- The Canucks are on the lookout for a bottom-six power forward, reports Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. In particular, they’re looking to replace winger Derek Dorsett, who got off to a strong start to his season before being forced to retire with lingering neck issues. Vancouver doesn’t appear to have an internal replacement so they will likely have to turn to free agency to try to find someone that fits the bill although finding one that had the offensive upside that Dorsett showed at times will be difficult.
Canucks Rumors
Canucks Could Ask For Greater Return For Vanek Than He Yielded Last Year
- Although Canucks winger Thomas Vanek was only able to land a third-round pick (plus depth defender Dylan McIlrath) in a trade at the deadline last year, Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province suggests that Vancouver GM Jim Benning should be asking for a higher return one year later in the form of a second-round pick. Vanek has been a valuable veteran for the Canucks and sits second on the team in scoring with 35 points (14-21-35) in 48 games. For comparison, Vanek had played in 48 games last season with Detroit before they moved him to Florida and in that span, the 34-year-old had collected 38 points (15-23-38).
Michael Lindqvist Drawing NHL Attention
The last few years the NHL has been mining the Swedish Hockey League and other European teams for talent even more than in the past, signing undrafted players and bringing them directly into the NHL. The SHL is full of talented players who may have been overlooked as youngsters, and Michael Lindqvist is just the latest example. The 23-year old is garnering plenty of NHL interest according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130, who lists the Vancouver Canucks as one of the many teams pursuing Lindqvist, but wouldn’t put them as a “leading candidate” at this point.
Lindqvist, and undersized but talented forward, was also mentioned in the latest 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman as one of several Swedish players being scouting by the NHL. Friedman listed the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Vancouver and the New York Rangers as teams that had been watching, noting that there were likely even more.
In 32 games this season, Lindqvist has 34 points and is among the league leaders in goals with 20. Ten of those have come on the powerplay, where he sets up as a right-handed shot in the left circle and can beat goaltenders with his quick release. Teams could be viewing him as a potential help to a powerplay in the future, given his success there this season.
According to Friedman, some of the other players being targeted are Lawrence Pilut, Joel Persson and Par Lindholm. As teams continue to try to find competitive advantages, free agents from overseas provide easy additions to the depth of an organization. Whether Vancouver or anyone else will land Lindqvist and others is still unclear, but don’t overlook the impact they could make in the near future.
No Decision On Next Season From Sedin Twins
Henrik Sedin spoke to the media today in Vancouver as the team prepares for their game against the Los Angeles Kings, and touched on his future and that of his twin brother Daniel Sedin. TSN 1040 shared the audio from his availability, 
including answers on when they’ll make a decision about next year:
We want to help the team as we can, but we’ll make the decision when the time comes.
[The Canucks] want to do what’s best for them, and we want to try to help as much as we can too. If we can give them an answer [by the trade deadline] we’ll give them something, if we’re still undecided or not sure, they’ve told us they’re fine with us telling them when we know.
Henrik and Daniel are each in the last year of their current contracts, but have experienced something of a renaissance this season with 32 and 30 points respectively. Those point totals are even with their ice time drastically reduced to give more opportunity for players like Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser, the next wave of Canucks.
If they can still provide value on the ice, and are willing to take a pay cut from the matching $7MM cap hits they bring this season, perhaps the Canucks do have reason to bring them back on one last contract. The 37-year old forwards have played their entire careers in Vancouver, and it would be surprising to see them go anywhere else for the last chapter in their NHL story.
Still, the Canucks have more young prospects on the way and will need room for them up front. The Sedins are still positive powerplay options, as Vancouver has sixth best percentage with the man advantage, but could become burdensome if that skill begins to decline.
Whether or not they decide to sign again with the Canucks, this season has been another successful one in some of the most interesting careers the league has ever seen. After being selected in 1999, the twins have a combined 2,068 points and should easily go down as some of the very best players ever to pull on a Vancouver sweater.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
David Booth, Michael Chaput On Waivers
Tuesday: Both Booth and Chaput have cleared waivers and could be sent to the minor leagues, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. While it seems unlikely that Booth will be loaned to the Grand Rapids Griffins and instead will stay in the Red Wings lineup, Chaput has already been sent to Utica to continue playing.
Monday: We knew Michael Chaput would be on waivers today after the Vancouver Canucks announced it yesterday, but he’s joined by David Booth of the Detroit Red Wings according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Booth has already cleared waivers twice this season, but would need them again to be sent to the minor leagues.
Booth has played sparingly this season for the Red Wings, suiting up in 17 games but averaging just over seven minutes of ice time. The 33-year old veteran signed a one-year, two-way deal in the offseason but hasn’t been very effective scoring just four points. A former 30-goal scorer, Booth returned after two relatively unsuccessful seasons in the KHL and appears to be close to the end of his playing career. It would be surprising to see a claim put in on him, especially after already clearing twice.
