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

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[Vector]

Guentzel would be a big add, and Dillon a Cole replacement. Duhaime doesn't strike me as a buy low option, it would be confusing to sign Duhaime at 2M but let Joshua walk for 3+, I liked Duhaime as a deadline acquisition but Joshua has a lot more upside

I think Duhaime would come in far under that. He was very ineffective with Colorado. I think the Lazar contract would be the model for him. 3 year term but can be buried in the AHL.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Guentzel would be a big add, and Dillon a Cole replacement. Duhaime doesn't strike me as a buy low option, it would be confusing to sign Duhaime at 2M but let Joshua walk for 3+, I liked Duhaime as a deadline acquisition but Joshua has a lot more upside

I still maintain that if we are looking for a sandpaper/physicality type guy with some upside in the bottom six, that Kiefer Sherwood from Nashville is one to look at.

Duhaime crashes and bangs, but provides limited in other areas and at $2M, might not be very good value.

 

[Vector]

I don't really think Schultz has any utility here, unless he comes in at like $1M bucks or something.

He's an offensive, powerplay specialist type defenceman. Which...for a team with Hughes, is kind of pointless.

Like...you're not gonna pair him with Hughes. He's not going to be part of a robust 2nd pairing. So you're basically getting him to play with Soucy or Zadorov or whoever on a 3rd pairing. Where that offensive bent isn't going to be as useful and his defensive play is just going to be more of a liability.


He also completely fell off a cliff last year, playing essentially that sort of "3rd pairing role". I don't see much reason to believe he'd be any better here, doing that. It's weird because he started his career pretty late, but he's already 33 years old and clearly in decline. Wouldn't expect even a dead cat bounce from a guy with that profile.

1m is about what I'm thinking would be fair for the role he'd be asked to fill. Essentially rotate with Juulsen while providing "SC winning leadership". If they re-sign Hronek, he's not really needed. However, if you trade Hronek and replace him with a defensive player then all of sudden you're at the same problem as years past; the entire right side lacks any puck-moving ability. They'd also need another defensive PP option if Hughes has to miss some time.

Heavily dependent on the make-up of the defensive corps and his required cap hit.

 

[VanillaCoke]

The time to dump Mikheyev on the cheap passed with the deadline.

The cost now will not be comfortable.

They weren't willing to pay the price then and were probably banking on him looking better post tdl and playoffs, so it'd be easier in the summer.

Obviously that didn't happen, but they (& many ppl here) still think he's somewhat valuable and/or will improve when he's "fully healed".

Realistically and what the rest of the nhl knows is even if he's better next year, he's still going to be a quite overpaid bottom six checker for two years. Who wants that?

Seems like they dont want to pay the price now either or accept he's near replacement level but they need to bite the bullet and get it done, or take a different less than desirable contract back, there are plenty of options.

 

[Vector]

I still maintain that if we are looking for a sandpaper/physicality type guy with some upside in the bottom six, that Kiefer Sherwood from Nashville is one to look at.

Duhaime crashes and bangs, but provides limited in other areas and at $2M, might not be very good value.

Love Sherwood too but there are three issues with him.

1) Cap hit. If the Canucks need to squeeze every last dollar, I think he'll also price them out.
2) PK. Joshua was the best penalty killing forward on the team and Sherwood doesn't PK much. Granted last season was his first full-time in the league so maybe that's a part of his game that wasn't explored.
3) Size. He's far smaller than Joshua. He hits but they don't have the same impact.

Still, at the right price I think he'd be a lot of fun on a 3rd line with Garland and Blueger*.

*assuming Blueger is coming back

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

They weren't willing to pay the price then and were probably banking on him looking better post tdl and playoffs so its easier in the summer.

Obviously that didn't happen, but they (& many ppl here) still think he's somewhat valuable and/or will improve when he's "fully healed".

Realistically and what the rest of the nhl knows is even if he's better next year, he's still going to be a quite overpaid bottom six checker for two years. Who wants that?!

Seems like they dont want to pay the price now either or accept he's near replacement level but they need to bite the bullet and get it done, or take a different less than desirable contract back there are plenty of options.

I watched the YouTube video of every single goal from this last season (1 hour, 40minutes ish) and was left with two major takeaways from the first half of the video - 1) our PP was deadly until it suddenly wasn’t, and 2) Mikheyev looked like a completely different player. It’s shocking to watch him in the first half and see some of those highlights, and compare it to how hard he fell off a cliff after.

Obviously everyone hopes he can get back to where he was. But man. What a drop off.

 

[Hansen]

I think Duhaime would come in far under that. He was very ineffective with Colorado. I think the Lazar contract would be the model for him. 3 year term but can be buried in the AHL.

If we could get him at 1M thats a good deal, but I think he comes in at 1.5-2M range, just the fact that we're talking about him this early means that there are other teams who want him too and there will be bidding for him.

I watched the YouTube video of every single goal from this last season (1 hour, 40minutes ish) and was left with two major takeaways from the first half of the video - 1) our PP was deadly until it suddenly wasn’t, and 2) Mikheyev looked like a completely different player. It’s shocking to watch him in the first half and see some of those highlights, and compare it to how hard he fell off a cliff after.

