From Darren Dreger of TSN:
The Vancouver Canucks are one of three teams in the running for veteran defenseman, Dan Boyle.
Sources tell TSN the Canucks, San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers are the three teams Boyle is considering, however he has yet to waive his no-trade clause to clear the way for a trade.
The belief is Boyle will consent to trade at some point today and will select the team of his choice, however until he officially waives his no-trade, there is always a chance the Lightning’s efforts to move him may be scuttled.
Read the entire report here.
The Sharks seem like the perfect landing spot for Boyle. The team could use a top-tier defenseman and has been looking for one for some time now. If the Sharks could add Rob Blake and Dan Boyle in consecutive days, then they would have to be considered the co-favorites (with Detroit) for the Western Conference crown next season.
Philadephia also could be a nice fit for Boyle. The team desires a puck-moving defenseman and would like to get quicker on the blue line. Boyle obviously satisfies both of those needs. One problem, the Flyers are already over the cap, so unless they trade substantial salary back to Tampa, then they will be behind the 8-ball the rest of the summer trying to shed salary. Additionally, Tampa would probably be less apt to trade Boyle within the conference, especially to a contending team like the Flyers.
Vancouver is an intriguing team for Boyle as well. Considering the team needs forwards and is fairly secure on defense, it is interesting that they are this heavily involved in negotiations. However, they have more than enough cap space to fit Boyle into their payroll and they obviously realize Boyle’s ability to change the game from the back-end. This would be a nice acquisition for the Canucks and would give them one of the top five defensive corps in all of hockey.
