A Big Opportunity to Upgrade the Vancouver Canucks' Defense is on the Table
Last week, Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin opened up his interest in trying to upgrade the teams defense, and their is one available with the Penguins that could make a lot of sense.
It seems that the forward group is looking pretty solid, especially with fan favorite power forward, Dakota Joshua returning any day now, but one area of the team that needs to be addressed is their defense, specifically, being able to move the puck efficiently. Obviously Quinn Hughes and Erik Brannstrom are leaders in this area for the Canucks, but when you move down their pairings, puck moving is not a strong suit.
Drance later went on to add, "And make no mistake, Canucks brass have absolutely identified the top four as an area to target for external improvement on the trade market over the balance of the season."
Why Matt Grzelcyk makes sense for the Vancouver Canucks
There are quite a few names out on the trade block that would make sense, obvious ones would be Calgary Flames d-man Rasmus Andersson, or Pittsburgh Penguins' Marcus Pettersson. But there is one other defenseman on the Penguins that is flying under the radar, that is former Boston Bruin, Matt Grzelcyk.
With the area of puck moving an offense needing to be addressed, 30-year-old Grzelcyk seems like a great option. He is known for his offensive game, scoring four consecutive seasons of 20-plus points, and having a lot of experience playing power play. Over his career, he has amassed a +/- rating of +130.
Although weaker defensively, with a cap hit of $2.75 million, and his contract running out at the end of the season, if the Canucks miss out on some of the bigger names, he can help the Canucks greatly with his strengths. In 13 games this season, he already has 6 points with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
