I'd trade for one it if was a clear upgrade and they were young enough to grow with the team.
- NewYorkNuck

I’d go for Wennberg 3/3m if he takes it.

That is the easy quick answer, I know.

That 7.5 mil that you were going to spend on Pettersson could be put towards offering Dougie Hamilton a contract.

I have to admit I don't like Hughes as our top Dman .

I would rather a top 3 of Hamilton Power and Hughes over Hughes Hamonic and Schmidt. Like I said just a hypothetical .
- VANTEL

Jones for 9oa/OJ

I’d go for Wennberg 3/3m if he takes it.
- Nighthawk

He's who I'd like them to target

However, the question comes back to "do you stand pat this year and let contracts expire to be better positioned next year, or do you make some moves to free up cap this year to compete now and have a little less flexibility next year?"

Jones for 9oa/OJ
- Nighthawk

No.

Jones for 9oa/OJ
- Nighthawk

The funny thing is you could still do that even with Hamilton Power and Hughes . That would be a hell of a top 4.

He's who I'd like them to target

However, the question comes back to "do you stand pat this year and let contracts expire to be better positioned next year, or do you make some moves to free up cap this year to compete now and have a little less flexibility next year?"
- NewYorkNuck

I get 1 key piece this year. Next year lots of cap especially if Petey & Hughes are bridged.

The funny thing is you could still do that even with Hamilton Power and Hughes . That would be a hell of a top 4.
- VANTEL

Yup but weak at C is difficult to fix. Ask the Preds & CBJ. 1 piece at a time. Get UFA’s to wanna sign here.

I get 1 key piece this year. Next year lots of cap especially if Petey & Hughes are bridged.
- Nighthawk

*Trigger Warning*

Drance went through (a few weeks ago now) a mapped out an idea see what cap space would be available by moving players to minors/buyouts...



He took the EP and QH caps from Evolving-Hockey's contract comparison, so the numbers aren't right but together they're roughly 13 mil. At the end he was able to cup up with about 8.2 mil to add to that roster....:

The club would now be looking at having roughly $8.2 million in cap space to play with. That could go as high at $8.6 million if the club were to sign a goaltender like Scott Wedgewood instead of Reimer. That’s tempting.

The club’s cap situation is still tight, but now at least the Canucks could realistically look to add a couple of $2 million to $3 million pieces, which opens up all kinds of potentially interesting options to upgrade the defence and the third line on the trade market or in free agency.

Of course, the club would be accomplishing that at the expense of adding $1.9 million to the books for 2022-23. And that probably isn’t worth it considering the strength of this roster as it stands.

It’s not as if the Canucks are a Brock McGinn or a Brandon Montour away from evolving into a contending team anyway.

If the goal is to make the playoffs next year at the expense of the flexibility to take a more credible all-in shot in 2022-23 after Beagle, Roussel, Eriksson, Holtby and Luongo’s recapture penalty expire, then there are ways to do that. They’re not pretty though.

It will take either a Holtby buyout or adding significant futures in a trade — or in the expansion process — to offload some bad money.

A buyout, however, costs the club cap flexibility in 2022-23. Adding futures to incentivize a rival to take on all or part of Holtby’s, or Roussel’s, or Beagle’s contract hurts the club’s odds of adding an additional difference-maker who could pay off when Pettersson and Hughes are 25 years old and at the apex of their powers.

The wiser course of action, with the club’s long-term interests in mind, is rather clearly to avoid surrendering futures or clouding the books for the benefit of shoring up the club’s depth next season. The Canucks should instead spend this summer pruning, making bets on low-cap hit players on the trade market and in free agency, with an eye squarely trained toward the future.

This offseason, the Canucks are essentially caught in one of those woven bamboo finger traps. If they just relax and hurdle their inefficiently-allocated contracts naturally, they’ll soon be free. Wriggle and strain too much, and they might only make it worse.

The leverage of buying out Holtby so that the club can add a $2 million to $3 million winger and a $2 million to $3 million defender this summer for the purpose of bolstering the club’s short-term playoff hopes is insufficient to justify clouding the club’s cap picture in 2022-23. Or their long-term future more generally.

After all, in 2022-23 the club is looking at having serious flexibility and should do everything to maximize it. They should be protective of this window.

If you extrapolate from the model we’ve built above, for example, without a Holtby buyout, into the offseason of 2022 the Canucks are looking at an entirely different world of options. We’re talking about the Canucks being poised to have over $30 million in cap space with only Brock Boeser and Rathbone (a 10.2(c) black hole player on expiry) to re-sign among the club’s key pieces.

In comparison with the club’s tough outlook this summer, the offseason of 2022 is shaping up as one in which the Canucks could make some serious noise. Everything the club does this summer must be done with that unique window of opportunity in mind, even if the club’s key decision-makers — including Benning and head coach Travis Green — haven’t been incentivized to think or behave this way based on the two years of term remaining on their respective contracts.

Because of inefficient contractual commitments and the challenges introduced by the flat cap, the Canucks are in for a very difficult offseason. There are brighter days ahead, however, if a club with good bones can only be disciplined enough in the short term to realize them.

