I would trade Hoglander before the season starts while his value is highest, depending what shakes out with other team's RFAs and arbitration situations?
When's Necas arbitration?
Would be funny, Canes shooting for Tkachuk, then Pettersson, then 4th OA and then settling for Hoglander and some draft picks.
I'm not seeing any conceivable way of clearing the cap space it would take for Necas at this point. Especially not with Hoglander @ $1.1M going back the other way as the main piece + picks.
We just...don't really have a lot of money left to move. There's Garland...but he's solid value for his deal right now, and a big part of what this team is built to do anyway. Anyone else on the sort of money it'd take is either a part of the core or just signed. I think that Necas thing is pretty much dead. For the time being at least.
Hoglander for an arbitration situation could work, but they'd need to add significantly for Necas. Drury would be a more realistic target.
I don't really know what a Hoggy for Drury swap would entirely accomplish for us either though. Drury being a Center is nice and all...but Hoglander is probably the more capable player when it comes to scoring from a depth role.
I'd probably do it, pending the cost and signing $$$ just because Centers are more valuable and i have reservations about Hoglander's future here beyond this season. But i doubt Carolina would straight up, and i wouldn't go adding.
But idk...unless it's just specifically about Carolina coveting Hoglander, i think i'd look elsewhere.
Just looking at still pending RFA negotiations...there are few out there that would obviously be super enticing from a Canucks POV, but i don't see why the other team would be interested in swapping for Hoglander.
More likely, i think it'd be a guy who is already signed, for Hoglander to help get a team out of some dollars. Like say...if Oshie were to waive out of Washington, with some retention it'd be an interesting 1-year gamble on a clutch Top-6 winger (if he can stay healthy). Or if you could somehow make Hoglander the centerpiece of a Shea Theodore deal.
That said...
CBJ
Kent Johnson is a really fascinating RFA situation to me. Still unsigned and might be a rough negotiation process there. Seemed to take a noticeable step back last year and ended up kind of where Hoggy was the year before last, back in the minors a bit and everything. But he's got oodles of talent, prior production, a lot more size and a much more conventional skillset than Hoglander to potentially mesh better with someone like Pettersson/Miller. If the Jackets wanted to send him home to BC for the more proven recent production and contract in place with Hoglander...i'd make that gamble. Doubt they'd be interested...but i'd call and find out what might get them listening. They're clearly making changes there with the new regime taking over...and Hoglander is the type of guy who can be that tone-setting buzzsaw for them.
I think Johnson is a guy who has big upside in the right situation, and i think he's the sort of player who could probably learn an absolute ton from someone like JT Miller.
Probably just a pipe dream sort of swap though.