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Lane Pederson Placed On Waivers

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The Vancouver Canucks have placed Lane Pederson on waivers today for the purpose of assigning him to the minor leagues.

It’s a curious move, given the Canucks brought Pederson in along with Ethan Bear earlier this season and have a player in Phil Di Giuseppe that could be sent to the minors without issue. Pederson has apparently played himself back off the roster, despite only getting a few opportunities.

Through ten games since arriving in Vancouver, Pederson has three points and 15 penalty minutes, last appearing in a game on January 21.

Pederson did clear waivers at the beginning of the season with the Hurricanes, and played 18 games with the Abbotsford Canucks before a recall in December. The reason that call-up was so exciting was the 17 goals he had in the AHL, scoring at nearly a goal-per-game pace.

While he’s not expected to ever do that at the NHL level, it is a bit surprising to see him back on waivers now. Even more so because he was skating next to Andrei Kuzmenko and Elias Pettersson this morning, according to team broadcaster Brendan Batchelor.

Vancouver Canucks Extend Andrei Kuzmenko

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The Vancouver Canucks have worked through some negotiations quite quickly, reaching an agreement with pending free agent Andrei Kuzmenko. The two-year contract extension will carry an average annual value of $5.5MM, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Friedman adds that there will be a 12-team no-trade clause included in the deal, which starts next season.

There are two ways to look at a deal like this. It brings back a player who has found incredible success in his first year, scoring 21 goals and 43 points in 47 games. The $5.5MM cap hit is a reasonable amount for the player that Kuzmenko has been this year, and keeps him from walking in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

The Canucks can now staple him to the wing of Elias Pettersson and have the makings of a legitimate top line through 2024-25.

On the other hand, the rest of the Vancouver roster doesn’t appear to be ready to compete during that span. Even with the “major surgery” that president Jim Rutherford suggested, which looks more and more like the exit of captain Bo Horvat, it’s hard to see the Canucks contending next season or the year after.

The pipeline isn’t filled with elite talent, the bad contracts aren’t coming off the books, and right now, they have a club good enough for 27th in the league.

Trading Kuzmenko at the deadline, then, appeared to be a better option. Given his bargain-basement salary thanks to a one-year entry-level contract, Kuzmenko could have been a target for any contender in the league. The return would have helped the prospect pool and potentially sped up a rebuild that seems inevitable, even if the front office won’t admit it.

That said, a two-year deal doesn’t necessarily mean Kuzmenko won’t be traded. It just means he won’t be traded right now. He’ll only be 29 when the deal is set to expire and if the Canucks are still not good, will still likely fetch a strong return on the trade market.

Given Rutherford’s belief that the team can be competitive again in under three years, this deal makes a lot of sense. It gives them another shot with a new head coach, and if it still doesn’t work, they can move on without much issue.

Perhaps the surprise is that Kuzmenko would agree to a two-year deal at all. After all, his performance this season would likely warrant a longer commitment if he wanted it. But this way, he can cash in for the next two years and potentially hit the market as an under-30 winger when the salary cap goes up. If he can keep producing, it might end up a savvy move for the undrafted Russian, who will be set up for a massive deal down the road.

Will Lockwood Placed On Injured Reserve

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The Vancouver Canucks have moved William Lockwood to injured reserve after he left yesterday’s game following a hit from Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jack Johnson. He wouldn’t return and has quickly been ruled out for at least seven days – the minimum stay on IR.

Lockwood, 24, had only recently become a regular in the Vancouver lineup, playing 12 of his 13 appearances this season since New Year’s Eve. He hadn’t recorded a single point during that stretch though (his only assist came in a November game), and was receiving only around 10 minutes a night.

Despite his relatively small stature, Lockwood plays with a high motor and level of intensity, resulting in plenty of hits and board battles. If he can generate even a little offense, the 24-year-old could be an excellent full-time member of the team’s bottom six.

For now, though, he’ll have to wait and watch while he deals with whatever injury he suffered last night. In his place, Phillip Di Giuseppe has been recalled from the minor leagues.

The 29-year-old Di Giuseppe has 27 points in 29 games for the Abbotsford Canucks but hasn’t appeared in an NHL game this season.

