Patrick Cwiklinski

Salt Spring Island, BC • Canada • 17 Years Old • Male

Vancouver Canucks... Deal Or No Deal?

It seems like the Vancouver Canucks are the only team in the NHL that aren't going to be jumping right into the free agent frenzy come July 1st, simply because of the salary cap. However, this doesn’t mean we won’t see the Canucks make a pitch for a quality scorer by way of trade or even by moving a big player to free up some cap space. Here are some of the big names that have been rumored to be heading out and possibly to Vancouver.


Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks) - Rumors are heating up and so is talk of Marleau heading east to Montreal, but don't rule out a possible move that would bring the Sharks captain to Vancouver. Just after both teams ended their playoff runs, it was rumored that Marleau was going to be moved and San Jose was looking for an offensive defensemen, it was also said that Mattias Ohlund could be their man. We'll see how this plays out and who knows, maybe Dave Nonis will find a way to get Marleau after all.

Peter Forsberg (Nashville Predators) - The enigmatic forward could be on his way out of the NHL after numerous injuries leading him to miss a lot of games, it's a long shot, but if he's healthy, and the price is right, I think Forsberg would be more than happy to play with his old friend Markus Naslund. The Avalanche and Predators are looking to sign Forsberg but at the end of the day it's his choice where he wants to play and how much he wants to settle for.

Todd Bertuzzi (Detroit Red Wings) - No it's not a typo, I'm talking about the big power forward the Canucks traded away to Florida in the deal that brought Roberto Luongo to Vancouver. Bertuzzi may be on the verge of signing a deal with the Red Wings, but rumor has it that after a season full of injuries the asking price for number 44 may be lowered significantly. If Vancouver can match the offers of other teams or at least close to the offers, we could see Todd Bertuzzi in a second stint with the Canucks.

These are the three biggest names that I've seen that are rumored to become Canucks in the near future. Also, Dainius Zubrus, Martin Gelinas, Anson Carter and Dallas Drake (who has just been put on waivers) are all names that have come up in recent rumors. We'll have to see whether or not the Canucks will in fact make a move or just make minor tweaks, one thing is for sure though, it will all be cleared up in the coming weeks.