Trading places

Ryan Kesler is on the trade block and the offers are tumbling in. The Canucks are attacking this by narrowing down the players they’d like in return, and placing them on their big Kesler trade board. Here’s our picks of players we’d like to see:

Ryan Kesler

The Team: Vancouver Canucks (currently) The Line: 29-year-old centre; 6-foot-2, 202 pounds. Twenty-third overall pick in 2003.

Sean Couturier

The Team: Philadelphia Flyers The Line: 21-year-old centre; 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. Eighth overall pick in 2011.

The Good: He’s got size and skill and already has the defensive part of the game down. He put up 29 points in his first 60 games this year. Kesler didn’t get more than 30 until he was 24.

The Bad: Average skater. That’s about it. People say he may top out as a third-line centre. I don’t believe it. Has the ability to turn into a pretty great centre.

The Problem: The Canucks’and Flyers’ management teams weren’t really on speaking terms after Paul Holmgren made like he was interested in Roberto Luongo, then pulled the carpet from under the Canucks at last year’s deadline. Also, why would the Flyers let him go?

Brayden Schenn

The Team: Philadelphia Flyers The Line: 22-year-old centre; 6-foot-1, 190 pounds. Fifth overall pick in 2009.

The Good: He’s a banger who plays with that all-in style that John Tortorella loves. He can skate, but loves to hit and is third on the Flyers with 16 goals.

The Bad: He’s not likely to be a first-line centre, which could be a problem if the plan is to get a young centre who can pass Henrik Sedin in the lineup in a few years.

The Problem: See Couturier. Also, the Flyers are loaded at centre. Crazy deep. If they were going to trade Schenn, shouldn’t they be getting a defenceman?

Brandon Sutter

The Team: Pittsburgh Penguins The Line: 25-year-old centre; 6-foot-3, 183 pounds. Eleventh overall pick in 2007.

The Good: Another guy with that work ethic that makes Tortorella swoon.

The Bad: He’s a grinder. A career third-line centre and it’s not likely to ever get much better.

The Problem: He’s just not good enough to be the centrepiece of a Kesler trade. The Penguins would have to include an A-plus prospect for this to make sense.

Derek Stepan

The Team: New York Rangers The Line: 23-year-old centre; 6 feet, 196 pounds. Fifty-first overall pick in 2008.

The Good: Can play anywhere in the lineup and doesn’t make many mistakes. Under Torts last season he put up 44 points in 48 games.

The Bad: Has struggled under Alain Vigneault. Wait a minute. Struggled under AV, thrived under Torts. Maybe not so bad.

The Problem: Will Kesler want to play for AV again? I’m not so sure he won’t. AV leaves his players alone. Kesler likes to be left alone.

Boone Jenner

The Team: Columbus Blue Jackets The Line: 20-year-old centre; 6-foot-2, 204 pounds. Thirty-seventh overall pick in 2011.

The Good: Already scored 10 goals in his rookie season. He’s going to be a quality twoway centre with a $1,000 name.

The Bad: There’s nothing elite about his game and he may be a third-line forward in the NHL.

The Problem: Why would Kesler want to go

to Columbus?

Gustav Nyquist/Tomas Tatar

The Team: Detroit Red Wings The Line: They’re both wingers and both around 5-foot-10, 170 pounds. Nyquist is 24 and a year older than Tatar.

The Good: These guys can score. Nyquist has scored 15 goals and Tatar 14. Nyquist is the better of the two, and it was Tatar who the Wings offered for Alex Edler last summer.

The Bad: They’re wingers. And I don’t care. Sure, the Canucks are ridiculously thin at centre if they trade Kesler for a winger. But that’s what the Edler deal is for.

The Problem: Both Tatar and Nyquist are having great seasons. The Wings probably aren’t going to be thrilled about trading either. If it has to be one, it’d be Tatar. Not much chance they’re letting Nyquist go.

Tomas Jurco

The Team: Detroit Red Wings The Line: 21-year-old winger; 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. Thirty-fifth overall pick in 2011.

The Good: Point-a-game player in AHL this season. Shows you how deep the Wings’ prospect pool is. He is both a power forward and a sniper. He’s got elite stamped all over him.

The Bad: Despite all that skill, questions about his effort may mean he’s not exactly a Tortorella-type player.

The Problem: He is the Wings’future. On the other hand, Detroit isn’t getting Kesler without trading one of their young studs.