Obviously everyone hopes he can get back to where he was. But man. What a drop off.

Someone was mentioning our zone entries getting scouted as we became the number 1 team in the league and how it got shut down when people realized we were doing the same things. Is that really the case? With the talent in our mix its so confusing how the PP dropped off so hard, and if it was coaching why wasnt it changed?

 

[Vector]

If we could get him at 1M thats a good deal, but I think he comes in at 1.5-2M range, just the fact that we're talking about him this early means that there are other teams who want him too and there will be bidding for him.

1.15m is the most he could be offered while still burying the entirety. So that's about what I peg him as. I'd be willing to go 3y/1.1m which is a slight step up on Lazar's 3y/1.0m.

 

[biturbo19]

the difference there is obvious. OEL had Twice the term remaining, more than 3x the cash owed and there was absolutely no chance he was ever going to earn his deal. There is only one guy who would have traded for OEL and we'd fired him.

In year one with us, after getting hurt in preseason, Mikheyev produced at a 50 point pace on a torn ACL until he was shut down. In year two he did the same over the first half of this season on a recently surgically repaired knee before running out of gas and completely losing his confidence. I'm sure the Kuzmenko situation and whatever was going on with Pettersson didn't help.

a buy out makes no sense, there would be way too much dead cap over the next 2 years with the OEL hit ramping up.

If the cost is a first round pick, it would be insane to pay it IMO (particularly considering the apparent fragility of our starting goalie). I'd just bet on him bouncing back and being the 2 way 50 point player they signed him to be.

"bad contract" swap might make sense depending on who it is. people have mentioned Ristolainen, which absent retention would be a non starter IMO. $5mm cap hit + extra year for a number 6 defender would be lunacy. Someone like Conner Clifton would be interesting. Laine depending on if there was retention would be very interesting if our pro scouts like him.

Yeah. The crap cap swap feels like it might end up being the move.


Ristolainen feels like such an enormous risk though. He had a better year playing a very sheltered role...but it's scary, with how bad he's been otherwise.


If we're doing a big risky crap swap for a defenceman...i'd look at Ryan Graves before Ristolainen. Maybe more so if Zadorov is going to walk because they can't find the right deal. Graves is a pretty similar player...a bit less physical, but a similarly huge, good skating aggressive, attacking defenceman. Who we've had pretty good results with under this TocchetFoote coaching staff. And he's basically just on exactly the deal that i think most people are comfortable with giving Zadorov.

He's also a guy who is just a year removed from playing a top matchup shutdown role alongside Marino on a playoff team. Didn't click with Letang or Karlsson as he's not really the "stay at home" type to play the "steady" and "calming" role on a pairing. But i'd gamble on him bouncing back if deployed right in this Canucks current system.


If they get Zadorov re-signed though, he'd be utterly redundant. Hughes-Zaddy-Soucy is all full up on LHD. Just another name to think about though, on a contract that is around the same value and a team clearly would like to undo.

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

If we could get him at 1M thats a good deal, but I think he comes in at 1.5-2M range, just the fact that we're talking about him this early means that there are other teams who want him too and there will be bidding for him.


Someone was mentioning our zone entries getting scouted as we became the number 1 team in the league and how it got shut down when people realized we were doing the same things. Is that really the case? With the talent in our mix its so confusing how the PP dropped off so hard, and if it was coaching why wasnt it changed?

Our zone entries were awful in the playoffs, so that adds up.

 

[biturbo19]

1m is about what I'm thinking would be fair for the role he'd be asked to fill. Essentially rotate with Juulsen while providing "SC winning leadership". If they re-sign Hronek, he's not really needed. However, if you trade Hronek and replace him with a defensive player then all of sudden you're at the same problem as years past; the entire right side lacks any puck-moving ability. They'd also need another defensive PP option if Hughes has to miss some time.

Heavily dependent on the make-up of the defensive corps and his required cap hit.

Yeah. That's fair. If Hronek is out and isn't replaced with a guy who has some puck-moving and PP utility, Schultz might start to make more sense as a cheap 3rd pairing offensive-minded guy.

He got so absolutely caved in on basically the 3rd pairing with Dumoulin with Seattle last year though. Idk...he might just be completely done as a player.

 

[biturbo19]

I think Duhaime would come in far under that. He was very ineffective with Colorado. I think the Lazar contract would be the model for him. 3 year term but can be buried in the AHL.

I don't think Duhaime was widely viewed as "ineffective" with Colorado though. He was very noticeable at times, in a 4th line crash and bang role. Production and underlying stats might not have been there, but he went out there and hit everything that moved. Which is what i think a lot of teams would be looking for in signing him. I think he's going to be one of those players who gets a luxury 4th liner sort of "tone setter" deal.