Andrei Kuzmenko Prefers Short-Term Deal With Vancouver

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The Vancouver Canucks have a decision to make before the deadline. Andrei Kuzmenko, the KHL free agent that has been such an impressive addition, is scheduled for unrestricted free agency. The team could trade him over the next few weeks, and recoup whatever assets are available, or sign him to an extension in the hopes they can turn things around quickly. They appear to be pursuing the latter, with president Jim Rutherford announcing publicly last week that the team would try to sign Kuzmenko.

Today, agent Dan Milstein spoke with Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV and confirmed as much. Milstein explained that the negotiations have started, but that his preference is for a short-term extension. He even referred to it as a “bridge deal,” a term normally reserved for restricted free agents that are exiting their entry-level contract.

That is what Kuzmenko’s doing – leaving his ELC – but because of his age (27 in less than two weeks), he’ll be a UFA instead. A bridge deal in this case would suggest a one or two-year deal to further establish his talent in the NHL before looking to cash in on a long-term, big-money contract. A lot of the leverage here is on the side of the player, though, given Vancouver’s lack of control. Kuzmenko could simply walk in the offseason if he doesn’t get the offer he’s looking for, and would likely have 31 other general managers reaching out to see what it would take to bring him in.

With 43 points in his first 46 NHL games, it’s Kuzmenko’s play that has given him this leverage. After developing into a star in the KHL, he has made the transition to North America rather flawlessly. His 21 goals are second on the Canucks to Bo Horvat, and his 43 points tie him with Quinn Hughes for third – Elias Petterson’s 56 lead the way.

The fact is, you could argue that Kuzmenko has been more effective for the Canucks this season than players like J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, and Ilya Mikheyev. Those players are carrying cap hits of $5.25MM, $6.65MM, $4.95MM, and $4.75MM respectively, with a massive seven-year, $56MM contract coming down the pipe for Miller. Kuzmenko’s inexperience will be held up in talks, but it’s hard to argue against the production from this season.

For Vancouver, though, as much as a long-term deal might provide some value down the road, a short-term deal might be best. They can’t afford to make another contract mistake, and a “bridge” contract would allow them to reassess the situation in a year or two and trade Kuzmenko at that point if necessary.

Rick Tocchet Gets Two-Year Contract

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  • The Vancouver Canucks now have three head coaches on the books, as they are still paying Travis Green, the bench boss that preceded the recently-fired Bruce Boudreau. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Tocchet’s deal is for two years and carries a $2.75MM salary, meaning altogether, the team is forking out $7.5MM this season for head coaches.

Vancouver Canucks Hire Rick Tocchet

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The Vancouver Canucks have made the worst-kept secret in hockey official. Rick Tocchet has been hired as head coach to replace the outgoing Bruce Boudreau, per a team release Sunday. Former NHL defensemen Adam Foote and Sergei Gonchar have also been added to the coaching staff, replacing assistant Trent Cull.

Foote directly replaces Cull as an assistant coach, and he’ll complement assistants Jason King and Mike Yeo and goalie coach Ian Clark on Tocchet’s staff. Gonchar was brought in as a “defensive development coach,” and it’s unclear whether he’ll be behind the bench for regular game action.

Tocchet replaces Boudreau, one of the most well-respected coaches in NHL history. Boudreau coached just 103 games with the Canucks, however, and finished with a 50-40-13 record. After finishing the 2021-22 season in Vancouver with a great pace of 32-15-10, the Canucks have just a .424 points percentage in 2022-23 and sit well out of the Western Conference playoff picture.

Boudreau’s departure from the Canucks organization is viewed as one of the ugliest in recent history by many, with many details of the veteran coach’s impending firing being leaked to the media throughout the decision-making process. The 68-year-old was visibly emotional as he coached his last games with the Canucks this week and received an outpouring of support from Canucks fans in the process.

Tocchet is now brought into a highly complex situation in Vancouver, where he serves as the 21st head coach in franchise history. In 438 games as an NHL head coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning (2008-2010) and Arizona Coyotes (2017-2021), he has a record of 178-200-60 and just one playoff appearance with Arizona in 2020.

General manager Patrik Allvin had the following statement on Tocchet’s hiring:

Rick Tocchet brings a wealth of knowledge to this team from both a coach and player perspective. He has had more than two decades of coaching experience, guiding teams of various styles. As a player, he displayed a high level of character, grit and intensity, while recording impressive offensive numbers.

