With defenceman Kevin Bieksa sidelined six to eight weeks following surgery to repair several fractures to his left hand, the Vancouver Canucks have added blueline depth by acquiring Adam Clendening from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for 2014 draft pick Gustav Forsling.
Clendening, 22, has split the 2014-15 season with the Blackhawks and their AHL affiliate Rockford IceHogs. He collected two points (1-1-2) in four games with Chicago and 13 points (1-12-13) in 38 games with Rockford. In 2013-14, he was named an AHL first team all-star and, in 2012-13, was named a second team AHL all-star and Rockford’s rookie of the year.
A puck-moving defenceman, Clendening can probably play now in the NHL and provide the Canucks with a much-needed push from the back end. Forsling may play one day, but the Canucks can’t afford to wait. They need help now.
Prior to his professional career, Clendening played for Boston University. In his final year with Boston, he shared the lead among Hockey East defencemen with a career high 33 points (4-29-33) in 38 games with the Terriers. He was also named a Hockey East first team all-star and was one of two sophomores selected to the All-New England Division I all-star team.
On the international stage, Clendening was a member of Team USA at the 2010 IIHF World U18 Championship. He led defencemen in scoring at the tournament with 10 points (3-7-10), was named to the tournament all-star team and won a gold medal. The 6-foot, 190-pound defenceman also won gold at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships.
The Wheatfield, N.Y. native was originally selected by Chicago in the second round, 36th overall in the 2011 NHL entry draft.
Forsling, 18, was a fifth-round draft choice by the Canucks in the 2014 draft. The 5-foot-11, 172 pound Swede is playing for Linkoping of the Swedish Elite League and has five points (3-2) in 35 games. He had three goals and five points at the world junior tournament and his trade stock was probably never higher and it could prove a pretty shrewd move by Canucks general manager Jim Benning.
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