Canucks News, Rumours, & Fantasy GM

[bandwagonesque]

I'd like to know whether it could be advantageous to retain heavily, trade him back to Arizona and have them buy him out, but the math is too complicated.

 

[Horvat1C]

The goal is to win and make the playoffs asap. They can’t afford to wait 1-2 more years to LTIR OEL.

They have to buy him out or hope he somehow rebounds.

This is desperate, illogical and volatile thinking. I don't think management is operating that way but if they are then we are in for another painful decade.

 

[Nucker101]

This is desperate, illogical and volatile thinking. I don't think management is operating that way but if they are then we are in for another painful decade.

They either need to think that way or think long term, I think it’s clear that it’s not the latter.


The middle ground is the stupidest out of all 3

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

He obviously was playing hurt. He started ok but you could tell that ankle injury he had at the worlds was effecting his speed.

In game 25 (against Arizona ironically) he got hurt. The 30 games after that his ice time and play was noticeably poor. Multiple games where you could see him struggle back to his feet, a lack of physicality and his pivot was bad.

6 games where he had his ice time neutered and a minus 20 in 30 games. 40 hits by game 25 and then 18 over the next 30 games till he was shut down. Can he recover is the question

OEL was never fully healthy from the get go this season..

Oliver Ekman-Larsson Suffers Fractured Foot At World Championship

Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson suffered a fractured foot while playing for Sweden at the World Championship.

www.prohockeyrumors.com

 

[andora]

OEL has a NMC and would require major assets to trade. Relying on a fantasy trade or a fantasy LTIR is not good strategic planning.

It's either keep him or buy it out - that's what the team can control

1. Will he be healthy
2. Will he be ready
3. Can he contribute
4. Can he succeed with tocchet
5. Can we give him the right patner

I am sure there are lots more that go into this that have to be asked and answered before just buying him out - but so much more goes into it and i think he is getting another shot

 

[krutovsdonut]

In the last 4 season, OEL has played "okay" for 40 games, and godawful for 200. Yes, I am assuming that the 200 is his true level of contribution.

but he's a tall rangy dman who can occasionally go coast to coast without skating into a corner. i don't think you can have a good hockey team without one of those.

 

[bandwagonesque]

He obviously was playing hurt. He started ok but you could tell that ankle injury he had at the worlds was effecting his speed.

In game 25 (against Arizona ironically) he got hurt. The 30 games after that his ice time and play was noticeably poor. Multiple games where you could see him struggle back to his feet, a lack of physicality and his pivot was bad.

6 games where he had his ice time neutered and a minus 20 in 30 games. 40 hits by game 25 and then 18 over the next 30 games till he was shut down. Can he recover is the question

He's been reduced to a state of serious incapacity by lower body injuries most of the time for the last several seasons. He's 31 and has played 900 games. He's pretty clearly done, barring a miracle.

 

[Nucker101]

1. Will he be healthy
2. Will he be ready
3. Can he contribute
4. Can he succeed with tocchet
5. Can we give him the right patner

I am sure there are lots more that go into this that have to be asked and answered before just buying him out - but so much more goes into it and i think he is getting another shot

I could see them hoping he rebounds next year and if he doesn’t then he gets bought out in 2024.

 

[andora]

They either need to think that way or think long term, I think it’s clear that it’s not the latter.


The middle ground is the stupidest out of all 3

Err.. but it is middle ground .. they are approaching this to get better short term under certain parameters that their choices are also structurally long term

Simplest example is age of targeted players

 

[iceburg]

Acquiring OEL was the worst, most damaging move made in team history. It is time to pull the band-aid off and move on. The only question is do you want the band-aid pulling off for 4 years or 8 years...

 

[andora]

Acquiring OEL was the worst, most damaging move made in team history. It is time to pull the bandaid off and move on. The only question is do you want the bandaid pulling off for 4 years or 8 years...

While i can appreciate a nice slow pull...

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

And if he doesn't?

Banking on a player to go on LTIR would be one of the worst strategic moves an organization could pull off in the NHL.

