Canucks trade McCann to Panthers for Gudbranson

Forget the Stanley Cup Playoffs - the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers have swung a trade.

The Canucks dealt forward Jared McCann, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round selection to the Panthers for defenseman Erik Gudbranson and a fifth-rounder, the clubs announced Wednesday night.

All picks in the trade are for the 2016 draft.

None of Gudbranson's salary will be retained in the deal, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston, who was first to report the trade. The defenseman has one more season left at a cap hit of $3.5 million before hitting restricted free agency.

McCann recorded 18 points in his rookie season with the Canucks. The 19-year-old was Vancouver's 24th overall pick in 2014.

He joins a Panthers squad loaded with young talent up front, including the likes of Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Nick Bjugstad.

Gudbranson ranked fourth among Panthers skaters in average time on ice at 20:06 this season.

He'll likely be a top-four blue-liner for the Canucks, but it comes at the cost of one of Vancouver's top prospects, in addition to two picks that are more valuable than the one they received.

Canucks general manager Jim Benning's track record since last summer is less than inspiring.