Report: Canucks Acquire Derek Dorsett from Rangers

With their 3rd trade of the day, the Canucks traded the 3rd round pick (85th overall) to the New York Rangers for 4th line forward Derek Dorsett. Dorsett is a Willie Desjardins favourite from his time in Medicine Hat, and this move is surely made to placate the new coach. Read past the jump for a bit more analysis.

Derek Dorsett isn’t much of an NHL player, but he’s the type of guy who provides you with a consistent physical bottom-of-the-lineup presence if you’re into that kinda thing. He also carried a 50.5% Corsi last year in New York while starting just 35% of his shifts in the offensive zone, but has traditionally been a negative possession player (as most 4th liners are) with the added caveat that he’s always seen heavy D-zone usage.

An 85th overall pick is unlikely to see any NHL games anyways, so it’s tough to call this deal anything but a modest win for the Canucks. Dorsett will ideally replace Top Sixtito Tom Sestito on the 4th line, and keep all the gritensity that Sestito was supposed to have.

As a side note: I hate Derek Dorsett. Cannot stand him. This mostly stems from his time with the Medicine Hat Tigers when they were dueling the Vancouver Giants for WHL supremacy. During the 2007 WHL Finals, Dorsett allegedly tricked Giants’ winger Kenndal McArdle into fighting a guy well above his weightclass, then injured Cody Franson and bit McArdle’s finger in a game a few days later. So my reasons for disliking Dorsett really have nothing to do with his hockey ability, and I guess I’m ready to begrudgingly come around on the guy if he’s effective. I am a sucker for guys that cause chaos, after all.