I’d do it. Sign Ethan Bear with the remaining amount and utilize that 2nd to add a player like Tanev at the deadline. Might have to adjust the retention amount slightly.
I think the Canucks would like to see what they have in a guy like Bains before they make such a move though. Ultimately Beau is a luxury to have on the 4th line and the Canucks simply can’t afford it if they want to improve other areas.
I’m going to speak on behalf of NHL fans all over the world when I say this... Y
our game vs Edmonton Monday night was one of the most entertaining regular season games I have ever watched. I watched every single second of that contest and it just got better and better and better until McDavid blew his top. I'm on the east coast so I stayed up very late and didn't contemplate going to bed to miss that fiasco for the Oiler
I'm no Vancouver fan boy, but I'll pull for Vancouver over the Oilers a thousand times out of a hundred.
And watching the McDrai era Oilers implode and crater in real time vs your squad in your barn with your mean fans was giving me the fan equivalent of a hockey orgasm. During that game, I believe your team may have actually ended the McDrai dynasty that never was. And it was Fing glorious. I was in heaven watching the Hoglander goal because it demonstrates everything wrong with Brochard and why he'll never be a great NHL player all rolled up into one awful play by him.
Then JT Millers doesn't score only to have the horn blast out a minute later and you see every Oiler player just drop their head in one motion.
And then McDavid loses his cool and somehow Hyman gets his butt kicked by JT Miller as a result. And then Drai gets 10 and it was such a pleasure to watch that meltdown... Kane, who is just so hateable and a dirtbag having his own meltdown... And your fans were so savage too... cheering Skinner blocking icing attempts that went on net. And when their coach got tossed... Amazing. It was incredible NHL theatre. A Canada vs Canada fandom crushing of hopes/dreams in real time.
It was such an indulgence for those of us that don't like the Oilers and want to see Drai bolt down this summer because he won't resign on a team with no realistic Cup hopes and no cap space to improve the roster thanks to Nurse, Campbell, Kane and other contracts that aren't aging well.
So bravo. A wonderful evening was had by all that night. Well... expect the Oiler faithful, that were probably in shambles like their club that was unraveling due to the pressure of over-dog expectations a fragile team like Edmonton cannot handle or eclipse.
As many of you know... I watch a lot of your games so I knew Hughes and EP were big time well before this season and was saying the same a year ago. Telling Avs fans to pipe down on the Hughes bashing because... that kid can play. But this Vancouver game... this was far better than any other I've watched over the past few years. It was magical. It was why I love hockey.
