COMPETING TO BE CANUCKS

After signing vets, PTOs are unlikely

Amid an off-season of organizational navel-gazing and uncertainty, we bring you this:

The Vancouver Canucks got the Markus Granlund for Hunter Shinkaruk trade right.

Even though the right-winger went from Canucks scorer to checker last season in a contract year — eight goals in 53 games with a wonky wrist after 19 goals with Henrik and Daniel Sedin in 2016-17 — Granlund’s versatility earned a one-year, US$1.475million commitment. The 25-year-old Finn is also buoyed by successful wrist surgery in March, and he will have arbitration rights next summer.

By comparison, Shinkaruk never amounted to much after the Feb. 22, 2016 deal for Granlund. The thought was Shinkaruk, selected 24th overall by the Canucks in 2013, needed a fresh start with the Calgary Flames. Ditto for Granlund, who bounced between the AHL and the NHL.

Fast-forward and in a swap of AHL wingers, Shinkaruk was moved to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday for Kerby Rychel, who was drafted 19th overall in 2013 by Columbus. Rychel has but three goals in 41 NHL games, while Shinkaruk has two in 15 and couldn’t transition his hotshot junior career — 91 points (49-42) with Medicine Hat of the WHL in 2011-12 — to the NHL. He did have 32 points (17-15) in 63 AHL games last season, but the challenge is to channel it in the NHL.

For Granlund, the challenge is to embrace any role.

“It’s tough when you start your shift in the D -zone,” he admitted. “It’s a long way to go to the other end. But if you want to win games, you’ve got to have players like that.”

It’s tough when you start your shift in the D-zone ... But if you want to win games you’ve got to have players like that.