Chaput on the other hand could be a potential addition for a team looking for some depth down the middle. A good faceoff man, the 25-year old hasn’t shown much offense during his short NHL career and would likely only be added as a fourth-line player or 13th forward. We’ll have to wait and see whether either is on their way to a new team tomorrow.
Vancouver Canucks Interested In NCAA Free Agents
As the NCAA season moves along, several names are starting to emerge as possible free agent signings at the end of the year. Even those who went undrafted and are in their first few years at the collegiate level could decide to turn pro if a team shows enough interest, and the Vancouver Canucks could be just that team. Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports that the Canucks have interest in Brogan Rafferty from Quinnipiac and Max Veronneau from Princeton.
Rafferty is just a sophomore but is already 22 years old and now listed at 6’1″ 191-lbs, quite a bit bigger than his draft year. After recording 24 points as a freshman and getting noticed by scouts from all around the league, he’s put up nine in his first 25 games this season and could still be on the radar of several clubs. He’s not the splashy addition that some college free agents are, but could turn into a solid professional even if he is limited to minor league work.
Veronneau on the other hand was nominated for the Hobey Baker this season, his third at Princeton. With 25 points through 20 games, he’s continued his offensive outburst that started as a sophomore. Veronneau played in the CCHL growing up to maintain college eligibility, and has done extremely well at the Ivy league school so far.
As Vancouver continues to rebuild, adding undrafted college talent is an easy way to fill out the prospect ranks and hopefully strike gold with an overlooked talent. Players like Tyler Bozak and Conor Sheary are some of the best examples of players finding NHL success soon after leaving college, the former only attending the University of Denver for two seasons before signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. While Rafferty and Veronneau aren’t the very top names in the NCAA, they’re interesting nonetheless for a club looking to inject young talent into their ranks.
Canucks Place Michael Chaput On Waivers
The Canucks have placed center Michael Chaput on waivers, per a team announcement on Twitter. This comes on the heels of center Bo Horvat being activated off injured reserve earlier in the day although they didn’t need to waive Chaput to free up the roster spot because of defenseman Erik Gudbranson being transferred to IR.
Chaput has only played nine games with Vancouver this season but he has been up with the team for longer than 30 days since he last cleared so the Canucks have to put him on the wire once again. In those nine games, he was held off the scoresheet while averaging 9:47 per game. He has been more productive at the AHL level with Utica though, collecting nine goals and seven assists in 23 contests.
The 25-year-old is only a year removed from playing a somewhat regular role in the NHL and has been well above average at the faceoff dot the last three seasons so there is a chance that someone in need of center depth could be interested. He carries a cap hit of just over $687K and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility next summer.
Because the announcement came past the 11:00 AM CST daily deadline, Chaput won’t officially hit the wire until Monday which means that teams will be eligible to claim him until Tuesday.
Canucks Activate Bo Horvat; Place Erik Gudbranson On IR
It’s been a rough stretch for the Vancouver Canucks since early December as the team has lost 14 games in that span. Injuries have been one of the key factors that have dropped a once promising team earlier this season near the bottom of the Pacific Division. However, the Canucks got some good news today, as TSN’s Jeff Patterson reports that center Bo Horvat will be activated off of injured reserve today and is expected to play in tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.
To make room for him on the roster, Vancouver placed defenseman Erik Gudbranson on injured reserve with back spasms. He missed Saturday’s game with the injury. The 26-year-old blueliner has played in just 32 games this season with injuries and is rumored to be one of the Canucks top trade chips as the trade deadline nears.
Horvat was shut down for six weeks after suffering a broken foot/ankle injury on Dec. 5. He was medically cleared to travel with the team on Thursday, so the activation is not a surprise. Horvat was on pace for another solid season when he went down. In 28 games with Vancouver, the 22-year-old 2013 first-round pick had 10 goals and 10 assists. His return couldn’t have come at a better time as Vancouver is struggling on offense. They currently rank 26th in the league in scoring, averaging 2.63 goals per game.
Penguins A Fitting Trade Partner For Struggling Atlantic Squads
The Pittsburgh Penguins already acquired an Atlantic player when they acquired center Riley Sheahan from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this year. Could GM Jim Rutherford double-dip into the division for yet another center? There are plenty of options available.
As everyone knew they would, the Penguins have rebounded from some serious early season struggles and are back in the playoff picture. With 53 points, the Pens have tied up the New York Rangers and the two teams currently hold wild card berths. However, the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and Carolina Hurricanes are mere points behind and all have games in hand on Pittsburgh. In fact, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs are actually last in the Metropolitan Division in points percentage. The Penguins undoubtedly have work to do prior to the NHL Trade Deadline, but this year they need help just to make the playoffs.
