Free Agency and the Fourth Line

Do the Canucks have openings on the fourth line? Probably. The Vancouver organization likes to have a plethora of fourth line capable players waiting in the wings in case they are needed. With the departure of Andrew Ebbett, the Canucks could look to free agency for that thirteenth forward or upgrade on the bottom six.

However, with the qualification of Dale Weise and the re-signing of Aaron Volpatti, the Canucks do have two capable fourth line forwards. Volpatti is an excellent spark plug; Weise is only 23 and showed flashes of offensive capabilities last season, even though he only achieved eight points during the season.

Though the likely hood of Vancouver seeking fourth line improvement through free agency is slim, due to inflating contracts and a shallow talent pool, these are hypothetical players that could be brought in to bolster the line generally known as the energy line.

Arron Asham – Though often called a headcase, the feisty Asham did manage 16 points last season with the Penguins, a number not bad for a fourth line forward. Asham may be too big of a risk for the Canucks though, as his penalty minutes remain quite high. Something the organization generally tries to avoid.

Travis Moen – Ask a handful Vancouver fans who they wanted the team to acquire at the trade deadline, and a good number of them will respond with Travis Moen. This gritty forward posts respectable point totals while player a bottom six role. He also has the ability to move up to the third line if required, which is loved of bottom six forwards by Vancouver's coaching staff. Moen does boast a higher cap hit than most fourth liner players though, with a cap hit of 1.5 million dollars last season.

Zenon Konopka – Probably the least likely as he plays center naturally, Zenon could be considered if they feel Malholtra wont be able to regain form and that Lapierre will take over the third line center job. Konopka does have a history of taking stupid penalties however.

The most likely option though is probably what Mike Gillis does every year, signing low key free agents (such as Steve Pinizzotto last season) and allowing them to compete for the roster spots along with Weise and company. Either way, with all the Luongo talk going on, the free agency period will probably take a backseat for most Canuck fans.