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Canucks trade Philip Holm to Vegas for Brendan Leipsic

Is Leipsic the 2018 version of Linden Vey?

Jim Benning made one of the “hockey trades” that he was looking to make at the trade deadline, a player-for-player deal that adds to the current roster.

Philip Holm made his Canucks debut just three days ago against the Vegas Golden Knights and is heading right back there, as he was traded to Vegas for forward Brendan Leipsic.

Did the Canucks play Holm against Vegas as a showcase, to give the Golden Knights a chance to see him in action? It sure seems like it. Despite being on for two goals against, Holm played a solid game and gives the Golden Knights some additional defensive depth.

It’s odd to see the Canucks trade away a defenceman, but Jim Benning recently raved about their defensive depth.

A week ago, Benning talked about potentially trading a “skilled player” for someone “harder to play against,” saying, “We’d like to add a big player, maybe a forward with some physicality that has the skill to make plays.”

Brendan Leipsic isn’t a big player, at just 5’9”, but he does bring physicality and skill. He’s a pest with upside, perhaps a Brad Marchand type of player. Benning does love his Boston Bruins comparisons, so I’m laying even money on him making that comparison later today.

Leipsic has put up elite numbers in the AHL, putting up 51 points in 49 games with the Toronto Marlies last season and 54 points in 65 games the season before. That scoring hasn’t translated to the NHL this season, as he has just two goals and 13 points in 44 games with the Golden Knights.

The Canucks are gambling on Leipsic finding his game in Vancouver, but it’s a fairly cheap gamble. It seems clear that Holm wasn’t going to get a real shot with the Canucks and is a 26-year-old defenceman with limited upside. It’s not like they spent a draft pick or a prospect to acquire Leipsic, unlike similar trades in the past, like the Linden Vey, Sven Baertschi, and Markus Granlund deals.

Leipsic has a history with Travis Green and a couple players on the Canucks, as he played with Sven Baertschi and Derrick Pouliot on the Portland Winterhawks, where Green was head coach for the 2012-13 season. Leipsic had a whopping 49 goals and 120 points in 68 games to lead the WHL in scoring that year.

It’s understandable why Green would push for the Canucks to acquire Leipsic, who could at least be an energy guy on the third or fourth line if he doesn’t find his scoring or playmaking touch in the NHL.

There are a couple concerns. The first is a philosophical issue: trading for yet another player in his mid-20’s instead of a draft pick or younger prospect is eerily familiar and doesn’t necessarily make the Canucks better long-term. The Canucks got three years younger in the deal; they could have gotten eight years younger.

That said, Leipsic is an intriguing player, whose great AHL numbers and speedy, grinding style could translate to him becoming a fan favourite in Vancouver. His underlying numbers in Vegas might give you some pause, however.

Only two forwards on the Knights have a worse corsi percentage than Leipsic, at 48.62%. The Knights have generally been a better team with him off the ice and Leipsic has generally been given favourable minutes.

In a vacuum, it’s a good trade, but within the Canucks’ context, it’s confusing. The Canucks lack defensive depth and didn’t given Philip Holm much of a chance to prove himself despite a solid season in Utica, while Brendan Leipsic is another AHL scorer in his mid-20’s that hasn’t been able to translate his scoring to the NHL.

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