Canucks place disappointing Brandon Prust on waivers
It’s official: the Brandon Prust-Zack Kassian trade was a stinker for both sides.
First, Kassian was dealt by the Montreal Canadiens in December to the Edmonton Oilers. On Tuesday, as the NHL returns following the All-Star Break, the Vancouver Canucks placed the 31-year old Prust on waivers. In 35 games, he has one goal, seven points and 59 penalty minutes.
According to General Fanager, if Prust clears and is assigned to Utica of the AHL that will mean the Canucks will have a $1.55 million buried cap hit. It also means he’ll join Chris Higgins, who was waived last month.
General manager Jim Benning likely couldn't find a trade partner for Prust, but the lineup will be boosted when Henrik Sedin and Dan Hamhuis return soon.
“This decision was based on the need to provide more opportunity for our younger players,” Benning said in a statement. “We appreciate Brandon's contributions.”
Currently in the final year of his deal, Prust has had a very difficult 2015-16 season in Vancouver. He missed 11 games earlier in the season with an ankle injury and believes he returned to the Canucks’ lineup too early. He’ll likely be a healthy scratch for his third straight game Tuesday night.
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
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