*Trigger Warning*

Drance went through (a few weeks ago now) a mapped out an idea see what cap space would be available by moving players to minors/buyouts...



He took the EP and QH caps from Evolving-Hockey's contract comparison, so the numbers aren't right but together they're roughly 13 mil. At the end he was able to cup up with about 8.2 mil to add to that roster....:
- NewYorkNuck

Yup but weak at C is difficult to fix. Ask the Preds & CBJ. 1 piece at a time. Get UFA’s to wanna sign here.
- Nighthawk

You still have top 6 of Miller Hog Pod Bo Pearson and Brock .

You would obviously be moving Schmidt .

Like I said it it just playing around with ideas . I just think it is easier to find a top C over a couple of years than fixing an entire D .

*Trigger Warning*

Drance went through (a few weeks ago now) a mapped out an idea see what cap space would be available by moving players to minors/buyouts...



He took the EP and QH caps from Evolving-Hockey's contract comparison, so the numbers aren't right but together they're roughly 13 mil. At the end he was able to cup up with about 8.2 mil to add to that roster....:
- NewYorkNuck

This is nothing new to me but thx. I’m on capfriendly constantly juggling the roster. I go further & project following years.

You still have top 6 of Miller Hog Pod Bo Pearson and Brock .

You would obviously be moving Schmidt .

Like I said it it just playing around with ideas . I just think it is easier to find a top C over a couple of years than fixing an entire D .
- VANTEL

I get ya but the PP suffers & an elite C are rare.

Funny how there are so many great options for rugged yet skilled bottom 6 players for cheap and yet so many teams get it wrong. Canucks are lucky to have had Beagle & Sutter the past few seasons, it will be tough to replicate that combo.
- 1970vintage

I neither said rugged or skill bottom 6 options.

Or great for that matter.

I get ya but the PP suffers & an elite C are rare.
- Nighthawk

Lets be honest the PP stunk even with EP . That is why that coach is not coming back.

Jones for 9oa/OJ
- Nighthawk

At 9oa. Even in this draft. Nope.

I am curious if anyone would trade Petey for Owen Power?

Just a hypothetical .
- VANTEL

.....WTF man.....

This is nothing new to me but thx. I’m on capfriendly constantly juggling the roster. I go further & project following years.
- Nighthawk

Oh I know you're always there. Just putting it out there for others as it's a good visual to show the roster breakdown and cap space, as well as what it means to push chips in this year versus next year.

That is the easy quick answer, I know.

That 7.5 mil that you were going to spend on Pettersson could be put towards offering Dougie Hamilton a contract.

I have to admit I don't like Hughes as our top Dman .

I would rather a top 3 of Hamilton Power and Hughes over Hughes Hamonic and Schmidt. Like I said just a hypothetical .
- VANTEL

You have to ask yourself, why on Gods green earth would Dougie Hamilton, in the prime of his career, want to come to Vancouver when they've finished near the bottom of the league for six of the last seven years....AND....they still have cap issues for the next couple years that'll hurt their chances of being competitive.

*Trigger Warning*

Drance went through (a few weeks ago now) a mapped out an idea see what cap space would be available by moving players to minors/buyouts...



He took the EP and QH caps from Evolving-Hockey's contract comparison, so the numbers aren't right but together they're roughly 13 mil. At the end he was able to cup up with about 8.2 mil to add to that roster....:
- NewYorkNuck

What Drance doesn't know is that its easier to find a 3lc than a first line winger.

This is nothing new to me but thx. I’m on capfriendly constantly juggling the roster. I go further & project following years.
- Nighthawk

I have a nephew who writes fan fiction too!

You have to ask yourself, why on Gods green earth would Dougie Hamilton, in the prime of his career, want to come to Vancouver when they've finished near the bottom of the league for six of the last seven years....AND....they still have cap issues for the next couple years that'll hurt their chances of being competitive.
- LeftCoaster

9 million reasons

*Trigger Warning*

Drance went through (a few weeks ago now) a mapped out an idea see what cap space would be available by moving players to minors/buyouts...



He took the EP and QH caps from Evolving-Hockey's contract comparison, so the numbers aren't right but together they're roughly 13 mil. At the end he was able to cup up with about 8.2 mil to add to that roster....:
- NewYorkNuck

Its Thomas Drance, now using Nighthawk material.

That guy is a joke, pretty much like most of the Vancouver writers/bloggers.

What Drance doesn't know is that its easier to find a 3lc than a first line winger.
- manvanfan

I am still wondering why people follow Drance? Why pay money to follow a guy that doesn't know what is going on behind closed doors?

What Drance doesn't know is that its easier to find a 3lc than a first line winger.
- manvanfan

I agree, but it's an option for the Canucks next season and he played well there this season.

If they don't want to spend a lot of money this offseason, it's one way to cover that hole while waiting to go all in when contracts come off the books.

Oh I know you're always there. Just putting it out there for others as it's a good visual to show the roster breakdown and cap space, as well as what it means to push chips in this year versus next year.
- NewYorkNuck

👍