My thoughts on the Calgary-Vancouver deal involving Markus Granlund and Hunter Shinkaruk:



The trade is pretty fair. While Shinkaruk has the sparkle next to his name as a touted player for many years, and being a first round pick, Granlund has arguably been as much if not more impressive as a pro. Shinkaruk has the dynamic skill that makes you dream on big-time upside, but Granlund is no slouch either in terms of skill. He can make plays with the puck and shows good vision, even though he’s not a high-end player in terms of skating.



Granlund also has the positional advantage of being able to play down the middle competently, and has adjusted to the AHL/NHL ranks slightly better than Shinkaruk has. Hunter though can make particular type of elite offensive plays than Granlund can’t ratchet himself up to. Shinkaruk has struggled with the physical nature of the pro level, has shown a lot of inconsistencies in his offensive game, and isn’t as good defensively as Granlund.



Both are players who are impressive in their own rights, but have yet to elevate themselves to a top-tier level. Shinkaruk was at that point as a teenager, but Granlund has probably passed him slightly in terms of total player value.



Shinkaruk has drawn mixed opinions in 1.5 seasons in the AHL. I talk to some people around the AHL and they love him, and think he’s one of the best forward prospects in the minors. Others say “don’t let him near my organization” due to the aforementioned issues in his game. Whatever camp you’re in will determine your overall thoughts on this trade. I used to be a big Shinkaruk fan and in observations this season he's shown me those great flashes, but I have also observed him enough lately to have serious questions about his long-term projection.



I’d grade this deal as a marginal win for Vancouver.



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