On Tuesday, Vancouver flipped long-time Canuck Jannik Hansen for a conditional fourth-round pick and prospect Nikolay Goldobin.
It was the club's latest move in their apparent shift into rebuild mode, and while some Canucks faithful might be saddened by the loss of a player who'd been with the organization since the 2007-08 season, the fact is, Goldobin gives the Canucks a quality young talent.
Here are three things you need to know about Goldobin:
He was among the Sharks' top prospects
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Goldobin was certainly no throw-in in Tuesday's transaction.
In Goldobin, the Canucks are getting a former first-round pick and a player NHL.com's Eric Gilmore touted as the Sharks third-best prospect entering the season. Goldobin is a highly skilled forward who, with some added strength, could become a dependable everyday player, Gilmore notes,
Meanwhile, ESPN prospect expert Corey Pronman ranked Goldobin 95th among the top 120 prospects entering this season, further praising his high-end puck skills.
He's a young, skilled player, exactly what the Canucks need to start filling their roster.
He's a high-end AHL producer
Goldobin's strongest asset is his offensive game, and his numbers bear that out.
Last season, Goldobin finished tied for seventh in the AHL in rookie goals with 21 - which also tied for first on the San Jose Barracudas.
This season, the 21-year-old is back to filling the net and at an ever higher clip. Through 46 games, Goldobin has 15 goals and 41 points, good enough for third in team scoring.
He was an offensive dynamo with the OHL's Sarnia Sting in is junior heyday, and if he can translate that part of his game to the NHL level, this could be another big win for Jim Benning and Co.
He'll get a bigger opportunity in Vancovuer
(Photo courtesy: USA Today)
While praise can be heaped on most former first-round picks, the question that almost always follows is: If he's so good, why did the Sharks trade him away?
In Goldobin, the reasoning is quite simple: Opportunity.
With the Sharks, Goldobin struggled to crack a roster that had very few open roster spots.
Factor in that Goldobin was competing with 2015 ninth overall pick Timo Meier, who's only managed to suit up for 26 games this season, and Kevin Labanc, who's become a Sharks regular, and it's clear Goldobin was in a tough position in San Jose.
With the Canucks - especially given the trades of Alex Burrows and Hansen - a roster spot should be available for the taking both down the stretch this season and down the road into next season, making the Canucks a great fit for Goldobin.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.