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J.T. Miller Removed From Protocol As Trade Rumors Swirl

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There has been a lot of speculation about J.T. Miller’s future over the last few days and during that time he wasn’t even with the Canucks. Miller was placed in isolation after a positive COVID test five days ago, but has now rejoined his teammates after exiting the protocol. He was on the ice for Vancouver today and based on jersey color, Thomas Drance of The Athletic tweets that it looks like he’ll be reunited with Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson on the “Lotto Line” for tonight’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.

Miller, 28, hasn’t played in a week, but every time he does step on the ice for Vancouver this season he only improves his trade value. With 39 points through 39 games, he’s on pace for his best offensive season yet and the second point-per-game campaign since arriving in Vancouver in 2019. The veteran forward has been linked to the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, and Minnesota Wild in recent days, with Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff discussing his future again today:

I think the Rangers stand out a bit as the team that has been ’next level’ in terms of interest. They have a fit there, he knows what it’s like, he’s comfortable with the organization having already played there. That makes sense. 

It’s not just a simple rental in the case of Miller either, as his contract extends through next season at a reasonable $5.25MM cap hit. He does not hold any trade protection, as the Canucks voided the modified no-trade clause that was originally included in the contract when he signed it with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Because the clause had not kicked in yet, Vancouver was allowed to do so after acquiring him in trade.

The Canucks made a few other moves today as well. Spencer Martin has been cleared to play again, after he too was put in the protocol just two days ago. He at least will give Vancouver another professional goaltender until Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak exit the protocol. The team played with an emergency backup on Sunday, giving Michael DiPietro the start. The team has also recalled Ashton Sautner to the taxi squad while moving Sheldon Dries to the taxi squad in order to open a spot for Miller.

Unfortunately, Tanner Pearson tested positive this morning according to Ben Kuzma of Postmedia, and the Canucks have now officially announced that he is in the protocol. He’ll be unavailable for the team tonight.

Canucks Notes: Miller, Halak, GM

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The Vancouver Canucks outshot the St. Louis Blues 39-17 last night but still managed to lose 3-1 because of a strong performance from Ville Husso. Even with that loss, the Canucks are still in better shape than they were a month ago, sitting just four points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference. With that in mind, the question of the trade deadline continues to come up, particularly with regards to J.T. Miller. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV spoke with Canucks president Jim Rutherford, who called Miller the team’s best forward and explained that more management pieces need to be in place before putting together a deadline strategy.

Miller, 28, is having an outstanding season, with 39 points in 39 games while averaging more than 21 minutes a night for the Canucks. He’s really been the only forward the team can rely on every night and would be a big chip at the deadline if they decided to sell. With one more year left on his deal after this season and a reasonable $5.25MM cap hit, there’s at least some reason to believe that the Canucks could hold onto him through the end of the year even if they fall out of the playoff race.

  • Another piece that has been speculated on quite thoroughly is Jaroslav Halak, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Part of the discourse has been about Halak’s $1.25MM performance bonus for playing in 10 games, something that will come into effect should he appear in two more matches. Rutherford told Dhaliwal that the bonus isn’t an issue for them and that Halak helps them win games. Dhaliwal even went so far as to suggest the decision has already been made to not move Halak.
  • After hiring Emilie Castonguay as an assistant GM earlier today, Rutherford is nearing a decision on the next general manager of the team. Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet tweets that in-person interviews with five finalists have been completed, with a hire potentially coming this week. It’s that GM, along with Rutherford, Castonguay and the rest of the front office, who will need to form a deadline strategy in the coming weeks.

Vancouver Canucks Hire Emilie Castonguay

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The Vancouver Canucks have hired Emilie Castonguay as an assistant general manager, becoming the first female AGM in team history. Canucks’ president Jim Rutherford released a statement on the hire:

Émilie has extensive experience, is driven to succeed, and has a strong reputation in hockey for her intelligence and work ethic. She will play a lead role in player contracts and negotiation, managing the collective bargaining agreement, and her voice will be heard in all aspects of hockey operations. She will be a key member of our leadership team and we are pleased to welcome her to Vancouver.

This is not the first time that Castonguay has broken barriers in the sport. In 2016, she became the first female NHLPA certified agent, representing players at Momentum Hockey like Alexis Lafreniere, Marie-Philip Poulin, Antoine Roussel, and Mathieu Joseph. She too released a statement about the new opportunity:

It is an honour to join the Vancouver Canucks and I am grateful to Jim and the Aquilini family for the opportunity. The Canucks have a passionate fanbase and an exciting young team with a bright future. I can’t wait to help build a winning organization that continues to grow and challenges for championship.

Her path as an agent and now hockey operations executive followed a playing career that included four years at Niagara University, where she served as captain in 2007-08. A member of the Quebec Bar Association, she will bring plenty of expertise in contract negotiations along with contacts in the QMJHL especially, where she represented some of the top young players.

