Canucks Rumors

Trade Candidate: Thomas Vanek

February 11, 2018 at 4:53 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.

New coach, new expectations, but in the end, the Vancouver Canucks don’t look that much different. Vancouver finds themselves in seventh place in the Pacific Division, once again not competing for a playoff spot. The Canucks had higher expectations this year when they decided to add some veteran depth to the team in hopes it might spark their young core to play at a higher level. The team does have hope as they have a large amount of talented young prospects that aren’t too far away from joining the team over the next few years, but they must answer the question if they want to move out veteran scorer Thomas Vanek.

Contract

Vanek is currently finishing up the one-year contract he signed this offseason with Vancouver at $2MM. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

2017-18

At age 34, many teams believed that Vanek’s game may have passed him by and many of those teams chose to look elsewhere this offseason. He wasn’t signed until Sept. 1 by Vancouver, but he continues to prove that he can score in this league. He currently has 16 goals in 56 games and has impressed management to the point that they are considering re-signing him to an extension.

While Vanek has been fortunate enough to play on a line with rookie sensation Brock Boeser, the veteran has shown he can still score clutch goals and set up his teammates as well. He is quite versatile and is capable of playing anywhere in the lineup if needed. His lack of speed, however, doesn’t help him.

Season Stats

55 GP, 15 goals, 22 assists, 37 points, -15 rating, 24 PIM, 102 shots, 13:59 ATOI, 44.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

Vanek could have a number of suitors, because of the fact that he won’t be very costly. The Detroit Red Wings, who traded away Vanek at the trade deadline a year ago, only received an average prospect and a third-round pick from the Florida Panthers. So, many teams that are short on salary cap space and picks may find Vanek to be an interesting option, ranging from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Nashville Predators.

One possibility could be the Boston Bruins, who are desperate for depth on the wings. Vanek might be a good fit to join the Bruins second or even third line and provide even more offense during a playoff run. His penalty killing skills might also be helpful for Boston as well.

Likelihood Of A Trade

It’s more of a 50-50 proposition. The team could easily find a take for Vanek, but will the Canucks get true value for him? Perhaps if the team can get a second-rounder for Vanek, then it might be worth it, but at the same time, there are rumors that Daniel Sedin and his brother Henrik Sedin are considering returning for another year next season. The question then is, should they keep Vanek around for another year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 2/11/18

February 11, 2018 at 4:25 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

With the NFL season over, the NHL seems to have increased their Sunday games from just a handful to a nine-game set today. With a busy weekend, there should be quite a bit of movement on many NHL rosters today.

The Vancouver Canucks announced they have recalled forward Nikolay Goldobin from the Utica Comets of the AHL. He returns almost a month after he was sent down. The 22-year-old 2014 first-round pick has nine goals and leads the Comets in assists with 21 assists. He has played 14 games for the Canucks this season. He has two goals and two assists, but has averaged just 12:01 of ice time for the NHL club so far this year.
After losing backup goaltender Malcolm Subban to injury, the Vegas Golden Knights have officially recalled goaltender Manny Lagace from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Lagace had his moments earlier this season while starting for Vegas, while both Subban and Marc-Andre Fleury were out. Lagace was 6-6-1 in 14 games. He had his ups and downs as he carries a 3.79 GAA and a .872 save percentage during that time. He has a 2.65 GAA and a .907 save percentage in Chicago.
The San Jose Sharks made a couple of moves as they have recalled defenseman Tim Heed and Rudolfs Balcers from the San Jose Barracuda. For Heed, this is one of many moves over the last few days. He was sent to the Barracuda on Wednesday, recalled the following day and then sent back to the Barracuda Friday. He played one game for the Barracuda. For the Sharks, the 27-year-old offensive defenseman played in just 27 games this season and has three goals and eight assists. Balcers gets his first call-up to the Sharks. The 20-year-old wing has 12 goals and 31 points this season for the Barracuda.
The Vegas Golden Knights made a second move for the day as they have recalled forward Paul Thompson, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. This will be the first time the 29-year-old has been recalled for Vegas as he’s spent the whole season in Chicago of the AHL. In 48 games with the Wolves, Thompson has 14 goals, 26 points and 82 penalty minutes. He did play 21 games with the Florida Panthers last year and had three assists.
The Minnesota Wild announced they recalled defenseman Nick Seeler from the Iowa Wild of the AHL. The team also announced the have assigned forward Viktor Loov to Iowa. Seeler, 24, has played 49 games for Iowa and has two goals and 10 assists on the year. If he plays Tuesday, it would be his NHL debut. Loov, was just picked up Thursday in a minor trade from New Jersey. The 25-year-old did not get into a Wild game, however. Loov had five goals and 12 assists in 36 games for the Binghampton Devils of the AHL before the trade.

