As far as I know, News1130 was the first outlet to report on Jacob Markstrom's contract negotiations earlier this week. Sure enough, the deal was done within a few days.
So—is there something to think about in these posts, which went up on Friday?
As of Saturday morning, I'm still not seeing any reports that Hudler has been signed. And honestly, I'm not sure he's a fit for the Canucks. Yes, he scored 31 goals two years ago with Calgary, but I think he needs top-six ice time to be productive and is not the kind of player who can move efficiently up and down the lineup.
At 32 years old and 5'10", 183 pounds, with questions surrounding his defensive acumen, I'm not sure Hudler is the kind of gritty, hardworking winger that we've been told the Canucks would still be interested in adding.
Vadim Shipachyov is a much more intriguing idea to me—but I'm not sure he's a real possibility. The 29-year-old was the leading scorer at the World Championship in Russia this year, playing mostly on a line with Artemi Panarin and Yevgeni Dadonov. He finished the tournament with six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in 10 games.
But it's unclear whether or not Shipachyov will be able to come to the NHL next season. Marc Dumont at URL Link the code is:
Habs Eye on the Prize ran through the murky details of Shipachyov's current contract situation with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL just after the World Championship in May.
One of Dumont's main sources, Aivis Kalnins, who covers the KHL, said Friday that Shipachyov's status was still uncertain.
However—enter Pavel Datsyuk, who signed his new two-year deal on Friday with—yep, SKA St. Petersburg.
Kalnins believes this move could impact Shipachyov's status:
Shipachyov is five years older than Artemi Panarin was last year when he joined the Chicago Blackhawks, but after Panarin's success, it makes sense that plenty of NHL teams would be interested in bidding for his services.
The Canadiens signed Alexander Radulov on July 1. I wonder if that would help to make Montreal a desirable destination for Shipachyov?
I also wonder, if he does become available, if a bidding war will put him out of reach for the Canucks?
Still—an interesting possibility to ponder on a quiet hockey weekend. I'd be way more interested in seeing him come to the Canucks than Hudler!
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»