Offseason Checklist: Vancouver Canucks
The offseason has arrived with roughly half of the league finished up after missing the playoffs and eight more being ousted in the first round. It’s time to examine what those teams need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Vancouver.
The Canucks underwent several significant changes over the offseason which made them a bit of a wild card team heading into the season. However, they didn’t get off to a good start, had injuries all season, and a rough battle with COVID-19 in between. The end result was a seventh-place finish in the seven-team North Division. Ownership decided to keep GM Jim Benning around and he was able to get head coach Travis Green signed to a short-term contract, taking one big item off his to-do list. There is still a lot of work to be done, however.
Free Up Cap Space
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Benning opted to bring in several veterans over the last few offseasons to try to bolster his roster. While some improvements were made, it also took away from their salary cap flexibility. They’ve been into LTIR the last couple of years and are going to be hit with another bonus overage penalty next season. Yes, they have some contracts coming off the books but those players need to be re-signed or replaced. That will be tricky to do without creating some more flexibility.
To that end, Benning suggested at the end of the season that he’s open to using a buyout. However, a lot of those deals (such as Loui Eriksson’s) have a structure that makes the net cap savings minimal. There aren’t many viable options to choose from. That’s why it’s not too surprising that Nate Schmidt’s name has surfaced in trade speculation as of late with the veteran having four years left at a $5.95MM price tag.
Keeping the core intact is one thing but finding a way to add to it to help Vancouver take a step forward will be a significant challenge for Benning over the coming months.
Replace/Retain UFA Defensemen
Let’s look at some of those expiring contracts, particularly on the back end. Alexander Edler has been a fixture on Vancouver’s blueline since the 2006-07 season and he has made it clear on multiple occasions that he wants to remain with the Canucks. He’s coming off a tough season but before that, he had been a steady two-way defender. And even though the 35-year-old struggled, he still logged more than 20 minutes a night. He won’t cost $6MM to sign again but his role isn’t one they can fill from within just yet either.
The other pending UFA that needs to be addressed is Travis Hamonic. A late signee in the offseason, the veteran received a no-move clause which he used to keep himself with Vancouver past the deadline as there was trade interest in him. A capable stay-at-home defender, he’s someone that should command more than the $1.25MM he made this season if he wanted to test the open market. He doesn’t seem to want to so another bargain contract is a possibility.
Of course, dealing with (or replacing) these two doesn’t necessarily add to their roster but it’s still something that will need to happen in the weeks ahead.
New Deals For Young Stars
Adding to the challenges of dealing with the aforementioned defensemen is that most of the money coming off the books will be needed for new contracts for their two top youngsters in defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Elias Pettersson as both are restricted free agents this summer.
Hughes has quickly become one of the more dangerous offensive rearguards in the league. Over his two full NHL seasons, only three defenders have more points than his 94 – Victor Hedman, John Carlson, and Roman Josi. (Cale Makar also has 94.) That’s impressive company to be in and it will allow the 21-year-old to potentially command a significant contract even in this environment and with just 129 career regular season games under his belt, about the equivalent of a year and a half in non-shortened campaigns. He’s not the strongest player in his own end but offensive stats often drive negotiations and that is certainly in Hughes’ favor. It’s worth noting that while is a restricted free agent, he doesn’t have enough service time to be eligible for an offer sheet.
As for Pettersson, his platform year was hardly an ideal one. He got off to a tough start offensively and then missed the final two months with a wrist injury, only managing 21 points in 26 games as a result. However, the 22-year-old still has plenty going for him. He had two seasons of 66 points before this one, quickly becoming a fixture on the top line in the process. Pettersson also has the ability to play down the middle and that can usually boost a players’ value as well. Unlike Hughes, Pettersson is eligible for an offer sheet (though that’s an unlikely outcome) but also isn’t able to file for arbitration.
In a perfect world, both players would sign long-term contracts that buy out some UFA eligibility, giving the Canucks their two top youngsters for the long haul. But doing that costs considerably more money than a shorter-term bridge contract. Vancouver can’t afford long-term deals for both of them while dealing with their UFA blueliners and filling out the rest of their roster (which still only gets them to where they were at the end of the season and not conceivably better as a result). One could be doable depending on what else Benning has up his sleeve so they’re going to have to choose wisely as to who gets it and who doesn’t.
Extension Talks For Boeser
While they need to deal with Hughes and Pettersson, Benning also has to keep in mind the other big-ticket deal on the horizon as winger Brock Boeser will be a restricted free agent next summer which means he will be eligible to sign a new contract once the calendar flips to the 2021-22 season. He’ll be a year away from unrestricted free agency at that time and since his deal was signed before the new CBA, the qualifying offer is the salary of the final season which is $7.5MM, well above his current $5.875MM AAV.
