VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Canucks have acquired defenseman Derrick Pouliot from the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Andrey Pedan and a fourth-round selection in the 2018 draft.
The Canucks hope the 23-year-old Pouliot will reach his potential under new coach Travis Green after he failed to catch on in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins drafted the 6-foot, 208-pound Pouliot No. 8 overall in the 2012 draft with a pick they received from Carolina in the trade that sent forward Jordan Staal to the Hurricanes. But Pouliot appeared in just 67 games over three seasons in Pittsburgh, with two goals and 12 assists with a rating of minus-11.
Pouliot was a star in junior with the Western Hockey League's Portland Winterhawks, where Green was an assistant coach.
He helped the team capture the WHL championship in 2013 with 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) in 21 playoff games and was the CHL defenseman of the year in 2014.
Pedan, a Lithuania-born defenseman, had no points and 18 penalty minutes in 13 games with Vancouver in 2015-16. The 6-foot-5, 213-pound Pedan played 52 games for the AHL's Utica Comets last season, with five goals, five assists and 100 penalty minutes.
