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Vancouver’s deal received mixed reviews, with the deciding factor in most case’s being the individual pundit’s opinion of Gudbranson. Some highlighted his combination of size (6’5”, 216 pounds) and mobility; others fixated on his lack of offensive ability and mediocre possession numbers. That he’s an NHL player is not in doubt, but where he slots in on a good team (he was Florida’s No. 4 defenceman during the regular season) is open to debate.

The fact that Gudbranson is a full-time, established NHL player is what separates him from Reinhart, however.

Now 22 years old and four years removed from his fourth overall selection at the 2012 Draft, Reinhart is still trying to establish himself as an NHL player. He has appeared in 37 major-league contest and recorded two points; he’s also managed 32 points in 89 AHL games.

At the same age, Gudbranson was far more proven. Despite some injury issues and a lockout, the 2010 No. 3 pick had played 169 major-league games and only two in the minors. He was Florida’s No. 5 defenceman at the time, and despite some concern about his shot metrics lately he’d managed a 52 percent Fenwick rating that year while playing with a revolving door of partners.

Additionally, Gudbranson is a better fit for the Canucks than Reinhart was for the Oilers. He’s a right-shot on a team with only one other truly established right-side defenceman, Chris Tanev. He’ll be asked to take on the same minutes in Vancouver that he handled in Florida, and in all likelihood be paired with puck-moving rearguard Ben Hutton. He’s also a young veteran on a retooling team, able to provide experience while at the same time being projectable as a long-term piece.