New Faces:
Zack Kassian - A big, bruising, young power forward, Kassian adds an element that the Canucks have been seeking for awhile now. He will hit, fight and grind it up and he has enough offensive skill that he could slot into the top 6. Is he ready for that kind of a role yet? Nobody is really sure. Questions always arose if Vancouver would be tough enough to endure another deep playoff run but it looks like those questions may have been answered. They may have lost some offense but they certainly improved their size and toughness.
Marc-Andre Gragnani - A small-statured defenseman who isn't afraid to use his body, Gragnani led a woeful Buffalo team in plus/minus with a respectable +10 this season. He also has some offensive abilities. He led all AHL defenseman in scoring last season and has put up decent offensive numbers in his brief NHL career. At the end of the day, he is an upgrade as a 6th defenseman over Aaron Rome and Andrew Alberts so the Canucks improved their defensive depth.
Sami Pahlsson - An integral part of Anaheim's 2007 Stanley Cup Championship, Pahlsson is widely known for his defensive abilities. He is considered a shutdown centerman who can play against the opposing team's top line and is also very good in the faceoff dots. He has been buried in obscurity in Columbus the past few seasons and seemed to become stagnant playing in a non-hockey market. He has the ability to be a key component for a deep playoff run, but he won't contribute much offensively. He is also good friends with the Sedins so he will fit right in in the locker room.
Andrew Gordon - Nothing more than a depth move, the small winger will only see time with the Canucks if there are a number of injuries. He is a two-way forward who won't offer much as far as an impact with Vancouver.
The Departed:
Cody Hodgson - Canuck fans everywhere are sad to see him go. Hodgson was enjoying a great rookie season with 33 points, ranking him 5th in rookie scoring. He was an intrical part of Vancouver's offense because he was scoring from the 3rd line. The Canucks definitely lost some offense but he was considered expendable because of Vancouver's depth at center. Hodgson was likely the best player in the deal and Buffalo should be very excited about acquiring one of the best young players in the NHL.
Alexander Sulzer - Sulzer was nothing more than a depth defenseman for the Canucks, so his loss won't be a big deal. He will likely be the 7th defenseman for Buffalo and was likely thrown into the deal to even up roster spots for both teams.
Taylor Ellington - A throw-in in the Pahlsson deal, Ellington is considered a bust as a 2nd round pick in 2007 by the Canucks. He was unable to earn a spot with Vancouver's AHL team in Chicago this year and has been playing in the East Coast Hockey League. Ellington was under contract and team's can only have 50 players under contract at a time, so the Canucks needed to shed a spot in order to obtain Pahlsson. He will likely never play an NHL game.
Two 4th round picks - 4th round picks often never make the NHL, but sometimes a team will find a diamond in the rough. We won't know about the impact of these picks until probably about 3 years after the draft has taken place.
Overall Analysis - Time will tell if this deadline was a good one or a bad one for the Canucks. If they go far in the playoffs again this year and Kassian proves to be a valuable piece of the puzzle, then it would have to be considered a success. I think the winner of these deals will be determined a few years down the road when we find out what type of players Hodgson and Kassian become and what impact those 4th round picks make on the league. As it stands, Vancouver is as deep as any team in the league and stands poised to make another run at the Stanley Cup. It changes our style and dimensions but at the end of the day I think the Canucks may have slightly improved their team for this year. In five years, maybe not.
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