First-Round Pick Suddenly Emerges as Solution to Vancouver Canucks' Issues at Center
Photo credit: Russian Machine Never Breaks
A former first round pick has emerged as a potential center target for the Vancouver Canucks to consider in early October as training camp & preseason winds down.
As the offseason continues, the Vancouver Canucks are still searching for help down the middle and while a second line centerman might be out of reach due to the cost of acquiring one, Patrik Allvin isn't done adding to his roster just yet.
A new new report this week suggested that the Vancouver Canucks will indeed use their remaining cap space to land a centerman, but with the free agent market quite thin and prices on the trade market sky high at the moment, there is another way the team could land some help down the middle.
Former first round pick could be potential waiver wire target for Vancouver Canucks
In a recent article on Canucks Army, Stephan Roget shared that one way the Vancouver Canucks could add to their roster before the regular season begins is through waivers as we always see an influx of players on the wire as team's finalize their opening night rosters.
Roget went on to suggest some potential targets the Vancouver Canucks could consider, if any of these names end up on the wire towards the end of training camp and one of those players is former first round pick Hedrix Lapierre, who is currently a member of the Washington Capitals.
"Still, Lapierre has come to be a dominant playmaker at the AHL level, and his run of production in limited NHL minutes isn't half-bad, either.
If the predicted happens and Lapierre is a late cut in Washington, he'll be one of the best options to hit the waiver wire this year." Roget said.
If the predicted happens and Lapierre is a late cut in Washington, he'll be one of the best options to hit the waiver wire this year." Roget said.
Lapierre, 23, split his time between the National Hockey League and Washington's American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears, last season, which was likely frustrating for him as he appeared in 51 games with the Capitals the year prior.
In 27 games with Washington, the Gatineau, Quebec native had just eight assists and was a point-per-game player in the AHL, putting up 32 (seven goals, 25 assists) in 32 games.
While Hendrix Lapierre wouldn't come in and fill the team's second line center hole, he would provide the club with some much needed depth down the middle in the NHL this season.
Given that he's still only 23-years-old, there's still plenty of growth to come over the next couple of years and he could eventually become a top-six forward in the National Hockey League.
Source: Stephan Roget/Canucks Army
8 centres with upside the Canucks could look to pluck from preseason waivers
8 centres with upside the Canucks could look to pluck from preseason waivers
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