Vancouver Canucks Set to Recall Cody Hodgson and Victor Oreskovich from Moose

According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, the Vancouver Canucks are set to recall forwards Cody Hodgson and Victor Oreskovich from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL and are going to be joining the Canucks for their playoff run. 

The official paper work won't be filed until Monday, after the regular season is completed because the Canucks do not have the cap space to fit Hodgson's $1,666,666 and Oreskovich's $575,000 cap hit.

When speaking with the Winnipeg Sun, Hodgson was excited about the prospects of getting a chance to play for a Stanley Cup. 

“It’s every kid’s dream to play for the Stanley Cup and there’s a great chance in Vancouver,” Hodgson told the Winnipeg Sun.  

"I’m looking forward to stepping in, hopefully being able to play and help contribute.” 

Hodgson isn't sure where he fits in, but he is ready to give his maximum effort and help out anyway he can. 

“I don’t know what the story is. That’s a question for somebody else. I’m just going to go and do my best, wherever I am. If I’m practicing or playing, I’m going to give it one gear and that’s full speed and hope for the best.” 

It will be interesting what role Hodgson will play with the Canucks.

Alain Vigneault has experimented with Mason Raymond at centre on the third line and he has looked good in that position.  

Could Vigneault throw Hodgson into the fire and have him centre the third line with Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen? 

Or could Hodgson just be up here to practice with the team and to soak up the experience? 

It is unexpected that Hodgson will be returned to the Moose. He was seen shaking hands with teammates—indicating he's unlikely to return. 

Oreskovich is joining the Canucks as expected as head coach Vigneault had nothing but praises on his play with the big club.

“He skates well, he’s big, [and] physical,” Vigneault said on April 1. “He definitely brings an element to our lineup on that fourth line that I like.” 

But with Alex Edler returning from injury and needing the cap space, the Canucks returned Oreskovich to the minors on April 4 instead of converting him to a regular recall—he was up on emergency. 

Victor Oreskovich  is expected to form the fourth line with Maxim Lapierre and Tanner Glass.  

Hodgson had been called up on two different occasions in his first professional season. 

He played five games between Feb. 1 and Feb. 7, but was sent down because the Canucks felt he wasn't getting enough ice time. 

"We brought him up because we wanted to give him some experience, give him an opportunity to play in our fourth-line centre position, get some power-play time and really to get acclimated to the National Hockey League," Canucks assistant general manager Laurence Gilman told the Vancouver Sun. 

"He acquitted himself fairly well. We felt now was a good time to send him back, let him go play at 20-plus minutes a game, play on the first power-play unit and go back with the peace of mind knowing he can come up and play at this level. It's all part of the evolutionary process." 

A week prior to the NHL trade deadline, the Canucks recalled Hodgson on Feb. 21 and played three more games to apparently audition for the fourth-line centre. 

In the end, the Canucks didn't like what they saw, sent Hodgson back down, and acquired Maxim Lapierre from the Anaheim Ducks.