Canucks News, Rumours, and & Fantasy GM | Will they stay or will they go, now?

[Mr. Canucklehead]

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Vector's NHL Transaction Tracker.

Some Important Off-Season Dates

Buyout Period: 48 hours after the SCF; players without NMCs must be placed on unconditional waivers 24 hours prior (another buyout period opens if a team has a player file for arbitration)
Team-Elected Arbitration: 48 hours after the SCF
Draft Day 01: June 28th
Draft Day 02: June 29th
Qualifying Offer Date: July 1st
Free Agency Opens: July 1st
Player-Elected Arbitration: July 5th
Young Stars Classic Tournament: Sep. 13th-16th

Click to read more...

 

[BluesyShoes]

Curious to see if Allvin's comments after last off-season about Vancouver now being a "destination" for players in the league holds true. Wicked coaching staff to work with, some pretty cushy open spots for players to have career years next to Miller, Pettersson, and Hughes, and lately players have been speaking highly about the city in the media. We know very well a lot of guys boosted their value here last season, Hronek, Joshua, Blueger, Zadorov, even Lindholm with his performance in the playoffs, so you gotta think there are some guys looking at that who might be willing to come here short term.

I don't think its too crazy to think we could see the same sort of performances out of a new supporting cast of players. I'm hoping Allvin keeps cooking this off season, makes a handful of his typical shrewd acquisitions July 1st, and doesn't give in to any unreasonable contract demands for non-core players. I'm sure he'll have a pretty good idea on what he can do in free agency on July 1st after the UFA courting period post draft, but I'm not going to make any predictions with all those moving parts. If any of our FAs are looking for market value, I'm happy to see them walk in favour of any players that want to come here.

 

[Izzy Goodenough]

Laine is still in the NHLPA substance abuse program.
Can he be traded?
If a team were to trade for him there is a likelihood that he may not play so he would be in the assistance program. The question is, what else are the CBJ going to give the acquiring team to take his contact with this in mind.
Even at 50% retention and Mikheyev going the other way, CBJ would have to pony up.
CBJ probably see it differently.

 

[StickShift]

I would be interested to see them explore a deal with San Jose where they overpay to unload Mikheyev but get Luke Kunin back in the trade.

He's a RH shot, has experience playing center and wing, takes faceoffs, PKs, and forechecks well. It's been a couple of weird years in SJ but I could see him meshing well with Tocchet's system.

At worst I think he would be a complementary player in any of the top-three lines—but I think there could also be a real glow-up if he were to play alongside play-drivers like Pettersson/Miller/Garland.

Consider who his most common linemates have been the last three seasons:

2023/24 SJ - - William Eklund/Filip Zadina​

2022/23 - SJ - Nick Bonino/Nico Sturm​

2021/22 - NSH - Ryan Johansen/Eeli Tolvanen​

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Have to think Guentzel is the big fish they want and most other decisions will depend on him signing in Van.

I'm still of the belief Hronek gets dealt.

 

[Vector]

6) Ilya Mikheyev

The Canucks have been working to move Mikheyev since shortly after their playoff run concluded. They also offered him to teams around the trade deadline. After a tough playoff, Mikheyev’s contract is gumming up the works on Vancouver’s offseason. They can’t more aggressively pursue multiple pending free agents (Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Filip Hronek) until they can get clearer view of their cap picture. Mikheyev scored just one goal in the final 61 games of the season (including playoffs), which is hard to do. As a result, teams are asking the Canucks to attach an asset to Mikheyev to move him, something they are balking at – saying that it takes a full year to recover from ACL repair, and Mikheyev should be much better next season.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

6) Ilya Mikheyev

The Canucks have been working to move Mikheyev since shortly after their playoff run concluded. They also offered him to teams around the trade deadline. After a tough playoff, Mikheyev’s contract is gumming up the works on Vancouver’s offseason. They can’t more aggressively pursue multiple pending free agents (Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Filip Hronek) until they can get clearer view of their cap picture. Mikheyev scored just one goal in the final 61 games of the season (including playoffs), which is hard to do. As a result, teams are asking the Canucks to attach an asset to Mikheyev to move him, something they are balking at – saying that it takes a full year to recover from ACL repair, and Mikheyev should be much better next season.

It's either crap for crap or attach an asset.

Mgmt needs to choose and choose quickly.

 

[Hodgy]

We've heard the old trying to move the bad contract story before. Keep in mind that this management, and the previous management, have basically declared at the beginning of every summer that they are going to try to move bad money, and the only non-buyout time we've ever been able to accomplish that was moving Dickinson's contract, and that contract was valued at like 60% of Mikheyev.

So, colour me skeptical that they will be able to move Mikheyev.

 

[StickShift]

We've heard the old trying to move the bad contract story before. Keep in mind that this management, and the previous management, have basically declared at the beginning of every summer that they are going to try to move bad money, and the only non-buyout time we've ever been able to accomplish that was moving Dickinson's contract, and that contract was valued at like 60% of Mikheyev.

