After getting off to a fantastic start, the rebuilding Vancouver Canucks have pulled off a deal that will surely send shockwaves throughout the HFNHL. While Canucks fans have seen almost all of their star players dealt in the past 18 months, they have yet to see a star player coming back in return.
Late last night, Vancouver completed a monster trade, dealing leading scorer and team captain Joe Niewendyk along with recently acquired Petr Schastlivy and a third round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for superstar and future hall of fame center Mario Lemieux. Lemieux who had previously played his entire career in Pittsburgh, did not want to be dealt, preferring to finish his career in Pittsburgh. Vancouver also recieved winger Aleksey Morozov and three million dollars cash up front in the same deal.
The wheeling and dealing did not stop there though, as Keogh quickly turned around and dealt Morozov to New York for David Tanabe. Tanabe brings the squad plenty of speed and puck moving ability and is expected to eventually be a top defenceman for the team.
The timing is puzzling though. The team is in a rebuilding process, but was thriving on the ice, and Niewendyk was leading the charge on offence. That being said, with the worst offence in the league, Lemieux is needed. Right now, the Canucks are in the playoffs, but if they drop, they may deal Lemieux at the deadline, which could leave Mario less than pleased. Nonetheless, something to keep an eye on.
A press conference has been scheduled for 5 PM this evening to announce the move. More to come....
Stan Smyl
Vancouver Province
Rumor: 2024-2025 Trade Rumors and Free Agency Talk | The Slow Crawl to the Season
