Hansen traded during OT loss to Wings
After handing one to the lowly Wings, rest of the season does not look bright
The Canucks are avoiding distractions like Vancouver avoided snow this winter. Each time you think they’re through the storm, another blast is right around the corner.
On Tuesday, the blast was Jannik Hansen. After taking part in pregame warm-ups, the player who has become the guts of the franchise was pulled from the lineup.
In hindsight, it made total sense. With the Canucks’ front office closing in on an important Hansen trade, he never should have been scheduled to play in a game the night before the National Hockey League trade deadline.
But instead of making the call in the morning, the Canucks waited until game time when trade talks with the San Jose Sharks turned up a notch.
And boy did those talks heat up. The trade sends Hansen to the Sharks for a conditional fourthround pick and Nikolay Goldobin, a nice offensive prospect who has put up 41 points in 46 AHL games this season.
It was the second great Canucks trade in two days, following on the heels of the Alex Burrows-for-Jonathan Dahlen steal.
It honestly may be the best two days Canucks fans have had since 2011. Hansen’s former teammates, however, did not respond well.
The Canucks played an ugly, disjointed first period and spotted a bad Detroit Red Wings team
a 2-0 lead. It was so poor, in fact, you couldn’t help but wonder if the Canucks really are going to get the seven points they need this season to get to the 65 total, infamously predicted back in the fall.
Sure, there are 20 more games this year and after losing 3-2 in overtime Wednesday they need just six points. But without Hansen, Alex Burrows and maybe even Ryan Miller, there are going to be more periods like Tuesday’s first.
This wasn’t a good team with those good players in the lineup. It’s difficult to imagine what it’s going to be like for six weeks without them.
Losing both Burrows and Hansen would symbolize a significant change in direction. The so-called retool on the fly would be dead. Long live the rebuild.