Injury Notes: Granlund, Hendricks, Hutchinson, Elliott

February 11, 2018 at 2:48 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

The Vancouver Canucks took another injury hit when they announced that forward Markus Granlund will be out for a month with an ankle injury, which he suffered Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He landed awkwardly on his ankle after being bumped on the boards by Ryan Callahan.

The 24-year-old Granlund was expected to be a big contributor this season after a breakout season last year when he scored 19 goals. However, that hasn’t been the case this year. He has eight goals so far this year in 53 games and has seen less average ice time as he’s seeing almost a minute less than last year.

As reported earlier, the Canucks recalled Nikolay Goldobin from the Utica Comets of the AHL.

The Winnipeg Jets announced they have activated veteran center Matt Hendricks off of injured reserve and placed goaltender Michael Hutchinson on injured reserve to make room for him. Hendricks, who was signed to a one-year deal this offseason, was out with an upper body injury and has missed the past two games. The team’s fourth-line center, Hendricks has put up a solid season with four goals and eight assists. Hutchinson was placed on IR, retroactive to Feb. 6. He was called up to replace backup Steve Mason, who went down with a concussion. However, Hutchinson himself suffered a concussion in a pre-game skate on that date. Eric Comrie is filling in as an emergency backup.
The Philadelphia Flyers might be without starting goaltender Brian Elliott again after he had to leave Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi. He actually left the game after the overtime period against Arizona and was replaced by Michal Neuvirth for the shootout. The team only just got Elliott back on Monday from a lower-body injury. Carchidi suspects that the veteran pulled a groin muscle before going down. He will be re-evaluated after tonight’s game against Vegas. The team announced they have recalled Alex Lyons from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to serve as the backup.

Canucks Looking To Move Anders Nilsson

February 9, 2018 at 8:55 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province notes that the Canucks have been looking to move goaltender Anders Nilsson. However, he has had quite the rough season, posting a 3.50 GAA and a .903 SV% in 17 appearances this season and has another year left on his deal with a $2.5MM cap hit. Even though there were four other teams that had interest in him during the summer, it’s hard to imagine those teams will still want him now with the season he is having.
Botchford also adds that the Predators might be a team to watch for when it comes to winger Thomas Vanek. He reports that Nashville showed interest in him during the summer and that Vanek’s decision may very well have come between them and the Canucks. It’s widely expected that Vancouver will be moving the 34-year-old and he would fit in nicely in a bottom-six role with the Predators if they can reach an agreement on a move.

Canucks Sign Darren Archibald; Call Him Up From AHL

February 7, 2018 at 5:27 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

The Vancouver Canucks have rewarded one of their minor league contributors with an NHL contract. The team announced this afternoon that they have signed 27-year-old Darren Archibald to a minimum deal for the remainder of the season. On top of that, they have recalled Archibald from the AHL’s Utica Comets and he may soon make the return to an NHL lineup that few saw coming.

It has been a long, strange path for Archibald, but one that shows that loyalty and hard work pay off. The big, 6’3″ Canadian winger was undrafted out of the OHL, but signed an entry-level contract with Vancouver in 2010. After three years spent mostly back in junior, with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, and with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings, Archibald re-upped with the Canucks in 2013-14 and finally got to make his NHL debut. Archibald skated in 16 games with Vancouver that season, an made an impression with his physical play, but failed to make much of a dent on the score sheet with just three points. Archibald spent most of the season and all of the following season down in the minors with the Comets, but then in 2015, he didn’t receive an extension offer from the Canucks. Rather than bolting overseas, Archibald remained committed to Utica and has played on a minor-league deal with the team for each of the past three seasons.

Last year, Archibald found his scoring touch and set a franchise record (albeit for a young franchise) in goals in a season with 23. He entered the year already holding the second-place spot in career games played, goals, and points for Utica and was most penalized Comet in team history. Back when he re-signed with team this summer, we posited that another strong season could earn him another shot at the NHL. With 16 points in 25 contests thus far and a continued physical dominance of the AHL-level – and in some preseason NHL action – that has come to fruition. As much as this could be a kind act by the Canucks towards a loyal veteran player, it is also fairly easy to see Archibald playing a reliable checking line role for the team down the stretch. If the Comets’ alternate captain continues to work hard at the next level, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could start next season with an NHL contract.

