Predators Acquire O'Brien, Gendur from Canucks for Parent, Andersson

The Nashville Predators announced today that they have acquired defenseman Shane O'Brien and right wing Dan Gendur from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Ryan Parent and right wing Jonas Andersson. According to USA Today, the Canucks placed Parent on waivers after the trade. Parent was originally acquired by the Predators in the June 19 move that sent Dan Hamhuis' negotiating rights to the Philadelphia Flyers. He would later sign as a free agent with the Canucks. In 65 games last season with the Canucks, O'Brien had two goals and six assists for eight points and 79 penalty minutes. Parent appeared in 48 games last season with the Flyers, scoring one goal and two assists. Gendur split the 2009-10 season with Victoria and Johnstown of the ECHL, while Andersson played with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL.

This isn't a bad move for the Predators, as O'Brien will add lots of grit and toughness to their blueline, while Parent gives the Canucks a capable defensive defenseman. Gendur and Andersson are just depth players who will be destined for the minors this season. For the Canucks, the trade helps them cut some salary to help them get below the $59.4 salary cap by 3 PM EDT on Wednesday. O'Brien had also been in Canucks' head coach Alain Vigneault's dog house for weight infractions and his publicized forays into the Vancouver nightlife, amongst other factors as well. With the Canucks needing to get below the salary cap, O'Brien was the odd man out on the blueline and it should come as no surprise that they dealt him.

Canucks Re-Sign O'Brien, Glass; Add Weiman

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that they have re-signed defenseman Shane O'Brien and left wing Tanner Glass to one-year contracts. By signing Glass, the Canucks have avoided going to arbitration with him. The team also announced that they have signed free agent goaltender Tyler Weiman to a one-year contract. Financial terms of all three deals were not disclosed. The O'Brien and Glass signings are decent ones for the Canucks, as both players bring lots of grit and toughness to their respected positions. Weiman is nothing more than a depth signing, as he is likely to spend most of next season in the minors.

Canucks Sign Goaltender Raycroft, Re-Sign Defenseman O’Brien

The Vancouver Canucks announced on Monday that they have signed goaltender Andrew Raycroft to a one-year contract worth $500,000 and re-signed defenseman Shane O’Brien to a one-year contract worth $1.6 million. Last season with the Colorado Avalanche, Raycroft posted a 12-16-0 record in 31 games with a 3.14 GAA and a .892 save percentage. In 230 career games with the Avalanche, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, he has an all-time record of 94-96-16, six shutouts, a 2.90 GAA, and a .899 save percentage. He won the Calder Trophy in 2004 as rookie-of-the-year. The Canucks acquired O’Brien early last season from the Tampa Bay Lightning along with forward Michel Ouellet in exchange for defenseman Lukas Krajicek and prospect forward Juraj Simek. In 77 games last season with the Lightning and Canucks, O’Brien scored 10 assists and 196 penalty minutes. In 234 career games with the Lightning, Canucks, and Anaheim Ducks, he has six goals and 41 assists for 47 points and 526 penalty minutes.

The O’Brien signing is a decent one for the Canucks, while the Raycroft signing isn’t the greatest. O’Brien plays with lots of grit, toughness, and energy and gives the team plenty of defensive depth. However, he takes a lot of bad penalties and the Canucks were rumored shopping him at the 2009 trade deadline as a result, but found no takers. If he hopes to sign a long-term extension with the team next season, he will have to start controlling himself on the ice. Raycroft struggled mightily in net last season for the Avalanche and was relegated to the back-up role at mid-season. He will likely challenge prospect Cory Schneider for the back-up role next season and will really have to prove that he is still a quality goaltender despite his bloated stats. To me, this isn’t a good signing for the Canucks, as they could have signed plenty of other higher quality back-ups than Raycroft. However, his $500,000 is a very salary cap-friendly contract which could save the team some money to bring in players via trades later in the season.

Canucks Aquire O'Brien and Ouellet from Lightning

The Vancouver Canucks announced today that they have acquired defenseman Shane O'Brien and right wing Michel Ouellet from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Lukas Krajicek and right wing Juraj Simek. Ouellet had been on the trade block for some time, even being waived last week by the Lightning, while O'Brien popped up in the rumor mill in recent days. In 77 games last season with the Lightning, O'Brien had four goals and 17 assists for 21 points and 154 penalty minutes. He played in Tampa Bay's first game against the New York Rangers in the Czech Republic over the weekend. Ouellet played in 64 games last season with the Lightning, where he scored 17 goals and added 19 assists for 36 points. He had recently been demoted to the Lightning's AHL affiliate in Norfolk. In 39 games last season with the Canucks, Krajicek scored two goals and nine assists for 11 points. Simek has yet to play in an NHL game. In Krajicek, the Lightning get a defensive blueliner with some experience, though it does not help out their defensive situation since they had to trade O'Brien. Only time will tell if the Lightning will make another move to acquire another defenseman. They may want to consider looking at Bryan Berard or Richard Matvichuk for depth, as both players have recently been released from training camp tryouts. The Canucks get another very physical defenseman in O'Brien, giving them one of the toughest bluelines in the Western Conference. The Canucks also get some scoring depth they've been seeking with Ouellet. However, they demoted him to the minors after the trade was announced, which will not help the Canucks' lack of scoring if Ouellet sits in the minors.