Knowing that increase will be coming in a year later, Benning would be wise to see what a long-term extension would cost which shouldn’t be much more than that qualifier in this cap environment. That type of certainty would also be useful in terms of budgeting whether or not they can afford long-term contracts for their two star RFAs.
Even if they can’t hammer out a new contract now (one of the sides may prefer to wait and see what next year brings), getting an idea of what the framework of a deal would look like would be very useful as Benning looks to map out the rest of his offseason planning.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Cap information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Buffalo Sabres Win 2021 NHL Draft Lottery
For the final time for the foreseeable future, all non-playoff teams were eligible to win the first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery. Beginning in 2022, a team can only move up a maximum of ten spots, meaning the teams who finish No. 12 through No. 16 in the final league standings cannot move high enough to take over the top pick. The stage was set for a climactic send-off for the old format.
Well, the lottery balls decided not to take a crazy bounce in their last opportunity to move a team from the middle of the first round all the way to the top. Instead, the draft order stayed virtually the same. The Buffalo Sabres, who held the worst record in the NHL this season and thus the top odds in the lottery, retained the No. 1 pick. The expansion Seattle Kraken, awarded the same odds as the third-worst record in the league, moved up one spot, switching places with the Anaheim Ducks. New this year, there were only two lottery draws as opposed to the former three. Here is the official first-round draft order for the top 15 picks:
- Buffalo Sabres
- Seattle Kraken
- Anaheim Ducks
- New Jersey Devils
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Detroit Red Wings
- San Jose Sharks
- Los Angeles Kings
- Vancouver Canucks
- Ottawa Senators
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Calgary Flames
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Dallas Stars
- New York Rangers
(As a reminder, the Arizona Coyotes forfeited their first-round pick this years as discipline for scouting violations)
This will be the second time in four years that the Buffalo Sabres will pick first overall after selecting Rasmus Dahlin at the top spot in 2018. It also means that two teams, the Sabres and New Jersey Devils, will have owned the first pick in four of the past five drafts. The two clubs are happy that the NHL’s new rule limiting teams to two lottery wins in a five-year span kicks in next year with a clean slate. Incredibly, the Sabres lottery win also further advances the mythology of Taylor Hall. Although Hall is now with the Boston Bruins, this is the fifth time in Hall’s career that his most recent team eligible for the draft lottery has won. A No. 1 overall pick himself, Hall has brought luck to the Edmonton Oilers, Devils, and now Sabres.
Perhaps bigger news than Buffalo at No. 1 is Seattle at No. 2, a major opportunity for the Kraken to draft a player who is ready to join the team in their inaugural season. The Vegas Golden Knights, with the same odds in the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery, fell to No. 6 overall and drafted Cody Glass, who has still yet to establish himself as a regular in the Vegas lineup. With the second pick, Seattle will have better odds of adding an instant difference-maker.
The 2021 NHL Draft is unique compared to recent years in that there is no consensus top prospect. In fact, it is difficult to remember a draft class in recent memory that is so undecided at the top. One major factor has been the lack of complete scouting due to canceled and shortened seasons and limited live viewings. However, even with complete information, there is still seemingly no prospect that stands heads above the rest. University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power and forward Matthew Beniers are largely considered the top players at each position and the two most likely candidates for the top pick, with Power having a slight lead according to draft pundits. However, current teammate Kent Johnson and Wolverines commit Luke Hughes, a forward and defenseman respectively, are also in the mix. Canadian junior standouts Mason McTavish, Dylan Guenther, and Brandt Clarke and European pros William Eklund and Simon Edvinsson may also be in play.
Karel Plasek Signs Entry-Level Contract
As expected, the Vancouver Canucks have come in under the wire with a contract for prospect Karel Plasek. The deal will keep Plasek from becoming an unrestricted free agent later today when his draft rights would have expired. The three-year entry-level contract will start next season and brings the Czech forward into the organization after an eye-opening season for Brno Kometa.
Plasek, 20, is expected to report to Abbotsford next season according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic, who notes that it is his hockey IQ that the Canucks are excited about. The young forward has been playing at the highest level in the Czech Republic for several seasons, recording 10 points in 44 games Brno this year. It’s not that he is expected to be an offensive leader in Vancouver, but a valuable depth player that can move around the lineup.
Obviously, that’s a far-fetched dream at this point, given how much development he still needs, but if Vancouver is going to really turn the ship around they’ll need to start producing their own homegrown bottom-six talent instead of paying for it on the open market. Plasek is exactly the type of prospect that can turn into that, but the organization and player have work to do in the coming years to get him there.