All Options Still Open For Thomas Vanek

February 7, 2018 at 1:10 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

When the Vancouver Canucks signed Thomas Vanek late into the offseason, most believed it was a move designed for the trade deadline. Vanek could be given ample opportunity on the rebuilding Canucks, and be sold off to the highest bidder like the previous season. Recently though, there have been rumblings about a potential extension instead, as Vanek has fit in very well in Vancouver and taken on a sort of mentor role with young Brock Boeser. When Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 caught up with Vanek’s agent he wouldn’t rule any possibility out:

All options are on the table including being traded by Vancouver and re-signing with the Canucks in the summer.

That would seem to be the best option for the Canucks as they continue to try and build up a core for head coach Travis Green to take to the next level. Though Vanek has obviously found chemistry with some of the younger players, his value on the trade market likely outweighs any influence he’d have on them down the stretch.

Vanek was dealt last season for a third-round pick after a similar impressive start to the season with the Detroit Red Wings, only to find a little less room to operate for the Florida Panthers. The 34-year old is making even less money this season and could be added to a team looking for some powerplay help down the stretch, but there is still quite a few red flags in his game.

Never one to be referred to as an elite competitor, Vanek has been called out in the past for a perceived lack of effort at times. Though he’s not a defensive stalwart, 15 goals and 37 points is nothing to overlook. Any acquiring team will have to admit his flaws as well as recognize his strengths, but nothing he’s done in Vancouver has hurt his stock.

Vancouver Canucks Receiving Interest In Ben Hutton

February 7, 2018 at 12:50 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

Wednesday: Dhaliwal now reports that the Boston Bruins are one of the teams with interest in Hutton, and that the club had a scout watching the Canucks in Florida last night.

Tuesday: For Vancouver Canucks fans excited by the team’s early season success, the trade deadline will come as a bitter reminder at how far the organization still has to climb. After injuries broke a streak of success in the first few months of the season, Vancouver now finds themselves 28th in the league only ahead of Ottawa, Buffalo and Arizona. They’re obvious sellers as they continue their rebuild and hope to win one of the lottery spots.

Now though they’ll need to decide where the cutoff is for assets that can help them down the road. Can a 24-year old defenseman signed for a reasonable amount next season help them more than another prospect or package of draft picks? That’s the question surrounding Ben Hutton, who according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130, is generating a fair amount of interest around the league. Dhaliwal reports that the Canucks are certainly not shopping their young defenseman, but are willing to listen.

Hutton, a fifth-round pick of the Canucks in 2012, has developed into a relatively effective two-way option for the club. Though his career-high of 25 points set as a rookie looks like it might be near the top end of his offensive potential, logging 19-20 solid-if-unspectacular minutes is no small feat.

The decision though is whether Hutton, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season if he isn’t signed long-term, is a piece to build around on the back end or an asset to flip at some point. Turning 25 in April, there is certainly time for him to contribute to the squad as they try to turn from rebuilding to contending, but if that value can be used more effectively right now he could easily be on the move.

Vancouver has more obvious trade deadline bait in players like Thomas Vanek and Michael Del Zotto, but as teams around the league move away from rentals or short-term options, players like Hutton become even more valuable in trade. If someone out there believes he can improve their blue line right away and for the next few years, the Canucks could decide to pull the trigger. There is certainly enough interest.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Morning Notes: Maple Leafs, Rangers, Prospects

February 7, 2018 at 11:45 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs are comfortably in a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, sitting fifteen points up on the Florida Panthers. As they try to catch Boston or Tampa Bay down the stretch for home ice advantage, head coach Mike Babcock clearly wants some help at the trade deadline. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports, Babcock has let “the people who need to know, know” what he’d like to see added.

In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman mentions three names on the Maple Leafs that could easily be removed in the next few weeks instead. Josh Leivo, who has asked for a trade after being passed over again for playing time, Nikita Soshnikov, who will force the Maple Leafs into a roster move once he completes his conditioning stint, and Matt Martin. Martin has two more years on his contract at $2.5MM per season, but hasn’t been able to crack the lineup recently and could be moved to create some roster flexibility.

As the New York Rangers prepare to sell off some assets at the trade deadline, they got some good news on the injury front today. While Marc Staal was absent from practice due to a neck injury, Jimmy Vesey (concussion), Pavel Buchnevich (concussion) and Chris Kreider (blood clot) all skated. Kevin Shattenkirk, who underwent knee surgery a few weeks ago, is now off crutches. Amazingly, the Rangers are still just three points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and with some returning players and new blood there is no telling what could happen in the latter part of the season.
Craig Button and TSN have released their ranking of the top-50 prospects that have already been drafted, with Elias Pettersson coming in at the very top. The Vancouver Canucks first-round pick has been arguably the best player in the SHL this season with 45 points through 35 games and looks poised to make an impact in North America as soon as next season. Beyond that is Eeli Tolvanen at #2, despite falling nearly out of the first round entirely last June. Tolvanen turned a disappointing decision at Boston College into an opportunity, and has broken nearly every record for an 18-year old player in the KHL. The entire list is interesting, and is quite different than Corey Pronman’s ranking at The Athletic (subscription required) which had Casey Mittelstadt in the top spot.

