Vancouver Canucks Completed Trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins Has Former NHL Executive Scratching His Head
Photo credit: BILDBYRAN
A former NHL executive believes that the Vancouver Canucks made a mistake by including prospect Melvin Fernstrom in a trade with Pittsburgh last month.
January 31st was a busy day for Patrik Allvin as he traded J.T. Miller to the Rangers, while also adding Marcus Pettersson in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins which saw the Canucks give up Swedish prospect Melvin Fernstrom and a first-round pick (acquired from New York), among other pieces, in the package.
Former NHL executive believes Vancouver Canucks made mistake trading Melvin Fernstrom
As with any trade in the National Hockey League, or any other sports league for that matter, when you want a certain asset, you need to give to get and that's what Patrik Allvin did with Marcus Pettersson, who they've coveted since last summer.
Steve Werier, who spent the 2016-17 season as an Assistant General Manager with the Florida Panthers, believes that the Vancouver Canucks have made a mistake by including Melvin Fernstrom in the deal with Pittsburgh.
Werier says that Vancouver Canucks has great amateur scouts who identified Melvin Fernstrom and that throwing him in the trade, along with that first-round pick, wasn't a great move from the club.
"Second:
Vancouver has (now) and had recently (Judd Brackett) great amateur scouts. That's partly why I took such issue with them throwing in PIT 2024 Van 3rd rounder Melvin Fernstrom along with that 2026 1st. Bad process..
Since the trade, Fernstorm has been 🔥🔥in the SHL."
Vancouver has (now) and had recently (Judd Brackett) great amateur scouts. That's partly why I took such issue with them throwing in PIT 2024 Van 3rd rounder Melvin Fernstrom along with that 2026 1st. Bad process..
Since the trade, Fernstorm has been 🔥🔥in the SHL."
In his last ten games with Orebro HK in the Swedish Hockey League, the 18-year-old has been solid, registering eight points (four goals, four assists).
As with any prospect, it's never easy to predict their development path and while Melvin Fernstrom might be having a pretty good season for an 18-year-old in one of the top leagues in Europe, he could always take a step back next season. You never really know.
With that said, in order to get a top-four defenseman, which the Vancouver Canucks have desperately needed for a while now, they had to part with Fernstrom, and in doing so, have lost a big piece in their prospect pool
Along with Melvin Fernstrom and that first-round pick they acquired from the Rangers in the J.T. Miller trade, Patrik Allvin included Danton Heinen and Vincent Desharnais, while bringing in forward Drew O'Connor to help in a middle-six role.
Sure, it's a very small sample size, but the new additions in Vancouver have played well so far and have each earned contract extensions with the club, including a six-year deal for Marcus Pettersson and a two-year pact with Drew O'Connor.
Once Melvin Fernstrom makes the jump to North America with Pittsburgh in the coming years, then it'll be time to judge whether or not the Vancouver Canucks truly made a mistake including him in the deal.
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