So, colour me skeptical that they will be able to move Mikheyev.

They were able to effectively move Tanner Pearson.

 

[Jerry the great]

I would be interested to see them explore a deal with San Jose where they overpay to unload Mikheyev but get Luke Kunin back in the trade.

He's a RH shot, has experience playing center and wing, takes faceoffs, PKs, and forechecks well. It's been a couple of weird years in SJ but I could see him meshing well with Tocchet's system.

At worst I think he would be a complementary player in any of the top-three lines—but I think there could also be a real glow-up if he were to play alongside play-drivers like Pettersson/Miller/Garland.

Consider who his most common linemates have been the last three seasons:

2023/24 SJ - - William Eklund/Filip Zadina​

2022/23 - SJ - Nick Bonino/Nico Sturm​

2021/22 - NSH - Ryan Johansen/Eeli Tolvanen​

I looked at Kunin a while ago as a potential replacement for Joshua and it's obviously hard to get a read on his play over the last 2 years as SJ has been atrocious. I don't view him as a C, or at least not one that you'd ever put out to take an important draw; he's not a good faceoff guy. so he PKs, is solid physically and wins more battles than he loses and is probably good for 20-30 ESP/year. The problem is his qualifying offer is $3MM, so even if you're moving Mikheyev the other way, you're not making up much ground and I don't see a lot of upside with him (373 NHL games played).

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

It's either crap for crap or attach an asset.

Mgmt needs to choose and choose quickly.

Yep.

Crap for crap with Mikheyev could work. Connor Clifton in Buffalo is a guy I wonder about a lot.

 

[Hodgy]

They were able to effectively move Tanner Pearson.

Fair comment. I forgot about Pearson and do credit that in their favour.

However, Pearson had one year left at $3.75M vs. Mikeheyev having $9.5 million let in cap over the next two years. And Pearson is a Stanley Cup winning veteran who, IIRC, hadn't played poorly after injury for as long as Mikheyev. So I think Pearson was probably way easier to move and probably isn't in even the same ball park in terms of Mikheyev.

The Canucks haven't been able to move any salary close to Mikheyev other than perhaps Kuzmenko, although that's a tough one to evaluate. Ultimately though, I think a Kuzmenko kind of trade would be the blue print for Mikyehev, although I am not sure the Canucks are interest in giving up a 1st plus B prospects.

 

[Vector]

They were able to effectively move Tanner Pearson.

Exactly my thought. They were able to move off of three bad contracts (1 buyout, two trades). They also made two cost-cutting trades at the same deadline in moving Curtis Lazar and Riley Stillman but those were very minor cap moves.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Exactly my thought. They were able to move off of three bad contracts (1 buyout, two trades). They also made two cost-cutting trades at the same deadline in moving Curtis Lazar and Riley Stillman but those were very minor cap moves.

Using Pearson as something of a barometer - are there any targets out there on inefficient contracts the Canucks may be able to target as a return in a deal?

 

[Hodgy]

Yep.

Crap for crap with Mikheyev could work. Connor Clifton in Buffalo is a guy I wonder about a lot.

I haven't followed Clifton a ton, but you are probably going to have to add on that swap. Mikheyev is owed like $2.5-3m more in terms of cap hit over the next two years. Hell, Mikheyev only outscored him by 13 points and Clifton is known as a defensive defensemen.

 

[Jerry the great]

We've heard the old trying to move the bad contract story before. Keep in mind that this management, and the previous management, have basically declared at the beginning of every summer that they are going to try to move bad money, and the only non-buyout time we've ever been able to accomplish that was moving Dickinson's contract, and that contract was valued at like 60% of Mikheyev.

So, colour me skeptical that they will be able to move Mikheyev.

Might be a blessing, our inability to move Boeser and Garland worked out well.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

I haven't followed Clifton a ton, but you are probably going to have to add on that swap. Mikheyev is owed like $2.5-3m more in terms of cap hit over the next two years. Hell, Mikheyev only outscored him by 13 points and Clifton is known as a defensive defensemen.

Clifton's fallen pretty flat on his face in BUF - was a healthy scratch at times last season.

Canucks could retain to get the cap hits even, I wouldn't mind that.

I wouldn't necessarily call him a defensive dman - he's a good puck mover with solid mobility who hasn't put it all together yet.

 

[Nick Lang]

7x8M for Lindholm would be awful.

Glad to hear that Management is not persuaded by sunk cost and are willing to move on. He is 30 years old and is on a steady downward trajectory. It is the type of deal that can slam a window shut and will be regrettable the moment it is signed.

For a third line center on top of it all. Might as well trade a first, Silovs, and Willander, for Bobrovsky in the offseason to back up Demko too.