Pittsburgh Penguins Permit Jim Rutherford To Interview Elsewhere
If there was a free agent market for front office executives, a Hall of Famer just became a UFA. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins have given teams permission to speak with Jim Rutherford before his contract expires later this month. As Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote yesterday, there are no current general manager vacancies in the league, but Rutherford could be a fit in a different role.
After resigning from his position with the Penguins earlier this year, Rutherford’s name has been routinely brought up by insiders speculating on his next move. It has always seemed likely that he would return in some fashion, though it’s not clear if he’ll be taking over the day-to-day work of a GM or joining an organization in a president role. It’s also not clear which teams have spoken to him at this point.
Even if you disagree with some of his moves, it’s hard to see Rutherford as anything other than a legend in the sport. A three-time Stanley Cup winner as an executive, he has been a GM in the league since 1994. Known as a risktaker and willing trade partner, there have been some wild deals swung by Rutherford over the years. Even some of the moves that were lambasted at first, like acquiring Mike Matheson this past offseason, end up turning out okay in the end. That’s not to say he is infallible, but a team looking for stability in its front office could do much worse than bringing in someone with decades of experience.
Prospect Notes: Plasek, Walli Walterholm, Westerlund
There are more than two dozen prospects that will see their draft rights expire if not signed by tomorrow afternoon, but for some of them the decision is already made. The Vancouver Canucks for instance are expected to sign Karel Plasek according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic. Drance notes that it’s Plasek’s hockey IQ that the team believes in and wants him to join their AHL team in Abbotsford next season.
The 20-year-old forward had six goals and ten points in 44 games with Brno Kometa this season and is two years removed from going 175th overall in the 2019 draft.
- Not everyone is signing though, as Craig Morgan of AZ Hockey Now reports that Erik Walli Walterholm will not ink a deal with the Arizona Coyotes. Walli Walterholm was a seventh-round pick in 2017 and has experience at the SHL level, but played this season in the Swedish second tier. Though he scored just 14 points during the regular season, the 22-year-old forward turned things around in the playoffs, recording nine points in 15 games for Timra.
- Perhaps more significant is the news on teammate Filip Westerlund, the Coyotes’ second-round pick, 44th overall in 2017. Morgan reports that he is also not expected to sign, making him a free agent. The 22-year-old defenseman had 21 points in 52 games during the regular season and was once regarded as a top prospect, even ranked 15th among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting in 2017. Of the nine players selected by the Coyotes that year, only two—Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Mackenzie Entwistle—have played in the NHL, but neither for Arizona.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Vasily Podkolzin To Entry-Level Contract
May 31: Podkolzin told Sport24 in Russia that he is willing to play in the AHL if that’s what the Canucks management wants him to do and is not considering a return to Russia or using a European Assignment Clause. That’s good news for Vancouver, who can bring the teenaged forward along slowly if he’s not quite ready to make an impact at the start of the season.
May 30: The Vancouver Canucks announced they have signed top prospect Vasily Podkolzin to a three-year, entry-level contract. The winger was the team’s 10th-overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reports that the deal will be for the full $925K cap hit along with full Schedule A bonuses, making it a $1.775MM actual cap hit.
“Vasily is a competitor who plays an aggressive game,” said Canucks general manager Jim Benning. “He’s effective using his size and skill to get to the net and produce offensively. We’re pleased to sign him today and look forward to adding him to our young core of skilled players.”
The winger should provide the team with an impressive power forward for years to come, although his height is debated with his KHL team listing him as 6-foot-3, while the Canucks have him at 6-foot-1. Regardless of his exact size, his high-end skating and his physical make-up present the team with one of their more interesting prospects. He likely will be an immediate fit in Vancouver’s top-six and will be a top Calder Trophy candidate.
The 19-year-old Podkolzin is coming off a full season in the KHL where he scored five goals and 11 points in 35 games with SKA St. Petersburg in limited minutes. He also captained Team Russia in the World Junior Championships, scoring two goals and four points in seven games as Russia lost in the bronze medal game to Finland.
There was speculation during the season that Podkolzin might come over to Vancouver in April after his KHL season ended and burn the first year of his entry-level deal. However, the youngster opted instead to stay in Russia and focus on making Russia’s World Championship roster, which he did not make. However, the chances that Podkolzin would have seen much action after having secured a work visa and sat through quarantine seemed unlikely.
