he agreed as long as he approves the destination.
Since I'll be liveblogging the draft on Saturday as well, I'll post again later tonight after the first round is complete. This might turn out to be one of the most dramatic days in Canucks history (no hyperbole). Looks like "Change is Coming" for real!
Gino Odjick Fights Terminal Heart Disease:
One other note that can't be ignored. Last night, Canucks.com posted a heart-wrenching open letter from Gino Odjick, who says he has been diagnosed with a rare form of heart disease which could prove terminal.
Gino was an amazing character and such an important part of the fabric of the Canucks teams of the early '90s. As Cliff Ronning says in this Brad Ziemer article, "He wasn’t just a good teammate, he was the ultimate teammate."
On a different day, I'd write an entire blog dedicated to Gino's contributions on the ice as well as his off-ice antics. We knew he'd been going through a difficult time this year, health-wise, but this news comes as a shocker.
At the end of the letter, there are some ways you can show your support for Gino. Our own Beatle_John has also asked that those of you who comment on our message board change your Avatars to an image of Gino with the message "We love you Gino." It's a great idea.
Hopefully Gino's adored status in our Canucks family will help to give him strength during this very tough battle.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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