Prior to earning their first win of the season on Thursday night, the Vancouver Canucks made a trade. No, it wasn't anything massive, or greatly reactionary to their slow start. This wasn't a Bo Horvat trade, or an Oliver Ekman-Larsson salary dump (as long a shot as that may be). And it wasn't a move that indicates, or pushes the Canucks towards a "rebuild."
Rather, Vancouver acquired 24-year-old centre Jack Studnicka, a second-round pick from 2017 who has 38 NHL games played and seven points spread across the past four seasons.
In return, the Canucks gave up 23-year-old goalie Michael DiPietro and 19-year-old defenceman Jonathan Myrenberg to Boston. It's a depth move for the team in the here and now — so what are they getting and what did it cost them?
With some help from prospect experts Sam Cosentino and Jason Bukala, here is an overview of the trade.
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TO VANCOUVER: JACK STUDNICKA
Studnicka projected as a potential secondary scoring option coming out of the OHL. In 2018-19 he produced 83 points and was a member of Team Canada at the WJC. He's a proven AHL scorer who plays in all situations at that level, but when he gets a chance to play NHL games he has historically been used in an energy/penalty-kill role.
Studnicka isn't the prettiest skater, but he has decent quickness in small areas. In open ice he has not established himself as much of a threat off the rush.
He works up and down the ice, doesn't cheat in any zone, and does bring some grease and energy. If he gets a chance with the Canucks, I see him as a depth player who might be able to contribute on the penalty kill. Any secondary scoring off his stick would be a bonus.
TO BOSTON: MICHAEL DIPIETRO, JONATHAN MYRENBERG
Michael DiPietro comes from winning pedigree dating back to his time in minor hockey. He was part of Ontario’s gold-medal winning team at the 2015 Canada Winter Games and then went on to win the Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires in 2017, a rarity for a goalie in his draft year.
He has an OHL Goalie of the Year Trophy, and had the lowest GAA at the 2019 world juniors despite a sixth-place finish. Most recently he was part of Canada’s world championship gold-medal team in 2021.
Currently listed at 6-foot, 201 pounds, DiPietro is still considered small by today’s NHL goalie standards. He’s extremely athletic, covers the lower part of the net well and can direct pucks efficiently when having to handle it. He’s a wonderful human being and by all accounts, a great teammate.
There’s also some adversity in his background, having lost his mother at a very young age. At every turn he’s had to prove himself, and because he’s faced tougher life challenges than those in hockey, he’s been able to produce a long track record of success.
There’s no question he’s been adversely affected by the pandemic. During the bubble season, he was Vancouver’s third goalie, and never ended up playing. All told, over the past three-plus seasons, he’s played less than 80 games. He’s a goalie who’s better suited for more playing time as he experienced in his time in the OHL before getting hurt with Ottawa in his final year of junior.
His numbers in AHL Abbotsford last season were decent (2.95 GAA, .901 SV% in 34 games) but his upside is still a mystery based on injury and lack of playing time. Typically, your best read on a goalie is right around age 25 and DiPietro is still only 23.
The Bruins are more than capable in Providence with prospect Kyle Keyesr and veteran journeyman Keith Kinkaid. DiPietro’s acquisition provides some depth and insurance.
Myrenberg is the lottery ticket of the trade, a fifth-round pick of Vancouver's in 2021. He may have been the team's best right-handed defence prospect, which says more about the Canucks' thin pipeline than Myrenberg's NHL potential.
Still, he's 6-foot-3, 196 pounds and followed up his draft year by recording the most assists of any defenceman in Sweden's under-20 league last season (23 in 35 games). He also got a taste of top-tier action, playing 15 games in the Swedish League for Linkoping — though he didn't register a point.
This season, Myrenberg, 19, is playing for Mora in the Allsvenskan (one step below the SHL) and has three points in nine games.
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