 

[Vector]

I don't think Duhaime was widely viewed as "ineffective" with Colorado though. He was very noticeable at times, in a 4th line crash and bang role. Production and underlying stats might not have been there, but he went out there and hit everything that moved. Which is what i think a lot of teams would be looking for in signing him. I think he's going to be one of those players who gets a luxury 4th liner sort of "tone setter" deal.

Very fair and you may end up being right. He's a bit of a hard player to get a read on because he really came into prominence last season.

 

[Killer Orcas]

Hire Gilman

Was amazing with the cap back under Mike Gillis. I'm all for bringing him home.

 

[Phrasing]

Was amazing with the cap back under Mike Gillis. I'm all for bringing him home.

Canucks already have an AGM with this role

 

[biturbo19]

If we could get him at 1M thats a good deal, but I think he comes in at 1.5-2M range, just the fact that we're talking about him this early means that there are other teams who want him too and there will be bidding for him.


Someone was mentioning our zone entries getting scouted as we became the number 1 team in the league and how it got shut down when people realized we were doing the same things. Is that really the case? With the talent in our mix its so confusing how the PP dropped off so hard, and if it was coaching why wasnt it changed?

One of the things that started to happen later in the season, is that teams did start clamping down on some of our breakout strategies and PP zone entries. They were using a lot of east-west movement to make up for the lack of real speed up front. Moving the puck diagonally basically wing to wing to mask things and create a bit of a "ladder" to gain the opposing zone. Other teams definitely started to key on that. Either stepping up to clog the middle more, or committing less to the puck side and being better postured to deny a zone entry on that far side.


It's where i think one of the key facets of this offseason, is going to be how they can add more raw speed through the neutral zone. To help counter those sort of shutdown strategies. Guys who can simply "brute force" entries with raw speed and often size. Guys who can be more effective getting in on the forecheck to retrieve dump-ins. etc.

That's where obviously Mikheyev has gotta go...but they have to be careful, in that he was actually one of our more effective players in providing that speed, zone entry, and puck retrieval elements. Even at clearly less than "full speed". So whatever they're replacing him with...we need to build up more of some of those elements that he offers when he's healthy. But i think the recognize that...or at least, i presume that's why they kept stubbornly trying to force Mikky with Petey that way.

 

[Szechwan]

I always wanted to see Gilman get a GM job. I think he just isn't enough of a dick to make it through a cutthroat selection process though, even if he's a very qualified candidate.

 

[Killer Orcas]

Canucks already have an AGM with this role

I'm sure they do but doesn't hurt adding another bright mind to front office. He had many other duties other then cap ologist from what I recall. Just another past name that brought back good memories I suppose for me.

 

[VanillaCoke]

Canucks Friday night contract announcement tomorrow would be very on brand

 

[ManVanFan]

I still maintain that if we are looking for a sandpaper/physicality type guy with some upside in the bottom six, that Kiefer Sherwood from Nashville is one to look at.

Duhaime crashes and bangs, but provides limited in other areas and at $2M, might not be very good value.

There's the potential for players like Joshua that aren't qualified. Brett Leason, Arthur Kaliyev, Oliver Wahlstrom. Smaller players like Emil Bemstrom, Jonathan Berggen.

There are projects that could bring upside. Most will turn into nothing.

 

[biturbo19]

Was amazing with the cap back under Mike Gillis. I'm all for bringing him home.

I really don't think the Canucks current regime is struggling for agile cap managers. They've been one of the better teams in the league in managing that of late. Plus...i don't think Gilman has any interest in coming back to this market, and more than Gillis would. lol.

 

[Killer Orcas]

I really don't think the Canucks current regime is struggling for agile cap managers. They've been one of the better teams in the league in managing that of late. Plus...i don't think Gilman has any interest in coming back to this market, and more than Gillis would. lol.

Doesn't Gillis still live here? He teaches at one of the universities I believe Victoria maybe somewhere close though.

 

[wonton15]

Canucks Friday night contract announcement tomorrow would be very on brand

General Manager Patrik Allvin is happy to announce that the Vancouver Canucks have re-signed D Tyler Myers for six years at $6M AAV

 

[biturbo19]

There's the potential for players like Joshua that aren't qualified. Brett Leason, Arthur Kaliyev, Oliver Wahlstrom. Smaller players like Emil Bemstrom, Jonathan Berggen.

There are projects that could bring upside. Most will turn into nothing.

My fav potential "project" is actually Kasperi Kapanen.

He's done immense damage to his reputation both on and off the ice over the last couple years. But the guy is still very talented and easily capable of scoring 20G from the bottom-6 without PP time. I like him way more than any of those other gambles tbh. And he shouldn't cost much.

Leason can't skate. Kaliyev can't skate either and really doesn't have anything else beyond his shot. Wahlstrom is a soft perimeter guy with a great shot but nothing else. Bemstrom is nothing. Bergren is a future 2nd liner on a bad tanking team.

Doesn't Gillis still live here? He teaches at one of the universities I believe Victoria maybe somewhere close though.

I believe he's still in BC. But he's made it abundantly clear that he isn't really interesting in being a GM again. And especially not in this shithouse market. lol.

 

[Vector]

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