With dwindling cap space and a limited amount of openings throughout the Canucks lineup, the likelihood that they can find a free agent which advances either their short or long term goals has become increasingly unlikely. At best, the unrestricted free agent pool offers players at the 27 or 28 year old mark, so cross-out no on getting younger. In the case of these players, the signing team is generally paying for peak performance right as they are exiting that wheelhouse, so you’re not exactly building a core group either. 

This has forced teams in a cap crunch or with a stated goal to get younger to find alternative means of team building in the asset-free-cost market. High-profile college free agents have been hitting the market with increasing frequency, but they are still relatively few and far between. A newer, more readily available pool of asset-free-cost talent is coming directly from Europe and more specifically the KHL. 

Last year it was Jori Lehtera leading the charge and so far this year it’s been the likes of Artemi Panarin and Sergei Plotnikov, among others. Yet, strangely enough, one can’t count Andrei Loktionov among them. With no KHL commitment for the 2015-16 campaign and a vocal desire to return to the NHL, is Loktionov a player the Canucks should pursue? Catch me on the other side of the jump to find out.

Loktionov is a unique case insofar as his performance at no point merited a stay of any length from the NHL. All the moreso when once considers that the Carolina Hurricanes held his rights and outright refused to qualify him – this, after Loktionov put up 10-points in 20 contests with the Canes. It’s not top-flight production by any stretch, but it certainly warranted a longer look with the franchise, especially given the minimal cost to qualify him.

The numbers become increasingly flattering of Loktionov the further you dig. In his five years in the NHL, Loktionov’s lowest Corsi For was a 50.8%, posted in 20-games during the 2010-11 campaign. When using Stephen Burtch’s dCorsi metric, which takes into account context, usage, linemates, opposition, etc. to come up with a composite grade given how you performed according to expected result, Loktionov’s last two years are especially favourable.

The notion that Loktionov helps push the needle in the right direction is only further verified when looking at how his most frequent linemates fared with and without Loktionov. Save for a generational, ageless man-child in Jaromir Jagr, the entire group saw a marked increase in possession totals when paired with Loktionov. 

Loktionov is an extremely valuable piece to any forwards group at evens and there isn’t an ounce of data to suggest the contrary. It’s about finding the right fit, frankly. While there is no denying that Loktionov has missed the mark where expectations are concerned, there is something to be said for discerning the difference between disappointing and bad. Loktionov may not have met expectations as the second-line center he was once projected to be, but he’s still developed into an incredibly versatile bottom-six piece that can be slotted anywhere therein to great results.

For a team as bereft of possession driving forwards from their bottom ranks, the Canucks should be in the hunt for these services. The alternative to Loktionov is, essentially, Linden Vey. Based on current projections for next years lineup, the diminutive center is slated to anchor the Canucks fourth line, between face-punchers Derek Dorsett and Brandon Prust. As that line is currently constructed, I’m thinking a Corsi For of 43% seems like an almost generous expectation. That is less than ideal for a team that prides itself on the ability to roll four lines.

Throw Loktionov into the equation and that fourth line seems considerably more apt. Enough so that with a resurgent Dorsett (who, prior to last season, was a very reliable two-way force) they could become a veritable shutdown line in the mold of a Vigneault third. Loktionov’s history also suggests that he’s a more viable option than Vey on the power play, should they look to retain the bizarre “floater” part of their first unit. Working sans-Sedins, Loktionov had a very respectable 5.01 p/60 on the man advantage – roughly equal to Phil Kessel in that same season. 

That a player of this caliber is still available in free agency seems almost absurd, especially given some of his higher risk peers that have been scooped up thus far. One can’t help but wonder what’s going on behind the scenes to keep Loktionov from returning to the NHL. Although, I do remember an Elliote Friedman “30 Thoughts” blog from last summer suggesting that there was a player with sterling underlying numbers, that every NHL franchise had a different reason to shy away from. At the time of reading this, I was thoroughly convinced it was Dustin Penner – what with the bad taste in humour and flagrant sexism and the like. Then again, there is that whole passport thing and Loktionov just so happens to have the wrong one, depending on which franchise you follow.

At just 25-years old, the Canucks aren’t likely to find a younger or more capable free agent that would help them advance their long-term goal of getting younger, while all the same making the club slightly more competitive in the short-term. It might require some logistical juggling, but considering the upgrade at stake and the minimal cost involved, I’m of the belief it’s a worthwhile problem to have.