Not surprised many are advocating for it here.

If he doesn't then you keep him until the following season and then explore a buyout or trade.

His injuries are getting more frequent though, and we have seen them result in a massive drop off in the basic fundamentals of his game. A foot/ankle injury in May 2022 persisted until training camp. A routine hit early last month has kept him out for weeks, and he hasn't even been on the ice since. For this reason, it's worth waiting another season.

 

[Nucker101]

Err.. but it is middle ground .. they are approaching this to get better short term under certain parameters that their choices are also structurally long term

Simplest example is age of targeted players

I think they’re aggressively targeting players that they think will give them the best chance to win over the next 4-5 seasons.

By middle ground I’m not referring to age or timelines. I mean middle ground in terms of making moves to help the team win during these next 4-5 seasons versus thinking longer term. IE: Hronek vs 1st + 2nd picks

I don’t think they’ll be chasing 30 year old players signed with term

 

[andora]

I think they’re aggressively targeting players that they think will give them the best chance to win over the next 4-5 seasons.

By middle ground I’m not referring to age or timelines. I mean middle ground in terms of making moves to help the team win during these next 4-5 seasons versus thinking longer term. IE: Hronek vs 1st + 2nd picks

I don’t think they’ll be chasing 30 year old players signed with term

Yeah ok fair enough.. i believe 5 yrs is fairly long term in todays nhl in some avenues

 

[Nucker101]

Yeah ok fair enough.. i believe 5 yrs is fairly long term in todays nhl in some avenues

Yeah, but it’s not a 5 years from now approach, it’s a starting next season until 2027/2028 approach. So to them a promising potential core player who’s realistically 3-4 years away isn’t that appealing compared to a 25 year old who can step in right away.

They have to be factoring in the Demko/Hughes free agency timelines which are 3 and 4 years away respectively.

Letting Horvat go is the interesting part since he fits this timeline.

 

[sting101]

OEL was good for the first 40 games last year and tailed off.

He was downright horrendous this year and one of the worst dman in the league.

He’s absolutely cooked bro.

He’s turning 32 in a couple months. The best case is to buy him out.

You want to gamble this organization’s playoff hopes on OEL?

Hell nah. Give me that cap space.


He’s not going to LTIRetire - at least not right now… maybe never.

That’s just a straight up dream.

He’s only 32 so he probably thinks he has a lot of gas in the tank (he doesn’t)


Let’s put this organization’s playoff hopes on a 7M #6/7 D that was probably one of the worst dmen in the league this year??

That would be a bad move.

Your wrong? He was good up until Horvat went down and the seasons playoff push was lost and the air came out of the balloon. Myers had his best season as a Canuck was that because OEL was good for 40 games?

He was hurt and maybe your right and he cant recover but calling him cooked when even Hughes looked poor early in the year playing hurt is naive. You're also ignoring being our 2nd best D when he was healthy.

I've been listening to this same crap since fans wanted Bieksa punted because he needed time to recover from his achilles getting sliced. It's like some of you have never had to or can comprehend that it takes time to recover from a serious injury.

Yes he's 32 and maybe he cant summon the body but just saying he's cooked without allowing him a chance to get healthy and ignoring the context of this season is being hasty.

By buying him out you are needing to replace him with a good top4 LD to make any forward progress. Whoever that becomes Orlov or Gavrikov?? your adding 20 million to his already peaked contract and you think that's a good idea?

 

[m9]

Would still be surprised if they buy out OEL. In the last 15 years they've bought out 4 guys (non-compliance) and all were going into the last year of their deal. Even in that four you've got:

1. Braden Holtby - Oddly structured pandemic contract where they saved a ton of cash
2. Jake Virtanen - Probable rapist
3. Ryan Spooner - Team took him back as a salary dump and likely knew they were buying him out
4. Chris Higgins - Couldn't play in the NHL anymore

Takes a ton to get them to buy someone out, and I'm not convinced they are there yet with OEL.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Would still be surprised if they buy out OEL. In the last 15 years they've bought out 4 guys (non-compliance) and all were going into the last year of their deal. Even in that four you've got:

1. Braden Holtby - Oddly structured pandemic contract where they saved a ton of cash
2. Jake Virtanen - Probable rapist
3. Ryan Spooner - Team took him back as a salary dump and likely knew they were buying him out
4. Chris Higgins - Couldn't play in the NHL anymore

Takes a ton to get them to buy someone out, and I'm not convinced they are there yet with OEL.

