Saskatoon native Brent Sopel returns back to the Vancouver Canucks as the Canucks try to stick to their top three placing heading into the playoffs. Finishing as the best team in their division & thus one of the top seeds ensures them with home ice advantage, which any NHL team will appreciate. For getting the defenceman, Vancouver traded rights to a second & fourth round draft pick to the Los Angeles Kings in the upcoming draft pick. The Canucks also traded a draft pick for Bryan Smolinksi, a center from the Chicago Blackhawks. Sopel, who had missed 14 games in December due to injury, had previously played for the Canucks from 1998 till 2004 when he was traded to the New York Islanders. The following year he was headed for Los Angeles. The puck moving defenceman has 4 goals & 14 assists in 44 games this season.