The Vancouver Canucks made one of the more stunning moves so far before Wednesday's 3 p.m. NHL trade deadline by dealing goaltender Roberto Luongo to the Florida Panthers, and it seems as though another splash may be made as center Ryan Kesler could still be on the move.
Flyers, Penguins among handful of teams in on Kesler?
According to ESPN, the Canucks were still fielding calls from teams that are interested in landing Kesler on Tuesday night, the eve of the NHL trade deadline. It was reported earlier on Tuesday that the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins were the favorites among a handful of teams to land the Vancouver forward.
The Anaheim Ducks, who are on top of the Western Conference and looking for some more depth before the Stanley Cup playoffs, have also been added to the list of teams interested in Kesler, ESPN reports.
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According to ESPN, while the Canucks may tread lightly when thinking of dealing Kesler to someone within the division, the team is willing to part with Kesler to any team in the NHL as long as the team is getting what it deems as the best offer in return.
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Kesler, who controls his fate due to a no-trade clause, has said he is willing to go to Pittsburgh, Anaheim and even the Detroit Red Wings should the package in return fit the Canucks' needs.
It's unknown what teams Kesler wouldn't want to go to, but according to ESPNNewYork.com, Kesler said he would not waive his no-trade clause to play for the New York Rangers.
Kesler, 29, has two years left on his contract and will be getting $5 million per season in those years. Kesler denied rumors that he requested a trade out of Vancouver and called the speculation "completely false."
"Yes, I am happy," he told the Vancouver Sun last week. "I love my teammates, love the city. My son was born here, grew up here. I am a Canuck and I'm happy to be here."
The Canucks could very well hang onto Kesler, as he is third on the team with 39 points through 63 games off of 21 goals and 18 assists. The Canucks (28-26-10, 66 points) are on the bubble as far as playoff aspirations go, as the team sits in 11th place in the Western Conference.
Vancouver may stand pat after the splash of the Luongo trade, but if the team does decide to ship Kesler out of town, the center has drawn plenty of interest from around the league.
What will become of Ryan Kesler? Tell us on Twitter: @SportsWN, @MikeSmollins
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