Foote and Gonchar are some of the best defensemen in NHL history. They are obviously very targeted hirings by the Canucks organization to plug the defensive holes that have existed on their roster for the past number of years. However, their coaching experience is somewhat limited.

Foote coached midget hockey for a time in the 2010s but most recently served as the head coach of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets for two seasons from 2018 to 2020. His only NHL front office experience consists of four seasons as a development consultant for the Colorado Avalanche, from 2013 to 2017.

Gonchar, 48, did spend five years as a coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was a defensive development coach there as well from 2015 to 2017, during the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. He was then on staff as an assistant coach for three years from 2017 to 2020. He’s since served in various coaching capacities with the Russian national team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Bruce Boudreau

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  • One of the worst-kept secrets in hockey in recent weeks has been the Vancouver Canucks’ desire to move on from head coach Bruce Boudreau. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that the Canucks are expected to officially announce a coaching change in a Monday press conference, and that tonight is likely to be Boudreau’s last game as Canucks coach. The Canucks organization has faced significant criticism from media and fans alike for their handling of this expected coaching change, and now it seems their long-planned Rick Tocchet era is about to begin.

Latest On Bo Horvat

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The Vancouver Canucks have an anchor around their necks. The team has lost eight of ten, appear to be on the brink of a coaching change, and seems to be ready to move on from captain Bo Horvat. President Jim Rutherford recently explained that the team’s best offer didn’t line up with Horvat’s performance this season, suggesting an extension wasn’t going to be possible.

One other notable thing about Rutherford is that he often likes to make his big midseason moves well ahead of the trade deadline. He’s often been the first to act in an arms race, and now the spotlight is on him as a seller. On the latest 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet discussed which teams he has heard most connected to Horvat:

I think Seattle’s in it. I think Minnesota’s been around it, but can only do him as a rental. I think Boston’s been around it, but it is not easy for them to do. 

The Carolina Hurricanes have also been linked to the Horvat sweepstakes, especially since Max Pacioretty’s injury last night. Friedman noted several times that the Hurricanes “don’t do rentals,” suggesting that a deal like that would need to come with an extension.

That is perhaps the most interesting part of the Horvat situation. Sometimes, players on expiring contracts are looking forward to testing the full open market. It doesn’t matter where they are or where they end up, the process of free agency is something they want to experience. From the outside, that doesn’t seem to be the case with Horvat’s negotiations in Vancouver. From all reports, he has been working in good faith with the desire to stay long-term with the Canucks – the two sides just can’t find a common ground.

If he is dealt, especially if it is soon, an acquiring team would have a little while to convince him to stay. Friedman reports that as of the podcast taping (Thursday night), no teams have been given permission to talk with Horvat’s representatives on an extension.

There are probably a dozen teams in the league that could use the 27-year-old for a serious playoff run, especially as he works his way through a career year. Already to 30 goals, his assists have also recently started to rack up, giving Horvat 49 points in 44 games. Positional versatility, goal scoring, leadership – all things that teams value greatly this time of year (anytime, really). A Horvat move could legitimately change the makeup of a team’s top-six for years to come, or offer a difference-making third-line pivot for a Stanley Cup run.

Latest On Rick Tocchet

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Based on recent media reports, it seems as though the Vancouver Canucks are rapidly approaching a coaching change. We recently covered how former NHL star defenseman Sergei Gonchar was linked to a position in Vancouver on presumed new coach Rick Tocchet’s incoming staff. Today, NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston issued some clarity on Tocchet’s status on TSN’s Insider Trading program.

According to Johnston, it’s a “question of when, not if” the Canucks will end up replacing their current coach, Bruce Boudreau, with Tocchet. Johnston reports that the Canucks are currently in contract negotiations with Tocchet and that an official signing (and the coaching change that would result from that) could be coming “in the next few days.”

Should The Canucks Trade Andrei Kuzmenko?

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  • Though the Vancouver Canucks are attempting to sign Andrei Kuzmenko to an extension, Cam Charron of The Athletic argues they would be passing up a “golden opportunity” by doing so. The team could sell Kuzmenko at the deadline, and recoup assets for a player that cost them nothing but a one-year, entry-level contract. Sure, the 26-year-old has 38 points in 42 games during his first season of NHL action, but it hasn’t helped this Canucks team much. Kuzmenko is a pending unrestricted free agent.

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