Another intriguing name emerges as a potential trade deadline rental and he could be a prime target for the Leafs

The Vancouver Canucks are a team that is sort of in the middle right now, in a limbo of sorts, as they need to quickly figure out their salary cap situation. Captain and leader goal scorer, Bo Horvat has grabbed all the attention - and rightfully so - but they currently carry a lot of dead weight with high AAVs that will make other signings that much harder to complete.

Extending J.T. Miller to an 8-year deal looks pretty bad right now - partially with hindsight bias - as the New York Rangers' rumoured deal was a spicy one ahead of the deadline last year. With Bo Horvat, contract negotiations have reportedly stalled between team and player after the Canucks low-balled him. Now, another good young player has entered the fray in Andrei Kuzmenko.

According to Iain MacIntyre, if an extension can't be nailed down between now and the deadline, he will surely be traded for future assets. Kuzmenko signed with the Canucks this summer after spending his entire career in the KHL with CSKA Moscow and St. Petersburg SKA. He currently has 15 goals and 32 points in just 35 games and would be a welcome option for any contending team down the stretch.

It's anyone's guess as to what direction the Canucks end up going in but they are definitely a team to continue monitoring as we near closer to the trade deadline.