Last year the Canucks traded their 2024 first rounder; and a conditional fourth rounder; along with prospect d-men Brzustewicz and Jurmo as well as Kuzmenko for Lindholm. And Zadorov cost them a third and fifth rounder.
That's a total of four picks flushed away, actually five if you consider that Brzustewicz was their third rounder in 2023. All that for two guys who basically played in Vancouver for two months.
The question I have, is how many more deals like that can the Canucks afford to make? I get that they were loading up for a run.......but if it were to happen two years in a row, the cost is just too high imo.
Personally I don't think they believed in Brzustewicz long term. There was also rumours he wasn't all that happy to play in Vancouver. They sold high on him IMO. Losing the 1st sucks, but it ended up being 28th overall. That's a pretty low probability to ever turn into an NHLer, let alone an impact player within our window. The later round picks are an even greater roll of the dice. They also bought the opportunity to offer Lindholm and Zadorov team friendly deals, which had they signed and continued to be valuable contributors on good contracts, been well worth the late round picks.
I think they can certainly afford to and will trade our 1st this year again. Sometimes it's the greatest value you can get from your picks when you are contending, because the players you could draft with them likely won't be around to help your team in their window. Depth players (that late picks often turn into) also come easier to contenders as FAs because the FAs want to raise their market value on good teams, and then sign a lucrative long-term contract with the highest bidder.
Really, unless your picks are likely to turn into homegrown top 6 forwards or top 4 d on good contracts, it makes lots of sense to turn the picks into rentals on cheap prorated contracts to fill out a contending roster.
