Trader Jim is at it again.
He may have been left out of the mix on last year's February 29 trade deadline but since that date, there have been just two deals—and both have involved the Canucks.
Per TSN, on March 7 Benning dealt minor-leaguer Dane Fox to the Carolina Hurricanes for future considerations. Then, just before puck drop of Wednesday night's Game 6 between the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues, the announcement came down that the Canucks had acquired big defenceman Erik Gudbranson from the Florida Panthers.
I think it'll take awhile before we know what we have with this deal.
On the positive side, Gudbranson definitely addresses a need. He's 24 years old, 6'5" and 216 pounds, and plays with some snarl in his game. His penalty totals aren't especially high—he got into triple digits just once, with 114 minutes in 2013-14—but his 150 hits last season rank him 28th in the league among defencemen, in the same ballpark as Kevin Bieksa and Travis Hamonic, if that helps to give you an idea of his playing style.
Here's a closer look at a couple of those hits—both on Western Conference players.
Here's Jim Benning's quick n' dirty summary of what he sees in Gudbranson:
At 24, Gudbranson should be coming into his playing prime over the next few seasons. The Panthers signed him to a one-year contract extension with a cap hit of $3.5 million on May 9, which means he won't be eligible to be sign his next deal until January 1, 2017 at the earliest.
Gudbranson can become an unrestricted free agent in two years, on July 1, 2018.
If you'd like to read some praise for Gudbranson from his veteran playing partner Brian Campbell and teammate Willie Mitchell,
click here for Harvey Fialkov's story that was published when Gudbranson's extension was signed, for the
Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Here's more, from coach Gerard Gallant:
“He's a big, physical guy who plays a shutdown role for us,” coach Gerard Gallant said toward the end of the season. “He plays against the top players on the other team, blocks a lot of shots, kills a lot of penalties, does a real good job for us. Guddy has taken a big step for our team this year. He's very confident, moves the puck real well and is a big part of our blue line.”
The Canucks finished the season ranked 23rd in goals against and 17th on the penalty kill. They're both areas where the team needs to be better.
He's also said to be a high-character guy—and clearly had a fan in Mitchell, who was succinct in his assessment of yesterday's news.
At the other end of the spectrum, the fancy-statters do not like what Gudbranson brings to the table.
His puck-moving ability has also been called into question, and with a career high of four goals and 13 points in the 2014-15 season, he makes Chris Tanev's offensive output over the last three seasons look impressive.
The trade is the first for the revamped Florida Panthers' management team, which saw Tom Rowe moved into the general manager's chair and Dale Tallon shifted to a role as president of hockey operations just last week.
The Panthers' motivation to make the deal revolved primarily around an upcoming salary-cap crunch, with talented young players like Vincent Trochek and Quinton Howden needing new deals as restricted free agents this year, while Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau, Reilly Smith and Alex Petrovic are all RFAs at the end of the 2016-17 season.
Though Campbell and Willie Mitchell probably won't return to Sunrise, the Panthers have a well-stocked young blue line, and the emergence of Michael Matheson during the playoffs and at the World Championship gives them another player who will almost certainly be able to play in their top six next season.
At this point, it's hard to know if the Canucks have gotten themselves a stud shutdown defenceman who might have offensive upside if he gets a chance to use his big shot and will thrill fans with his crushing hits, or if Gudbranson will turn out to be another mistake-prone blueliner who struggles to get the puck out of his own zone.
As for the package? Once again, Benning has sweetened the pot with draft picks, adding a second-rounder (33rd overall) and a fourth-round pick while receiving only a fifth-rounder back from Florida.
Then there's Jared McCann.
Considering how frequently his name has popped up in trade rumours over the past few months, I don't think it's surprising to see that he has been dealt. Despite his slight frame and the fact that his biggest strength is his laser-beam shot, McCann was used primarily in a bottom-six role with the Canucks this season and spent a good amount of time on the wing after Markus Granlund was acquired before the trade deadline.
If McCann hadn't been dealt, my expectation was that he'd spend next season developing his game in Utica—and I'd bet he'll start the season on the farm in Florida as well. They're a deep team down the middle.
If you look at it that way—big-minute defenceman with five years' NHL experience for a minor-leaguer—perhaps it makes a bit more sense that Benning needed to sweeten the pot in order to come out as the highest bidder.
Also, consider that the Canucks aren't exactly the only team that's looking to shore up the blue line. Edmonton, for starters, comes to mind. How would you be feeling right now if it was the Oilers that had consummated this deal and added Gudbranson to their bottom six?
I don't love Benning's penchant for giving up multiple assets in trades. And for a guy who says he loves draft picks, he seems to have a tough time hanging onto them. But I think the trade will make the Canucks better next season and I suspect that's what Benning—and ownership—are trying to accomplish.
What say you?
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