Also, you have to take into consideration that he's Swedish, and there is quite the contingent here....Allvin,Pettersson,Sedins..I dont think they're anywhere near hitting the 'buy out' button just yet.

Just seems unlikely.

 

[Nona Di Giuseppe]

Would still be surprised if they buy out OEL. In the last 15 years they've bought out 4 guys (non-compliance) and all were going into the last year of their deal. Even in that four you've got:

1. Braden Holtby - Oddly structured pandemic contract where they saved a ton of cash
2. Jake Virtanen - Probable rapist
3. Ryan Spooner - Team took him back as a salary dump and likely knew they were buying him out
4. Chris Higgins - Couldn't play in the NHL anymore

Takes a ton to get them to buy someone out, and I'm not convinced they are there yet with OEL.

This.

ppl getting hung up on cap space. OEL isn't going anywhere

 

[m9]

Also, you have to take into consideration that he's Swedish, and there is quite the contingent here....Allvin,Pettersson,Sedins..I dont think they're anywhere near hitting the 'buy out' button just yet.

Just seems unlikely.

Even Allvin's comments recently about OEL needing to play better implied he would be around next year. I didn't feel like he was talking in past tense.

 

[Diamonddog01]

Doesn’t make sense to buy him out until 2025…could happen in 2024 based on other factors (Hronek & Petterson contracts) but it’s not even necessary to buy him out this off-season. Not happening and not remotely realistic imo.

 

[Vector]

For those curious about when NCAA players can specifically sign, I made a little spreadsheet. I only included players that the Canucks have been linked too.

Name	Position	GP	G	A	P	Age	Birthday	Team	Next Game	Tourny Invite
Jake Livingstone	RD	37	8	26	34	23	Apr. 16 1999	Mankato	Mar. 18th	Likely
Akito Hirose	LD	36	4	23	27	23	Apr. 9 1999	Mankato	Mar. 18th	Likely
Sam Malinski	RD	31	8	18	26	24	Jul. 27 1998	Cornell	Mar. 17th	Likely
Max Andreev	C	28	6	15	21	24	Oct. 22 1998	Cornell	Mar. 17th	Likely
Max Sasson	FW	37	15	27	42	22	Sep. 5 2000	Western Michigan	Finished	Likely
Ryan McAllister	FW	38	13	35	48	21	Dec. 19 2001	Western Michigan	Finished	Likely
Riese Gaber	RW	38	20	17	37	23	Oct. 10 1999	North Dakota	Mar. 17th	Unlikely

Key Dates
Selection Announcement	Mar. 19th
Regionals	Mar. 23-26th
Semifinals	Apr. 6th
Finals	Apr. 8th

So we'll know a lot more on Sunday. Mankato, Cornell, and Western Michigan are all around the bottom of the tournament bracket, according to this website. All conference champions get a spot in the tournament.

Western Michigan's season is over since they lost in the quarter finals. Mankato is in their conference championship game. Cornell is playing in the semifinal. North Dakota is also playing in a semifinal game.

Basically, wait until the 19th.

 

[andora]

For those curious about when NCAA players can specifically sign, I made a little spreadsheet. I only included players that the Canucks have been linked too.

