Should the Canucks Sign Bill Guerin?

As has been recently reported, the Pittsburgh Penguins will not be making an offer to 39-year-old Bill Guerin. 

Which begs the question, should the Canucks attempt to sign him?

Before I answer that, lets take a look at Guerin's stats from 2009-2010:

In the regular season, Guerin scored 21 goals and recorded 24 assists for 45 points in 78 games. That placed him fourth in scoring amongst Penguin forwards, behind Sidney Crosby (109 points), Evgeni Malkin (77 points), and Jordan Staal (48 points). He averaged 17:31 a night, including significant power play time.

Guerin also recorded 77 hits and 227 shots.

In the playoffs, Guerin scored four goals and recorded five assists for nine points in 11 games. He averaged 18:17 a night, and also recorded 13 hits.

Guerin is 39, turning 40 this fall, and was playing with some great players (i.e. Crosby), but still appears to be a productive player.

So What Would Guerin Bring To the Canucks?

Guerin is a big 6'2" 220-pound right winger, who also shoots right (which is a rarity on the Canucks). Guerin knows how to use his big frame effectively, and could provide that net presence that the Canucks still lack.

I can guarantee that if he takes what was Bernier's spot on the power play that Canucks fans won't be groaning as setup after setup goes wasted by the big man in front.

Guerin can also provide playoff experience and leadership (he has been a captain), which is something the Canucks are lacking.  In his career, Guerin has played in 140 playoff games, and boasts a pair of Stanley Cup rings (1994-1995 Devils & 2008-2009 Penguins).

In contrast, Mikael Samuelson has the most playoff experience of the current Canucks forwards with 81 playoff games, and he also won a cup in 2007-2008 with Detroit. No other Canuck forward has won a Stanley Cup.

In fact, aside from Raffi Torres and Manny Malhotra, no other Canucks forward has ever been past the second round of the playoffs.

Signing Guerin would also help create more competition in training camp, which is never a bad thing.

He would also take up a roster spot, which would likely intensify the competition between Torres, Hodgson, Schroeder, and Hansen for a spot on the third line, with the losers being relegated to the fourth line or AHL. This also gives some insurance for the Canucks, in case Hodgson and Schroeder aren't ready to play third line minutes without a year of seasoning in the AHL.

The other benefit of signing Guerin?  He won't be playing for an opponent, as both LA and Colorado are rumored to be interested. Personally, I don't want the Canucks to run into an LA team that can put Brown, Smyth, and Guerin out as a nasty line to play against.

Where Would Guerin Fit Into the Lineup?

Anywhere in the top three lines really.

On the first line with the Sedins, he could easily fill in while Burrows is recovering from his shoulder surgery. Going from Crosby to Henrik Sedin isn't exactly going to be a downgrade in terms of elite play making centers.

Alternatively, Guerin could play on the second line with Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond, allowing Samuelsson to fill in for Burrows on the top line.

Guerin would also be a good fit on the third line with Malhotra. The two big veterans could be complimented by Raffi Torres for a physical third line. Doesn't Guerin (6'2", 220 lbs), Malhotra (6'2", 220 lbs), and Torres (6'0", 216 lbs) sound like a better grind line than Kyle Wellwood (5'10", 181 lbs), Pavol Demitra (6'0", 200 lbs), and Steve Bernier (6'2", 216 lbs)?

Or Guerin and Malhotra could instead be mentoring and supporting a promising rookie like Cody Hodgson or Jordan Schroeder on the third line. 

The most realistic scenario when everyone is healthy would be Guerin on the third line, but getting decent PP time playing in front of the net, similar to Bernier or Pyatt in years past.

How Much Would Guerin Cost?

In salary terms, probably $2,000,000. That is how much he was paid by the Penguins last year. That is an amount that could be fairly easily worked into the Canucks cap for this year.