 

[Vector]

Using Pearson as something of a barometer - are there any targets out there on inefficient contracts the Canucks may be able to target as a return in a deal?

These are the names I suggested earlier:

I wonder if the Canucks can swap Mikheyev for another bad contract. Like for Jeff Skinner @50%, Josh Anderson, PG Pageau, Barclay Goodrow, Rasmus Ristolainen, Rickard Rackell, or Nick Jensen. Something similar to a one-for-one swap where the Canucks are either giving or getting something back depending on the contract coming the other way.

And a very smart poster responded with:

I think the Canucks have been linked to Ristolainen before - there might be something to the idea of something around Mikheyev for him; but I think he somewhat began to salvage his value last year, whereas Mikheyev tanked his.

I haven't looked at smaller cap hits and a player like DeSmith, though. Will see if there's anything out there.

 

[dbaz]

Run lindholm as the 2c, shift pettersson to his wing/stack top line during game.. come tdl acquire another top 6 winger with accrued space, keep the 3c for playoff depth. By season end you may also have lekk pushing for a spot who could be put beside either of those 3

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

These are the names I suggested earlier:

I wonder if the Canucks can swap Mikheyev for another bad contract. Like for Jeff Skinner @50%, Josh Anderson, PG Pageau, Barclay Goodrow, Rasmus Ristolainen, Rickard Rackell, or Nick Jensen. Something similar to a one-for-one swap where the Canucks are either giving or getting something back depending on the contract coming the other way.

And a very smart poster responded with:



I haven't looked at smaller cap hits and a player like DeSmith, though. Will see if there's anything out there.

Thanks for that, Vector - Ristolainen was a guy I'd thought of, and Pageau was another that came to mind.

Given the Canucks' interest in big bodied players with snarl, I wonder about Josh Anderson, too. But he's so inconsistent offensively - and Montreal would likely rather hang on to him then swap him for Mikheyev, I would think.

 

[Vector]

Thanks for that, Vector - Ristolainen was a guy I'd thought of, and Pageau was another that came to mind.

Given the Canucks' interest in big bodied players with snarl, I wonder about Josh Anderson, too. But he's so inconsistent offensively - and Montreal would likely rather hang on to him then swap him for Mikheyev, I would think.

The big thing with Anderson, and a few of the names, is that he has a higher-cap hit and an extra year; 3y/5.5m. Same with Ristolainen.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

These are the names I suggested earlier:

I wonder if the Canucks can swap Mikheyev for another bad contract. Like for Jeff Skinner @50%, Josh Anderson, PG Pageau, Barclay Goodrow, Rasmus Ristolainen, Rickard Rackell, or Nick Jensen. Something similar to a one-for-one swap where the Canucks are either giving or getting something back depending on the contract coming the other way.

And a very smart poster responded with:



I haven't looked at smaller cap hits and a player like DeSmith, though. Will see if there's anything out there.

Pageau would be a great deal to act as a capable 3C.

 

[krutovsdonut]

laine is just not for us. he is a gamble for a team with lots of caproom and not yet in their window like the hawks. on the upside he's pretty much ppg and it's not on the pp, but he can't stay physically healthy and has some off ice issues, and he has a horrendous cap hit unless he is producing at full potential which he has no track record of doing. you're basically taking an oel level gamble that all his problems will disappear in a new situation with anhything less being failure. the only saving grace being it is only a two year gamble. teams doing that must have that no expectations in the next two years, cap to burn and be willing to give columbus some magic beans.

it just does not seem like the kind of high risk move a team makes if it thinks it has nearly all the pieces in place and is short of magic beans. if laine flames out we just killed our window with one move.

 

[Lindgren]

6) Ilya Mikheyev

The Canucks have been working to move Mikheyev since shortly after their playoff run concluded. They also offered him to teams around the trade deadline. After a tough playoff, Mikheyev’s contract is gumming up the works on Vancouver’s offseason. They can’t more aggressively pursue multiple pending free agents (Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Filip Hronek) until they can get clearer view of their cap picture. Mikheyev scored just one goal in the final 61 games of the season (including playoffs), which is hard to do. As a result, teams are asking the Canucks to attach an asset to Mikheyev to move him, something they are balking at – saying that it takes a full year to recover from ACL repair, and Mikheyev should be much better next season.

I still find it highly irritating that Mikheyev didn't get his surgery soon after the injury.

 

[iceburg]

I appreciate the team trying to build up Mikheyev's value by saying he will do much better next year because his injury takes a year to recover from. But it's a pretty superficial argument. Alvin pretty much said in the exit pesser that Mikheyev is a good third line winger and it's not his fault they wanted to play him in the top 6. Problem is good third line wingers should not be making $4.75M. If the team wants to trade him to get the cap flexibility (an asset in itself), they will have to give up an asset or retain salary.
A team might bite at something like Mikheyev (25% retained) for a 6th. But to me, that would be the high end.