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]Name[/TD]
[TD]Position[/TD]
[TD]GP[/TD]
[TD]G[/TD]
[TD]A[/TD]
[TD]P[/TD]
[TD]Age[/TD]
[TD]Birthday[/TD]
[TD]Team[/TD]
[TD]Next Game[/TD]
[TD]Tourny Invite[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Jake Livingstone[/TD]
[TD]RD[/TD]
[TD]37[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]26[/TD]
[TD]34[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[TD]Apr. 16 1999[/TD]
[TD]Mankato[/TD]
[TD]Mar. 18th[/TD]
[TD]Likely[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Akito Hirose[/TD]
[TD]LD[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[TD]Apr. 9 1999[/TD]
[TD]Mankato[/TD]
[TD]Mar. 18th[/TD]
[TD]Likely[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sam Malinski[/TD]
[TD]RD[/TD]
[TD]31[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]18[/TD]
[TD]26[/TD]
[TD]24[/TD]
[TD]Jul. 27 1998[/TD]
[TD]Cornell[/TD]
[TD]Mar. 17th[/TD]
[TD]Likely[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Max Andreev[/TD]
[TD]C[/TD]
[TD]28[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]21[/TD]
[TD]24[/TD]
[TD]Oct. 22 1998[/TD]
[TD]Cornell[/TD]
[TD]Mar. 17th[/TD]
[TD]Likely[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Max Sasson[/TD]
[TD]FW[/TD]
[TD]37[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[TD]Sep. 5 2000[/TD]
[TD]Western Michigan[/TD]
[TD]Finished[/TD]
[TD]Likely[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ryan McAllister[/TD]
[TD]FW[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[TD]13[/TD]
[TD]35[/TD]
[TD]48[/TD]
[TD]21[/TD]
[TD]Dec. 19 2001[/TD]
[TD]Western Michigan[/TD]
[TD]Finished[/TD]
[TD]Likely[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Riese Gaber[/TD]
[TD]RW[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[TD]20[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[TD]37[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[TD]Oct. 10 1999[/TD]
[TD]North Dakota[/TD]
[TD]Mar. 17th[/TD]
[TD]Unlikely[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]Key Dates[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Selection Announcement[/TD]
[TD]Mar. 19th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Regionals[/TD]
[TD]Mar. 23-26th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Semifinals[/TD]
[TD]Apr. 6th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Finals[/TD]
[TD]Apr. 8th[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

So we'll know a lot more on Sunday. Mankato, Cornell, and Western Michigan are all around the bottom of the tournament bracket, according to this website. All conference champions get a spot in the tournament.

Western Michigan's season is over since they lost in the quarter finals. Mankato is in their conference championship game. Cornell is playing in the semifinal. North Dakota is also playing in a semifinal game.

Basically, wait until the 19th.

Spreadsheets are great

 

[JohnHodgson]

1. Will he be healthy
2. Will he be ready
3. Can he contribute
4. Can he succeed with tocchet
5. Can we give him the right patner

I am sure there are lots more that go into this that have to be asked and answered before just buying him out - but so much more goes into it and i think he is getting another shot

I agree.

I still prefer the buyout given what we know now.

Seems like we are relying on shooting stars for OEL's optimal outcome.

If I had to bet money, I think they keep him to give him a chance... unless they can't move money off the books.

 

[JohnHodgson]

Doesn’t make sense to buy him out until 2025…could happen in 2024 based on other factors (Hronek & Petterson contracts) but it’s not even necessary to buy him out this off-season. Not happening and not remotely realistic imo.

How is freeing up 7M when management wants to compete not realistic?

It's actually very realistic - many people in the media are talking abut it/hinting at it.

But yeah, DiamondDog on HFBoards says it's not realistic. Let's wrap it up and close the discussions.

Even Allvin's comments recently about OEL needing to play better implied he would be around next year. I didn't feel like he was talking in past tense.

I actually thought the opposite.

Allvin could have easily just said, "oh it's a down year, he was hurt, we expect him to be much better next year".

I feel like he didn't give us a vote of confidence... feel like Allvin was calling him out more than anything.

The recent praise of Wolanin/Briesbois from management/coaching to me just reaffirms that OEL is completely not needed on this roster.

Interesting how we could have completely different takeaways from an interview. Allvin's good at creating ambiguity I think.