The Vancouver Canucks traded for Brandon Prust just seven months ago, but the move is not working out for the team that sits in fifth place in the Pacific Division.
Prust has been placed on waivers for assignment to the AHL's Utica Comets.
#canucks were not satisfied with Brandon Prust. He's now on waivers.
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) February 2, 2016
With the recent addition of Emerson Etem, and the emergence of Linden Vey and Jake Virtanen this season, Prust becomes expendable.
The Canucks traded Zach Kassian to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Prust last offseason. And, according to Canucks' general manager Jim Benning, Vancouver really did intend on utilizing Prust this season.
Via Jason Botchford of The Province:
“We acquired him for Zack who had issues, and when we acquired Prust it was with good intentions, but the league changes,” Benning admitted.
Those changes Benning is referring to is the overall speed of the NHL. Prust, a hard-nosed player with 1036 penalty minutes on his resume, certainly doesn't rely on speed. And with offseason ankle surgery and another ankle injury during the season, the 31-year-old has been slowed down.
Prust had been a healthy scratch for Vancouver in the last three games.
With a $2.5 million cap hit and a single goal on the year, it is unlikely that a team will place a waiver bid for Prust.
According to Benning, the Canucks will likely look at the trade deadline to move Prust.
“We had to get him playing games,” GM Jim Benning said. “There’s a chance at the deadline some team may come back to us.”
Tommy Chalk writes about the NHL and NFL for FOX Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @Tommy_Chalk
