3 players the Vancouver Canucks need to trade after elimination
Due to the flat salary cap, the Vancouver Canucks need to clear some salary. Who should they move?
The Vancouver Canucks have a lot to be proud of despite losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They took a huge step forward this year and it’s safe to say nobody’s going to be taking them lightly next season. For better or for worse, they’re a marked team.
Even with a bright future, the Canucks need to make several moves this offseason. In a year, star forward Elias Pettersson and star defenseman Quinn Hughes will need new contracts. Both of them should be expected to sign long-term deals. If the Canucks can lock up both for $15 million combined, that’s a huge win.
The problem is the Canucks don’t have too much cap space. According to CapFriendly, Vancouver’s already dedicating over $42 million to nine players after next season. Add in the extensions for Hughes and Pettersson and suddenly there could be a problem.
To become Stanley Cup contenders, the Canucks are going to have to make some moves. They need more depth just about everywhere. To do that, they’re going to have to make some trades. Here are three players the Canucks should trade this offseason.
3. Sven Baertschi
This one will be easier said than done, as Sven Baertschi has gone through waivers several times and has a $3.366 million cap hit for next season before becoming a free agent. However, the Canucks could still find a suitor for the disgruntled forward since he only has a year left on his contract because his salary for next season is just $2.4 million.
The Canucks should try to talk the Ottawa Senators or New Jersey Devils into taking Baertshci. They’ll probably have to include a draft pick to do it. But it’ll be worth it because they’ll clear up some much-needed cap space.
2. Loui Eriksson
Loui Eriksson has a full no-trade clause and has a $6 million cap hit. However, it’s possible the Vancouver Canucks could trade him this offseason. They should certainly try to.
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First, the Canucks have to make Eriksson waive his NTC. Tell him that he doesn’t have a spot on the roster and he’ll be heading to Utica. This should at least make Eriksson open to accepting a trade. He’s still a somewhat useful player, but not for the Canucks. Eriksson could help a younger team.
Secondly, Eriksson’s contract isn’t as bad as it might seem right now. Yes, the $6 million cap hit is awful. However, after being paid his signing bonus for the 2020-21 season, he’s due just $5 million over the next two seasons. A team looking to get up to the salary cap floor might find Eriksson attractive.
So, how do you trade Eriksson? You throw in a sweetener or two. It will likely cost a first round pick and a B-level prospect. Getting Eriksson’s $6 million cap hit off the books would be a huge help. Fans have wanted him gone for a while and the Canucks should regret signing him. But now it might finally be plausible to move his contract.
1. Jake Virtanen
The Vancouver Canucks have a very solid prospect pool. But they’ve graduated several top prospects and a few of their current top prospects are nearly NHL ready. The Canucks don’t have a 2020 first-round pick and if they trade Eriksson, they likely won’t have a 2021 first-round pick either.
They’ve got to do something to get back some of the assets they’ve given up. Trading Jake Virtanen is the best way to do that. Virtanen is coming off a career year, setting career highs with 18 goals, 18 assists, and 36 points during the regular season. He also added three points in 16 postseason games.
If the Canucks re-sign Tyler Toffoli and don’t trade Brock Boeser, where does that leave Virtanen? Likely on the third or fourth line. Virtanen had a career year at the best possible time, as he’s a restricted free agent and needs a new contract.
The best time to trade Virtanen is right now. His value is sky high. Of course, there’s a bit of risk in trading him. Virtanen’s a good player. But if the Canucks re-sign Toffoli, Virtanen’s no longer a good fit on the Canucks.
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They could trade him for a quality young defenseman, which is something the Vancouver Canucks really need right now. Or they could simply trade him for draft picks. Regardless, Virtanen has more value at this point to other teams than he does to the Canucks. Ergo, Vancouver should listen if teams are interested in him.