Rumor: Canucks' Gudbranson on the market?

In his latest article for The Province, Vancouver Canucks reporter Ben Kuzma takes a look at the case of defenseman Erik Gudbranson and assesses the trade value of the 25-year-old.

With his contract up at the end of this season and a glut of young defenders ready to take on big minutes… does it make sense for the Canucks to re-sign Gudbranson long-term? Sure the Canucks love his leadership abilities and his “intangibles” right now, but is that worth keeping a top four spot from someone like Troy Stecher, Derrick Pouliot or Olli Juolevi?

If the answer is no, then Kuzma has a solution:

If you don’t believe Gudbranson warrants a contract extension then you can’t afford to lose him for nothing via free agency. A return could be maximized at the trade deadline.

So, what might the return be for a youngish, right-shooting defenseman who can step into any team’s lineup and play upwards of 20 minutes a game. He may very well be worth a 1st round pick from a contending team. He could also fetch a decent prospect. If Canucks GM Jim Benning was able to wring Jonathan Dahlen and Nikolay Goldobin out of the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks for Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen last deadline, could Gudbranson get him even more?