What Would It Look Like...with Bieksa?

Let us take a look at how teams will look like with or without Kevin Bieksa, since teams are expressing interests at the very least on the top-4 defenseman of the Canucks.

Canucks & Bieksa

If the Canucks hold on to Kevin Bieksa, the top-6 looks like:

Hamhuis - Ballard

Ehrhoff - Bieksa

Edler - Salo

...when everybody is healthy.

If the Canucks trade Bieksa without a replacement:

Hamhuis - Ehrhoff

Ballard - Bieksa

Edler - O'Brien

Essentially, O'Brien will replace Bieksa with his own piece of toughness and grit on the back end. However, O'Brien isn't nearly as prowess as Bieksa in the puck moving or shooting department. Bieksa is a reliable 40-50 point player when healthy for the full 82 game season. No more skate lacerations on his leg please.

San Jose Sharks & Bieksa

If and when San Jose Sharks acquire Kevin Bieksa, their new top-6 will be much improved and look like:

Boyle - Vlasic

Bieksa - Murray

Huskins - Demers

The retirement of Rob Blake will impact the Sharks in that the team is short of a very strong and stable force on the point in the powerplay unit. By adding Kevin Bieksa, they have added another guy who has the ability to share the puck and shoot himself.

If the Sharks stay put, without Bieksa:

Boyle - Vlasic

Murray - Demers

Huskins - Wallin

The team will be relatively shallow in the back end and nobody after the top pairing would scare off the Sedins, Kopitar, Kane and Toews, Datsyuk and Zetterberg, etc. Doug Murray knows it. That's why there is a reported offer to Canucks involving Derek Joslin and a 1st for Kevin Bieksa.

Los Angeles Kings & Bieksa

The LA Kings are another team desperately trying to improve their roster in the off-season to build on their playoff-bound team. Dean Lombardi tried to acquire Ilya Kovalchuk as a key UFA to no unveil, and never stopped searching for a good top-4 D since July where the key free agents all signed for big dollars and terms. Dan Hamhuis quickly came to agreement with the Canucks for 6-years and the rest is history.

If the Kings add Kevin Bieksa, the top-6 becomes:

Doughty - Bieksa

J.Johnson - Scudari

Drewiske - Greene

But without Bieksa, Kings have maybe one of the most penetratable defense in the West:

Doughty - J.Johnson

Scudari - Greene

Drewiske - Harrold

So obviously, it does not surprise any that the Kings are looking at multiple options such as acquiring Bieksa, signing Willie Mitchell or make a trade with another team to improve its defense.

Washington Capitals & Bieksa

If George McPhee let go of Joe Corvo this off-season, he may be looking for a possible replacement to play a steady, top-6 role for the Caps.

When Bieksa comes into the mix:

Green - Schultz

Bieksa - Erskine

Carlson - Alzner

Without Bieksa:

Green -Schultz

Erskine - Carlsson

Alzner - Sloan

Apart from Mike Green, the Capitals have good specialized D-man such as Schultz on the PK, Carlson and Green on the PP, etc. Kevin Bieksa is a pretty versatile minute eater they can use.