Canucks Will Face A Bonus Penalty Next Season
The Canucks are a team that’s going to be looking to free up some cap room this summer and their situation for next season just got a bit more challenging. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that as a result of Quinn Hughes maxing out on his bonuses and Nils Hoglander hitting a games played-related bonus, Vancouver will be facing a $649K bonus overage penalty heading into next season. With the team being in LTIR for the entire year, they were unable to bank any cap room throughout the season which means that full amount is added to their 2021-22 payroll.
Vancouver Canucks Open To Moving Nate Schmidt
The Vancouver Canucks didn’t have the type of season they were hoping for. The team finished in last place in the North Division, even behind the rebuilding Ottawa Senators — a far cry from their strong playoff performance a season ago. While the team lost several free agents in goaltender Jacob Markstrom, winger Tyler Toffoli and defenseman Chris Tanev, the hope was that others could step up in their place, including Thatcher Demko, Nils Hoglander and trade acquisition Nate Schmidt, who they picked up from Vegas for a 2022 third-round pick.
Of course, things didn’t work out for Schmidt, who just didn’t seem to be a good fit with Vancouver this year. The 29-year-old played in all but two games for the Canucks, but couldn’t get it going offensively with just 15 points in 54 games, quite a difference from the 31 points he posted in 59 games with Vegas in 2019-20. That’s not exactly what Vancouver envisioned when it took on Schmidt’s contract, which suddenly doesn’t look so good on their payroll as Schmidt still has four more years at $5.95MM.
The Province’s Patrick Johnston writes that the Canucks will likely have to do a major shakeup of their blueline this offseason with only a few players considered key pieces to their puzzle. The belief is the team would prefer to move Schmidt and his contract to free up some cap space, although that could prove challenging, according to The Athletic’s Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal (subscription required). While the contract is somewhat front-loaded, the base salary for this next year is still $6MM and only drops slightly over the next three years.
What that type of cap hit in a flat cap world, only a handful of teams are likely willing to take on four more years of Schmidt and the Canucks could be forced to send a sweetener if they hope to move the blueliner. All three scribes suggest that Schmidt is a likely trade candidate, but also admit that Schmidt may be difficult to unload and therefore might just have to be an expensive second-pair defenseman, who the team hopes can rebound and have a big season.
Benning: Canucks Expect To Announce The Hiring Of The Sedins Over The Next Couple Of Weeks
While the exact role has yet to be determined, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin will be returning to the Canucks. GM Jim Benning indicated in a recent appearance on CHEK’s Donnie and Dhali show (audio link) that talks about a reunion are ongoing with an announcement hopefully coming over the next couple of weeks. The twins each played 17 years with Vancouver after being selected second and third overall back in 1999 and hung up their skates in 2018. Benning hopes to have the Sedins get their feet wet with several different aspects of the organization and given their commitment as players, this could be the beginning of another long run with the team.
Snapshots: Rutherford, Urquhart, COVID Protocol
It sure doesn’t sound as though former Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is done with hockey. The 72-year-old Hall of Fame executive left the Penguins abruptly back in January and it felt as though it could be the end of an illustrious front office career. However, it didn’t take long for speculation to mount that Rutherford wanted to get back into the management game. Now, his interest is official. PBI Sports Agency has announced that they now officially represent Rutherford, who is looking for new “NHL management opportunities.” The GM and President of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes for 20 years and GM and Executive Vice President of the Penguins for another seven, not to mention considerable time spent in the OHL, there are few in hockey with as much front office experience as Rutherford. If he wants a new job in the league, PBI shouldn’t have a hard time finding him one.
- San Diego Gulls assistant coach David Urquhart is moving to the college game and returning to his old stomping grounds. The Anaheim Ducks’ affiliate has announced that Urquhart has accepted the head coach position at McGill University, where he was an assistant for four years before joining the Gulls in 2018. Urquhart also played at McGill and was one the rare four-year Canadian collegiate players to go on to have an extended pro career, playing three seasons in the AHL and another three in Italy. While USports pales in comparison to its American counterpart, the NCAA, McGill is one of its most highly regarded institutions and based in a high-publicity area in Montreal. While Urquhart’s move was clearly impacted by loyalty to his university, it could also lead to greater heights in his career, especially if he finds success in his first head coaching position.
- The NHL is loosening it’s COVID Protocol restrictions as it relates to fans. With many playoff teams having already received permission from local authorities to host increasing amounts of fans, the league is moving forward with improving that spectator experience. The NHL has announced that, beginning in the second round, fans will no longer be required to wear masks at games. Individual teams may still enforce a mask mandate if local health policies insist, but the league will no longer do the same. Additionally, the glass behind the penalty boxes and benches, initially removed to allow for more breathing room for teams, can also be removed if teams are 85% vaccinated. This will be the case for most remaining American teams.