Pittsburgh Penguins Third-Line Center Search Cooling Off

February 6, 2018 at 2:43 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Jim Rutherford made no attempt to hide the fact that they were after a third-line center early in the season. Rutherford admitted several times that he had certain candidates in mind, and eventually went out and added Riley Sheahan from the Detroit Red Wings. Sheahan wasn’t the “impact” player that Rutherford had spoken about, but he was at least a temporary fit for the team as they figured out what to do next.

Many still believe the Penguins will add that third-line player at the trade deadline, bumping Sheahan down a spot and away from Phil Kessel’s unit. Adding more skill would certainly be beneficial, or at least it seemed so before a recent surge in Sheahan’s production—four assists in five games. Now, as Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes in his latest 20 Penguins Thoughts, they may not add a third-line center after all, instead making a smaller deal to strengthen the position.

Mackey suggests that Sheahan’s comfort level with Kessel has improved lately, and he points to Matt Cullen as the obvious answer to slide into the lineup. Cullen, who signed in Minnesota last offseason, is Mackey’s pick to “be a Penguin by February 26, maybe sooner.”

Cullen is on a one-year deal with the Wild worth as much as $1.7MM depending on performance bonuses tied to playoff success, and obviously has a great number of ties to the Penguins organization after winning back to back Stanley Cups with them the previous two years. Though his minutes have decreased even further this season, he could still offer the same dependable presence on the fourth line.

The Penguins certainly don’t have the cap space presently that would facilitate a larger move. With just under $2MM of deadline cap space (as per CapFriendly) a move for an impact player would likely require salary heading the other way. While there are obvious options for that—defenseman Ian Cole being one of them—removing players in the middle of a second-half run isn’t ideal. The Penguins have climbed to within four points of the Metropolitan-leading Washington Capitals, and have their eyes set on the playoffs once again. Whether that will be with a new exciting player skating on the third line, or a more experienced familiar face is still to be seen.

Deadline Primer: Vancouver Canucks

February 3, 2018 at 8:49 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up are the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks found themselves trying to rebuild while continuing to hold onto some of their veteran forwards, namely Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The team hoped it could rebuild on the fly this year with new head coach Travis Green and early on, the Canucks started strong, but injuries to key players such as Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi prevented the team from continuing their success. Instead, the Canucks have dropped in the standings and find themselves ready to rebuild for another year.

Record

21-24-6, tied for 6th in Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$4.7MM – full-season cap hit, 2/3 retained salary transactions, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, VAN 3rd, VAN 5th, VAN 6th, VAN 7th
2019: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, VAN 3rd, VAN 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th, VAN 7th

Trade Chips

The Canucks have two key trade chips in defenseman Erik Gudbranson and veteran winger Thomas Vanek, but whether the team will move them is unknown. One issue that confuses things is the Sedin twins potential interest in returning for another season next year. If the twins want to come back, the team may be more willing to hang on to their veterans to give the Sedins another year with the potential of making the playoffs.

The team has said they are considering extending Gudbranson, but rumors are that no negotiations have begun, which suggests that Gudbanson is very likely to move to another team unless they start negotiating now. A solid, but unspectacular defenseman, he will never live up to being the third-overall pick in 2010. He would be a quality addition to a team that needs help in that area. If the team wants to move Vanek, they shouldn’t have too much trouble as the 34-year-old Vanek is putting up solid numbers and already has 14 goals. He could be valuable to a team in need of a veteran scorer. In neither case would they be likely

Five Players To Watch For: D Alexander Edler, C Sam Gagner, D Erik Gudbranson, D Christopher Tanev, LW Thomas Vanek

Team Needs

1) Offensive Defensemen: The team truly lacks any offensive defenseman and it shows. Edler, the team’s top scoring defenseman is only the ninth leading scorer on the team. Their power play has little, if any support from their defenseman and the team has few defensive prospects that can put points on the board. A prospect with a good shot and the ability to put the puck in the net might be exactly what the team needs.

2) Prospects/Picks: What Vancouver wants more than anything else is future talent. Vancouver actually has quite a bit of young talent already coming through the system and wouldn’t mind even more. Last year, the team picked up several prospects including Jonathan Dahlen, Nikolay Goldobin and a conditional pick in moving out Alexandre Burrows and Jannik Hansen. If the team can add some picks or another prospect whether it’s an offensive defenseman or more wing help, the team should be better prepared for the future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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