Yes, really: Canucks sign Cam Barker to one-year, $700K deal

The strange travels of former third overall pick Cam Barker will take another turn.

ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun reports the Vancouver Canucks will sign Barker to a one-year, $700,000 deal.

Barker spent the last few weeks of the lockout skating in Vancouver and recently received an invitation to Canucks camp. He was released by the AHL Texas Stars in December after a 25-game tryout.

Barker was Chicago’s first-round pick, third overall, in 2004 and spent four-and-a-half years with the Blackhawks before being traded to the Minnesota Wild.

Since then, his career has taken a downward slide — going from the Wild to Edmonton, then to the AHL during lockout.

The Canucks hope there’s something more to his game and that he can provide solid depth on the blue line . Coach Alain Vigneault tells Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province they’re hoping Barker can turn things around the same way Chris Higgins did there.

That might be asking a lot.