The Vancouver Canucks did not make the big splash they were hoping for on trade deadline day, but were able to fill a void on the back-end by acquiring Andrew Alberts from Carolina. The Canucks also made two other minor deals.

Canucks trade for Andrew Alberts

The Canucks waited until the final minutes of deadline day to fill their need on defence by acquiring Andrew Alberts from the Hurricanes in exchange for a third round draft pick in 2010.

Alberts, a stay at home defenceman, is expected to eat up the minutes lost to injury by Kevin Bieksa and Willie Mitchell.

Alberts is not one to shy away from the physical play on the ice as he currently sits fourth in the National Hockey League for hits with 178 this season. Until today Tanner Glass had the most hits for the Canucks with 139.

Alberts, 28, has played 62 games this season for the Hurricanes registering 10 points, 74 penalty minutes and a plus-7 rating.

In 325 NHL games Alberts has collected 42 points and 366 penalty minutes.

The 6'5", 218-pound defenceman was originally drafted in the sixth round, 179th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Canucks send Schneider to Phoenix

Mathieu Schneider has been traded to the Phoenix Coyotes ending what has been a tumultuous relationship for the defenceman and the Canucks.

In return for Schneider the Canucks receive defenceman Sean Zimmerman and a 2010 conditional sixth-round draft pick.

Schneider has been playing with the Canucks minor league affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, since January 2 after reportedly leaving the team over a dispute about his ice time.

Schneider was signed by general manager Mike Gillis to a one-year, $1.55 million contract in August 2009. Schneider was forced to miss the first 10 games of the 2009-10 season after having undergone off-season shoulder surgery.

Since making his debut with the Canucks on October 25, Schneider was a healthy scratch 11 times in 28 games. On December 20, the defenceman left the team and the Canucks explained his absence as a "personal matter."

The well-traveled veteran of 20 NHL seasons, Schneider totaled 223 goals and 516 assists for 739 points in 1,281 games. His career includes stints with the Canucks, Thrashers, Canadiens, Ducks, Red Wings, Kings, Rangers, Maple Leafs and Islanders. He was a third-round pick by Montreal in 1987.

Zimmerman, 22, has collected two goals and five assists and 75 penalty minutes in 54 games with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. The Denver, Colo., native won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2007 World Junior Championships.

The 6'3'', 205-pound defenceman was originally selected in the sixth round, 170th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Canucks acquire Yan Stastny

The Canucks added some minor league depth Wednesday by acquiring centre Yan Stastny from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for winger Pierre-Cedric Labrie.

Stastny will not report to the Canucks, but instead the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

In 49 games with the Blues' AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen, Stastny has registered 27 points and 51 penalty minutes this season.

Stastny, 27, has 16 points in 91 career NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers.

Labrie, 23, had five goals and an assist in 45 games with the Moose this season.