Earlier this month, Castonguay was at the top of the Hockey News’ list of potential women who could become an NHL general manager. With this new appointment, she is well on her way.

Canucks Add Spencer Martin To COVID Protocol, Will Have Emergency Backup

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Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed today that goaltender Spencer Martin entered COVID protocol and goalie Arturs Silovs tested positive for COVID.

With Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak already on the protocol list, the Canucks only have Michael DiPietro left under contract and healthy. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance says it’s “very likely” that longtime University of British Columbia goaltender Rylan Toth will serve as the team’s emergency backup goalie today against St. Louis.

Toth, a fifth-year netminder for UBC, has a .935 save percentage and four shutouts en route to a 10-2-1 record this season. The 25-year-old Saskatoon native is certainly enjoying the best season of his career, although sitting on an NHL bench for a game will certainly be a highlight.

Starting in goal tonight will be DiPietro, who has a 4-7-3 record and .896 save percentage with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks this year. It will be his third NHL game, seeing game action in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

 

Halak May Not Be Willing To Be Moved, Rutherford Narrows List Of GM Candidates

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While Canucks goaltender Jaroslav Halak has come up in trade speculation lately with him being close to reaching a $1.25MM bonus for games played, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest 32 Thoughts column that the veteran doesn’t seem inclined to want to move.  As part of Halak’s contract, he did receive a no-move clause, giving him control over where he goes if Vancouver is able to find a trade taker for him.  The 36-year-old is two games away from triggering a $1.25MM bonus payment, one that will count against Vancouver’s salary cap in 2022-23 with the team being in LTIR and having no cap space to apply the bonus money against this season.  If Halak doesn’t want to leave Vancouver, however, it’s a payout they’re going to have to make.

  • Still with Vancouver, team president Jim Rutherford told Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic (Twitter link) that he has narrowed his list of potential new general managers to around five. The Canucks have technically been without a GM since Jim Benning was fired back in early December although Rutherford has effectively been acting in that role since joining the team on December 9th.

Canucks Not Expected To Postpone Games On Homestand Despite Extended Capacity Restrictions

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  • While the attendance restrictions in Vancouver have been extended through the middle of February, the Canucks will not be having any games on their upcoming three-game homestand rescheduled, mentions Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma (Twitter link). Vancouver already has seven games that need to be rescheduled with at least some of those changes expected to be announced very soon.

Bo Horvat, Mike Reilly Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks have both announced new additions to the COVID protocol today, obviously affecting their lineup for tonight’s action.

In Vancouver, it’s captain Bo Horvat that is now unavailable to the club, as they look to try and put another dash in the win column this evening. Horvat was a huge part of the team’s win Sunday night against the Washington Capitals, scoring the game-winning goal and registering an assist in more than 20 minutes of ice time. Those two points took his season total to 23 in 38 games, good for fourth on the team and third among forwards.

His absence will be felt all over the ice but perhaps most in the faceoff dot, where he takes more than twice as many draws as anyone else on the Canucks roster. In fact, Horvat leads all NHL players in faceoffs this season, taking 891 through 38 games so far. His 503 wins sit just barely behind Patrice Bergeron for the league lead; the Bruins captain has an incredible 63% win rate this season.

Boston meanwhile will be without Mike Reilly, who enters the protocol after playing more than 21 minutes on Saturday night against the Nashville Predators (Nashville will face Vancouver tonight). The 28-year-old defenseman has found a home with the Bruins, where he has seen more ice time than anywhere else on his NHL journey and contributes in all situations. While he has just nine points in 32 games this season, Reilly’s puck-moving ability is an important piece of the puzzle for Boston.

Luckily, Matt Grzelcyk is set to return after his own stint on the COVID protocol, meaning the Bruins won’t really miss a beat. Urho Vaakanainen will also be afforded a bit more time with the big club, something he has taken advantage of in recent days. The young defenseman will skate beside Charlie McAvoy and very well could break the 20-minute mark for the fourth consecutive game.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Vancouver Canucks

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In the spirit of the holiday season, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season approaches the midway mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Vancouver Canucks.

What are the Canucks thankful for?

New leadership.

Quite frankly, former Canucks GM Jim Benning should have been fired a long time ago. After a stint with the Boston Bruins front office, Benning took over as general manager of the Canucks in 2014. After making it back to the playoffs in year one, Vancouver missed in five of the next six seasons, only making it to the postseason in the 2020 bubble.

