Things are starting to pick up in advance of the NHL Trade Deadline. To their credit, the Canucks have already dipped their toes in the water, snatching Emerson Etem from the New York Rangers for Nicklas Jensen.

That was trade was quick to develop, going from rumour to reality in less than a days time. What’s more, it involved two pieces that were perhaps on the unexpected side of the spectrum. Although, it’s fair to wonder if we should really be surprised anymore by a prospect trade that tilts the scales in Vancouver’s favour with Jim Benning at the helm.

I can’t help but wonder if any other Canucks pieces are play – for the right price of course. I mean, Radim Vrbata and Dan Hamhuis are brought up with regularity. Could there be any surprises in advance of the trade deadline, though?

Which unexpected pieces do you think could be gone by the deadline? Or for that matter, which off the radar acquisitions could you see the Canucks making? Think outside the box for this one!

Last week I ask you, the readers, what to do with Brandon Prust. You didn’t disappoint:

Prust’s performance or behaviour isn’t a very good role model to the younger players on the team and I wouldnt be surprised to see that Prust will be traded before the deadline or even sooner than that.

So much for being a good mentor. This is not a good example for the younger players especially given how he didn’t seem to elevate his game or anything. He should be traded or demoted to the minors at the earliest opportunity (though management won’t do this). I doubt Higgins would have pulled this crap.

From my limited understanding of the species, hockey players are emotional and carry a lot of personal pride. While I would hope locker room tantrums are held to a minimum, I would still expect players to be upset about being scratched, and more upset about being scratched for games that hold more personal significance.

That said, “what I would do” with Prust doesn’t change one bit with the new news in the news… you trade him at the deadline because you don’t want to pay him whatever it is he wants to be paid next year and you don’t want to lose him for nothing since he’s a typical “sandpaper for a playoff run” type rental that could grab you something around a 4th rd pick depending on the climate.

We don’t know exactly what happened but it sounds like Prust threw a temper tantrum and got what he wanted. Not a good thing. Either Willie D caved in or he was undermined by the front office – again, doesn’t look good.

Prust is a FA so let’s deal him and move on. I am sure Blair Jones could fill his role. Perhaps even Mike Zalewski.

It was sort of surreal to see Prust basically force his way into the lineup and then play such a mediocre game. Usually, you expect to see a guy that “fired up” to be breathing fire all game. It goes without saying that Prust needs to be scratched for Virtanen next game and hopefully for the next two or three. You want to try to transfer “the room” to the young guys, last night’s stunt is the opposite of how you do that. Overall, I think you have to consider Prust to be deadline trade bait (albeit, with little coming in return), as his value to the team right now is almost non-existent.

As an aside, how has Dorsett’s spot in the lineup become so sacrosanct that it would never even occur to the coach to play both Virtanen and Prust at his expense? It’s like we’re living in some kind of alternate universe where brutal possession ability and 3 goals in 46 games will be completely ignored if you’re a sacred cow from the coach’s junior team.

Trade him at the deadline, along with every other pending UFA.

So just to recap, this plug is the “character” guy that was an “upgrade” on Zack Kassian? The possession and skill black hole who’s redeeming qualities are taking penalties and poorly timed hugging matches? Caman…

Kassian, on his worst day, never was a distraction like this. The kid showed up on-time, kept his mouth shut and offered infinite upside on the ice than this wannabe who’s batting way above his social weight class in the dating game…

Deal him, send him to Utica, I don’t care. Cut this clown loose…