"The Anaheim Ducks are doing more than kicking the tires on Kevin Bieksa. They're checking the sticker price.

If the Ducks are willing to part with a draft pick and a prospect, that could send the Vancouver Canucks defenceman and the $3.75 million US remaining on his salary to a team in need of back-end help. It would also ease salary cap concerns for the Canucks, who added $825,000 to the mix Thursday in Jannik Hansen's arbitration settlement that puts the the club more than $1 million over the $59.4 million ceiling.

After trading defenceman Steve Eminger to the New York Rangers — and losing Scott Niedermayer to retirement — the Ducks are down to Lumobir Visnovsky, Sheldon Brookbank, Tony Lydman and Danny Syvret as roster veterans and have yet to sign restricted free agent James Wisniewski. They do have a couple of blueliners who could finally make an impact in former Vancouver Giants blueliners Brendan Mikkelson and Brett Festerling, so they may be willing to part with a prospect. The Ducks also have $15 million in cap space but Bobby Ryan and Wisniewski are playing contract hard ball.

General manager Bob Murray wants to add a top-four defenceman and you can start the debate whether a healthy and productive Bieksa can fill that role."