The Vancouver Canucks started off hot this season and seemed set to fulfill expectations for the first time in a long time thanks to the unexpected payoff of Radim Vrbata's offseason addition and Ryan Miller's stellar play in net.
A recent scoring dip coupled with the injury to defenseman Kevin Bieksa has cooled fan expectation and Canucks GM Jim Benning may now be looking to buy ahead of the NHL's March trade deadline to help assuage some of the issues currently facing the team - he may just not be willing to part with much in the way of assets to make it happen.
"Vancouver is looking for scoring. I know that they've had ongoing discussions - up until last week, anyway - on Bartkowski and the Boston Bruins because of the Bieksa injury," TSN Insider Darren Dreger said on Edmonton's TSN 1260, NicholsOnHockey.com reported. "But what I also know is that Vancouver is not willing to move out some of the assets that they've worked hard, the younger players, to add over the years. To get the pieces, maybe Vancouver has to give a bit more."
Matt Bartkowski, 26, is one of a number of young defenders crowding the space between the AHL and the NHL for the Bruins this season. He's managed only 20 games this season after appearing in 64 for Boston last year.
He's limited offensively, but he's a pending unrestricted free agent who could fill Bieksa's spot until he returns, then provide depth for the stretch run.
Meanwhile, despite Vancouver - and potentially every NHL team - having interest in Arizona Coyotes center, Antoine Vermette, it seems Benning is no longer chasing that deal due to the asking price, according to TSN Insider Bob McKenzie.
"The deals right now that Don Maloney is trying to do - the ones that are kind of front-burner for him - are his rentals. Antoine Vermette and Zbynek Michalek. Sure, would one or both of those guys look good in Vancouver? Of course they would," McKenzie said, according to NicholsOnHockey.com.
"But the price on Vermette, for example, is going to be a first round pick. Maybe as high as a first round pick and a young prospect. The Canucks are not going to do that. I just can't see it."