The main issue for Pittsburgh continues to come back to third-line center, where nothing has worked this year. Sheahan has struggled on the third line, but has settled in nicely on the fourth line. Injured Carter Rowney is also better suited for an energy line role. Jake Guentzel is a competent pivot, but to have him center the third line is to remove him from his top-six wing spot where he has been so successful. Despite their many attempts, the Penguins still just need to replace Nick Bonino.
Enter the Atlantic Division, home to two of the best teams in hockey as well as four of the worst. The Pens have already dealt with Detroit, sending Scott Wilson and a third-round pick their way for Sheahan. However, there are three more teams willing to sell and with pieces of interest to the Pens. The Montreal Canadiens, who themselves are desperate for help at center, are seemingly ready to move on from career contributor Tomas Plekanec, an impending free agent. The 35-year-old has years of experience and is perhaps the best two-way player on the Montreal roster. A rental deal for Plekanec to go to Pittsburgh has been talked about by many and would be no surprise. A less likely deal, but one that also makes sense is Canadiens forward Paul Byron. Although he provides great value with a cap hit just over $1MM for another season, if the Habs enter 2018-19 with Byron again as even a top-nine center, then they will have not done enough this summer. The team may as well move on now and get a good return from Pittsburgh, who could really use the late bloomers services at a bargain rate through next season. Then there are the Ottawa Senators, who have made it known that they are willing to move just about anyone on their roster. The player of most interest to Pittsburgh is likely Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The 25-year-old center is signed through 2020, but has heard his name on the rumor mill and fits the third line role perfectly. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston even mentioned that the Penguins have been kicking the tires on Pageau. Zack Smith, a similarly skilled player with a similar $3MM+ cap hit, but with greater experience, could also be had. Although the Sens are likely more keen to keep Smith over Pageau, Smith was one of many players recently asked to waive his no-trade clause. Finally, perhaps the crown jewel of available Atlantic centers is Buffalo’s Sam Reinhart. The struggling Sabres have few players of value to offer – and reportedly Reinhart is not one they are willing to part with – but there is no doubt that Rutherford would love to pry the 2014 second overall pick from old friend Jason Botterill in Buffalo. Reinhart has struggled to produce on offense or play well down the middle with the Sabres, but the 22-year-old has the makings of an elite two-way center down the road. In a new city where he faces less pressure to be superstar and top scorer, Reinhart could develop into that defensive-minded top-nine forward that his skill set is best suited for.
There are more than enough options for Rutherford and the Penguins to make a move for yet another center from the Atlantic. The Canadiens, Senators, and Sabres are all floundering and will be sellers looking to make a move. Pittsburgh hasn’t yet traded away all of their prospect and draft pick assets and Rutherford has shown a desire to make moves early and often ahead of the trade deadline. Don’t be shocked if his next newsworthy move is to bring in any of these players to give his team a shot at the postseason and perhaps even a three-peat.
Sedins Looking To Re-Sign In Vancouver For Another Year
Daniel and Henrik Sedin are no different than any other hockey player who has played all or most of his career with the same team. Despite their age and decreased production, they would like to stay with their club – the Vancouver Canucks – for as long as they’ll have them. That’s why the report from Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston yesterday that the duo would like to return to Vancouver in 2018-19 comes as no surprise.
Yet, Daniel and Henrik are different than other players in that they are a package deal. One would expect that the twins would rather retire than split up at this point in their careers. Thus, Vancouver would not be holding on to just one long-time veteran, but two. With only 12 forwards on the ice each game, that would be a major commitment if there are worries that one or both is in serious decline. Who knows how much of a discount the Sedins would take on their current $7MM cap hits as well, making them not only a risky extension, but an expensive one.
For that reason, it makes sense that Johnston reports that the Sedins are only looking to re-sign for one more year in Vancouver. That doesn’t meant that the pair plan to retire in 2019, only that they understand the weight of the decision to bring back two 37-year-olds and that one-year deals would offer some protection for the team should their play drop off as they inch closer to their 40’s. For the Canucks, it is certainly an opportunity worth exploring. It’s been a long time since Daniel and Henrik were 100-point players and in 2017-18 they may not even be 60-point players, but they still provide immense value to a young team. After years of being core players in Vancouver, the twins have settled nicely into more of a complimentary production role and mentoring role for players like Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, and Sven Baertschi. If Vancouver really can get the pair back under contract for one season to continue helping with development of their young talent and providing top-nine production, they should. They may find that they want to continue to keep them around for a year at a time to see through the rebuild process, which would truly cement the Sedins legendary status in Vancouver.