Canucks: Nikita Tryamkin’s agent believes he’s a top 4 NHL defenceman

This summer, the Vancouver Canucks will be looking for help on their blueline for next season, and their defensive prospect — the hulking Russian, Nikita Tryamkin — could very well be the right man for the job.

According to Tryamkin’s agent Todd Diamond, the blueliner is not only ready for a return to the NHL, but he believes he is also very capable of being a top-four defenceman once he gets there.

“I believe he is [a top-four defenceman], I think it’s a different person from the guy who left Vancouver four years ago. He’s made a commitment to being in shape, to being the best pro he can be, to having a good diet. He’s slimmed down significantly since then […] He wants to get things going, he wants to spend a good chunk of the summer before training camp in Vancouver and work with the Canucks staff to be ready to hit the ground running.”

Being drafted by Vancouver in the third round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Tryamkin is property of the Canucks for another year and it’s clear he wants to make a comeback, but do the Canucks still see him as a fit in Vancouver? Here’s what Diamond had to say about his game over the past four seasons in the KHL.

“I would say very consistent and very solid. He’s not a client or a player that I want to define by goals and assists, which everybody seems to be drawn to. Some guys have to do the dirty work or do the work that does not always appear on the scoresheet but is appreciated by coaches and teammates. That’s how I view Nikita. Making space, making life easier for the goalie, making good first passes and being a physical presence when it’s called for.”

A guy that creates space, makes life easier for your goaltender and isn’t afraid to get physical when he needs to? Say less! The Canucks need a player like Tryamkin to help bring down the total shots against and who can lay out a member of the opposition when a message needs to be sent.

According to Diamond, he’ll be meeting with the Canucks in the coming weeks to see if the two sides can work out a deal. He doesn’t expect negotiations to be ongoing for very long, and if a contract isn’t signed this time around, then it’s good-bye Canucks as Tryamkin is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2022.

Through 79 games in the NHL, Tryamkin recorded 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) and 176 hits. As an assistant captain of the Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, Tryamkin registered 15 points this season (60GP), and 62 total points over the past four seasons (210GP).

What do you think Canucks Nation? Can Tryamkin be a capable top-four NHL defenceman?