For Canucks, NHL trade deadline a matter of dollars, sense for cap-strapped club
In snooker, it’s not what you make, it’s what you leave.
The same sporting principle applies to the Vancouver Canucks in what they may, or may not, accomplish in advance of the NHL trade deadline on April 12.
The simple summation for suitors interested in unrestricted free agents Tanner Pearson, Brandon Sutter, Alex Edler and Jordie Benn is that they must balance the salary-cap equation. Money coming in, even as rentals, can be justified if similar money is going out — unless owner Francesco Aquilini retains cash on expiring contracts.
That’s probably a moot point because the Canucks currently have no current or projected cap space. Add no-movement and modified no-movement clauses — plus current injury situations and family preferences — and trading UFAs for draft picks gets more complicated.
It’s not surprising that Travis Hamonic, 30, won’t waive his NMC, even though there’s interest from the Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets. The right-shot defenceman has always preferred to play in Western Canada for professional and family purposes. It could be the same scenario with Edler and his NMC.
As for Pearson and Sutter, their value as experienced depth forwards is tempered by salaries and ailments.
Pearson, 28, has missed four games with an ankle injury and the left-winger hopes to start skating this week. Sutter, 32, has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury and may play Wednesday, but the centre has a history of core-related health issues.
Pearson’s expiring cap hit is $3.75 million (all figures in U.S. dollars), and with no movement in a contract extension, any possible trade scenario may only include a provisional pick because of the ankle ailment. The more he plays, the higher the pick. That’s plausible.
Sutter has been coveted for a month by Edmonton as a third-line solution and penalty-kill specialist, but is a $4.375-million cap constraint. The Oilers have a fourth-round pick to dangle, but money changes everything.
The Oilers are also in cap hell and would have to move a body out — like struggling centre Kyle Turris — or have the Canucks eat part of the remaining Sutter deal. He wants to sign an extension here and his modified NTC has a list of 15 teams he can’t be dealt to.
It’s why the Oilers’ focus may shift to UFA centre Luke Glendening, 31, of Detroit because of lower cap hit ($1.8 million) and familiarity with former Wings general manager Ken Holland.
Benn, 33, would be a depth fit for many clubs and the Canadiens lauded his two full seasons in Montreal before joining the Canucks. However, his expiring $2-million cap hit is a challenge with the Canadiens trading for Eric Staal on Friday and signing prospect Cole Caufield on Saturday.
Then there’s the other side of all this.
As much as the Canucks have to get Olli Juolevi, Jalen Chatfield and eventually Jack Rathbone into their back-end mix — and also make a decision on Group 6 UFA Brogan Rafferty — they need a support system.
Does Hamonic, who signed a one-year, team-friendly $1.250 million deal Jan. 12 to get the NMC and has meshed well with blue-line partner Quinn Hughes, get an extension that’s palatable to both sides? And what about Edler from a culture perspective?
All that is above Travis Green’s pay grade, but the Canucks coach has lauded Hamonic’s progress after missing 18 games with an upper-body injury suffered Jan. 20.
“Hammer has been a good addition to our group,” said Green. “He’s got good size, closes hard and has a heavy stick. We like him as a player and individual. He’s hard to play against and is everything we hoped he’d be and hopefully he can stay here.”
Extensions for restricted free agents Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko are obvious priorities and waiver-wire claims Jimmy Vesey and Travis Boyd, who are both 27 and UFAs on $900,000 and $700,000 deals respectfully, are intriguing. If the versatile forwards are part of the future here and Vasili Podkolzin makes the transition from the KHL, Jake Virtanen and Adam Gaudette may be expendable.
Virtanen has been linked to many deals, but moving him before the deadline means convincing a suitor to bite on the $2.55 million cap hit next season and $3.4 million in total salary. It’s why a swap of struggling wingers — Danton Heinen, 25, of Anaheim and Virtanen, 24 — made some sense last month.
Heinen is an RFA with an expiring $2.88-million cap hit and unless the Canucks retained salary, it wouldn’t be a one-for-one trade. The Ducks wanted an add-on and the deal died. It’s why you wonder if another trade of underachieving wingers in first-round picks Jake DeBrusk and Virtanen could be broached.
NEXT GAME
Wednesday
Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks
7:30 p.m.,
Rogers Arena
, TV: Sportsnet Pacific, Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM
DeBrusk, 24, is in COVID-19 protocol with Boston, has but three goals and is a frequent healthy scratch. He’s far removed from 19 goals last season and 27 in 2018-19. And with a $3.675-million cap hit next season and $4.85 million in actual salary, the Canucks would ask the Bruins to retain money to equal Virtanen’s deal. That could be a big ask and perhaps a big gamble on DeBrusk.
Of course, the elephants in the room are those bottom-six contracts, especially the extra year afforded Antoine Roussel and Jay Beagle.
The struggling Roussel, who has slid from the third to fourth line, has another season remaining on his four-year, $12-million contract. And so does the injured Beagle, who signed an identical deal. If they were three-year commitments, the Canucks would have another $6 million coming off the cap and the combined $4.1 million they’ll earn next season in total salaries.
For Roussel, 31, just four points (1-3) in 33 games is behind the 13 points (7-6) in 41 games last season and light years behind 31 points (9-22) in 65 games during the 2018-19 season. Roussel has added the penalty kill to help him hound pucks, but the lack of points brings frustration.
“In the production part, there probably is,” he said. “I thought I was playing way worse last year than this year. I’m making plays, generating offence and feel like I’m way faster and still feel like I’m relevant in this league. That’s encouraging. That’s what keeps me positive and going every day.
“Obviously, I’d like to score more, but I’ve never been a shooter. It’s always been on tips and by working pucks in the corner and I feel like it’s rewarding for me. My standards are higher, so it’s not perfect but it’s not totally negative either.”
OVERTIME —
RFA winger
Justin Bailey
, who suffered a separated shoulder Feb. 11 against Calgary on a hit from
Milan Lucic
and was limited to three games this season, had surgery in New York on Monday after consulting with a specialist.
bkuzma@postmedia.com
twitter.com/benkuzma
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