Fan In Van

Brunnstrom a Canuck?

It’s looking more and more evident that Fabian Brunnstrom will become a Vancouver Canuck within the next few weeks. Talks are heating up that GM Dave Nonis is closing in on the highly touted left-winger playing for Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League. Darren Dreger had this to say:

The Canucks and Brunnstrom’s agent JP Barry are hoping to have something finalized within the next week to ten days as the process has heated up over the last few days.

The 23 year old Brunnstrom recently finished his rookie season with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite league, so Barry is ironing out the legalities as defined by an out clause in Brunnstrom’s existing contract with the Swedish club.

Brunnstrom’s NHL agreement will be at least two years and it’s believed his compensation will reflect that of a top four draft pick, meaning he’ll command at least $2 million per year when he signs.

Upwards of 20 NHL teams expressed interest in the talented forward over the course of the season, with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings considered the top contenders before Brunnstrom narrowed the field recently to the Canucks and Red Wings.

Vancouver was the first team to show interest in Brunnstrom last November and have been among the most thorough and quietly aggressive since.

Sources say Brunnstrom feels very comfortable with the direction of the Canucks and has a keen interest in playing alongside fellow countrymen, Daniel and Henrik Sedin in addition to being touted a good fit in Vancouver’s top six.

I’ll say this: I honestly didn’t think Brunnstrom would come to Vancouver (Though nothing is set in stone at this point). From Brunnstrom’s perspective you can tell that there are more holes in the Canuck offense than swiss cheese, so the opportunity of playing as a top-six forward are present. However, given the fact that Brunnstrom has yet to prove himself in the NHL, you have to think Dave Nonis will not stop adding pieces here.

No, sir, I certainly hope not. It’s one thing to acquire a highly sought after prospect, but it’s quite another to keep your team competitive. Nonis will most certainly be looking at adding stronger forwards in the offseason, perhaps via free agency, trade, or offer sheet. And getting back to my point about Brunnstrom selecting the Canucks — for him, a top-six position is not a guarantee. The chance for him to do so is there, but he’s going to need to battle the ilk of Ryan Shannon, Mason Raymond and Taylor Pyatt (among others) for that top six slot. The Canucks as an organization simply cannot offer the position on a silver platter.