GRAND RAPIDS -- The constant yo-yoing of Josh Green between the Vancouver Canucks and Manitoba Moose is eventually going to take its toll on the player, leaving neither club happy with his services.

The Canucks have recalled Green on three occasions this season for very short periods and then quickly returned the big winger to the Moose. The result has been lots of travel and missed practices, and while Green has been able to excel at the AHL level, he's struggled up top.

Green was recalled by the Canucks on Saturday, flew from Rochester, N.Y., to Vancouver, played just under nine minutes for the Canucks on Sunday night, then flew back to Grand Rapids on Monday, arriving just after dinner and in time to be in the lineup against the Griffins yesterday.

The Canucks find themselves so close to the salary cap in the NHL that they can't afford to keep Green around on non-game days. By returning him to Manitoba, they save on the cap and hopefully build a cash cushion for a late-season addition should they think it's needed.

Green -- and he's only one of many players in the AHL getting this treatment -- gets the shaft in a variety of ways. First, he gets hit in the pocketbook every time he's sent back to the Moose. The eighth-year pro is on a two-way contract with a $75,000 salary while in Manitoba and $450,000 for a season with the Canucks. Secondly, it can't be good for his play. Green has a high level of professionalism and will do all he can to look after his body, but at some point his game will almost certainly be negatively affected.

Finally, by helping the Canucks gain cap room, Green is hurting his own chances of a late-season recall. If the Canucks have the salary room late in the year and decide to add a player, Green will slide farther down the Canucks' depth chart.

All in all, it's a bit of a mess, and as we learn more about the current NHL collective bargaining agreement, it's apparent the NHL Players Association did little to protect their young when negotiating this deal.

Green was recalled by the Canucks again after yesterday's game, his fourth recall in 13 days. The Canucks play tonight in San Jose and tomorrow in L.A. If Green plays in both those games, he will have played three in three nights. If the Canucks then bounce him back down, he could end up playing his fourth game in four nights since the Moose play Friday at home.

UP NEXT: The Moose host Houston Aeros tomorrow and Friday at the MTS Centre. The Aeros are the AHL's best club, with a 13-4-1-1 mark for 28 points.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca