With the Vancouver Canucks losing defenceman Noah Juulsen (lower-body) for what is effectively the rest of the season, the team is in need of a big right-shot defenceman to replace him.
The Canucks have options at the position, too. Veteran defencemen Carson Soucy and Derek Forbort are still around, and youngster Elias Pettersson appears to have seriously entered the conversation.
However, one name nobody seems to be really talking about is the 22-year-old Victor Mancini, who was acquired from the New York Rangers in the J.T. Miller trade on Jan. 31.
Mancini, a 6-foot-5 former fifth-round pick, impressed enough in rookie camp and in the NHL preseason to earn a roster spot with New York out of the gate, appearing in the first nine games of his young NHL career while recording a goal and three assists.
The Hancock, Mich., native bounced around between the NHL and AHL for most of November and December, aside from a five-game stretch with the Rangers that preceded his move to the Canucks.
Mancini made his Canucks debut on Feb. 23, playing 13:56 in a 2-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club - par for the course for a young defenceman.
With Soucy being named a top NHL trade target leading up to Friday's trade deadline, it is fair to wonder how big of an opportunity Mancini could receive if the former is dealt to a new club, especially if the Canucks truly drop out of the playoff race.
With lower stakes and nothing to play for, Rick Tocchet and the Canucks could find themselves more interested in seeing what they have for the future, rather than dwelling on a known commodity veteran like Forbort, for example.
Pettersson, too, will get his looks, but he has less playing experience than Mancini. We must also remember that he turned 21 just 12 days ago and is playing in his first full season in North America.
As the Canucks' season quickly approaches the finish line, Mancini is a player to watch going forward.