Vancouver Canucks add much-needed speed in Brendan Leipsic

The Vancouver Canucks swung a trade with the Pacific Division rival Vegas Golden Knights, landing winger Brendan Leipsic. The cost was a talented blueliner in Philip Holm, but Leipsic adds crucial depth to the wing.

It wasn’t Chris Tanev, Thomas Vanek or Ben Hutton, but Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning did move out a player on Monday’s trade deadline. He shipped out defenceman Philip Holm to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for winger Brendan Leipsic.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie broke the news:

This trade may be questionable to a handful of Canucks fans and pundits, given Holm’s upside as a puck-moving blueliner. But adding Leipsic was a great move on Benning’s part, given the team’s lack of speed and depth on the wing.

There is a connection between Leipsic and head coach Travis Green, as the two were together with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks during the 2012-13 season. The 23-year-old had 13 points in 44 games this season.

The Canucks already have Erik Gudbranson and Alexander Edler — who all figure to be in Vancouver for the foreseeable future.

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Troy Stecher and Derrick Pouliot aren’t going anywhere. And if Hutton gets traded at some point, the Canucks could promote Olli Juolevi to the big leagues next season. As such, Holm was expendable and unlikely to get his chance in Vancouver.

It’s unlikely the Sedin twins retire, but Sven Baertschi can’t be relied upon to stay healthy through a full season. Nikolay Goldobin is obviously still developing and has yet to earn Green’s full trust.

Adding Leipsic as an NHL regular made plenty of sense, and it should help the Canucks match up against faster divisional foes like the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks.

There’s no guarantee that Leipsic finds his full potential in Vancouver, but the man who once scored 120 points in a WHL season is worth a look. At the very worst, he’s a brief bottom-six player in Vancouver — and losing Holm will not bear any consequences for this team.

Also, don’t forget Benning’s resume of turning struggling prospects into gems. He got Baertschi from the Flames for a second round pick. Not bad for a guy who figures to be a consistent top-six, 20-goal man. The Hunter Shinkaruk swap for Markus Granlund has also been a major win for the Canucks.

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It’s a low-risk move for the Canucks. They get a young and speedy forward in exchange for a defenceman who is no guarantee to be an NHL regular. For now, Canucks fans should be happy about this deal. The need for speed was real, and they have it for now.