Not only did they fail to have any substantive on-ice success, but they also routinely missed on high draft picks despite Benning earning a reputation as a good scout. Jake Virtanen (sixth overall 2014), and Olli Juolevi (5th overall 2016) were both huge whiffs for the organization, while second-round picks like Jonah Gadjovich, Kole Lind, and Jett Woo have also failed to make much of an impact at the NHL level to this point. Even with a team still quite far from contending for a Stanley Cup, the Canucks ranked 28th in Scott Wheeler’s recent prospect pool rankings for The Athletic.

It’s not that Jim Rutherford is guaranteed success in Vancouver, but fans have been clamoring for change longer than most bases. Just having a different voice is important after so much failure.

Who are the Canucks thankful for?

Bruce Boudreau.

There have been a lot of astute hockey minds saying things like “Travis Green is a good coach, he’ll land on his feet elsewhere” since the Canucks made a change behind the bench, but there was no doubt a new brand of coaching needed to be brought in. Boudreau has gone 8-2-1 since arriving in Vancouver, continuing his history of finding immediate success when he arrives in struggling markets.

Once again, it’s not that there is a guarantee this will continue–in fact, it looks as though the new coach bump might already be wearing off–but there needed to be a new voice behind the bench. Notably, the veteran coach appears to have a positive impact on Brock Boeser, the team’s struggling sniper. Five of his nine goals this season came in the six games leading into the holiday break, all under Boudreau.

What would the Canucks be even more thankful for?

An Elias Pettersson sighting.

One of the most puzzling things to happen to the Canucks this season has been the disappearance of their young star. Pettersson, the 2019 Calder Trophy winner and a player who earned Hart Trophy votes in 2020, has looked completely lost at times. After scoring 153 points in his first 165 games in the NHL, Pettersson has just 17 in 36 this season, good for sixth on the Canucks’ roster.

The team was never expected to really contend for a Stanley Cup this season, but without Pettersson playing to the level he once did, it will be difficult to even stay competitive in the Pacific Division. There are excuses that could be used–a long injury and a missed training camp in particular–but after signing a three-year, $22.05MM deal in October, Pettersson has to be better.

What should be on the Canucks’ wish list?

Cap relief.

When Benning and his staff went out and acquired Conor Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson last summer, they ensured that the team would be capped out not only this season but moving forward as well. The Canucks have more than $71MM owed to just 15 players for 2022-23, not leaving much flexibility.

If Rutherford realizes that this group isn’t going to get it done, biting the bullet on some tough trades would be the move at the deadline. Moving out Ekman-Larsson or Tyler Myers would probably be the best options, but names like Boeser, J.T. Miller, and even captain Bo Horvat will have to be discussed at some point. It’s not that these are all players that can no longer contribute, but right now the Canucks are basically locked into this group, with free agent negotiations on the horizon and no real success to show for it.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jaroslav Halak Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that goaltender Jaroslav Halak has been placed into COVID protocol.  The veteran was set to get the start for today’s game against Carolina but instead, that will go to Thatcher Demko with Spencer Martin coming up from the taxi squad.  Halak has made just eight appearances this season and has a $1.25MM bonus pending when he gets to his tenth.  He’ll now have to wait a little longer to get that bonus, one that has recently landed himself in trade speculation as well.

Canucks Open To Moving Jaroslav Halak

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Jaroslav Halak has played well in limited action for Vancouver this season.  However, in his latest column for the Toronto Star, Chris Johnston reports that the Canucks are open to moving the veteran netminder.

Through his first eight appearances this season, the 36-year-old has posted a 2.59 GAA along with a .915 SV%, numbers that are better than the league average in both categories.  But if you’re thinking that his games played total is awfully low for someone with those numbers – he hasn’t been injured – there’s a reason for that.

It’s that reason that seemingly has him on the trade block.  As part of his contract for this season, Halak is owed a $1.25MM bonus when he reaches his tenth game plus another $250K for maintaining a save percentage of .905 or higher which he’s clearly above at the moment.  Placing those incentives in there helped the $1.5MM AAV of Halak’s deal become more affordable for them on the salary cap this season.  However, with Vancouver deep into LTIR with Micheal Ferland’s contract, they won’t have any unused cap space to offset those bonuses against, meaning that they’d face a $1.5MM overage for Halak when his incentives are met which would come off their 2022-23 cap room.

Under new management, it appears as if that’s a price they’d prefer not to pay, both in money spent and the corresponding cap penalty.  On the other hand, that type of upcoming payment could also scare off potentially interested teams as they’d be on the hook for the full bonus amount plus the remaining balance of Halak’s salary.

It’s a little early for the trade market for a backup goaltender to really materialize with the deadline still more than two months away but Halak’s games played total acts as a shorter-term pressure point.  He has placed just twice in the last six weeks which has allowed them to stretch this out for the time being but Thatcher Demko can’t play basically every game in the second half of the season.  At some point, Halak will have to play if he isn’t traded.  As a result, his situation will be one to watch over the next couple of weeks.

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