"Minutes after defenceman Sami Salo fired a bomb to beat the Minnesota Wild 3-2, Vancouver Canuck general manager Mike Gillis dropped a bigger bomb by dealing popular veteran Mikael Samuelsson in a multi-player trade that brings winger David Booth and $18-million in salary from the Florida Panthers.

The Canucks also gave up failed experiment Marco Sturm and took on Steve Reinprecht, another player long past his best who has been getting his $2.175-million NHL contract in the minors. Vancouver also gets Florida's third-round draft pick in 2013."