The Vancouver Canucks are unequivocally the worst team in the league as the NHL enters the final month of the regular season. A meek 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues last night not only eliminated the Canucks from playoff contention, but it also extended a historic run of ineptitude. Over the last six games, the Canucks have been outscored 17-3, shutout four times (including a franchise record 234:52 goalless drought), failed to score in 17 of the last 18 periods, and outshot a whopping 227-156. It’s been, in a word, ugly.
#Canucks drop their seventh straight game, 4-0 to the Blues. SOG: 37-15 St. Louis. pic.twitter.com/nzGwWWWgZE
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) March 26, 2016
Do the Canucks Want Auston Matthews or Oliver Ekman-Larsson?
Naturally, this fall from delusional contention a month ago, when even General Manager Jim Benning said the club still had an eye on a playoff position, has helped the Canucks plummet down the standings, and now that the shine has rubbed off of Russian behemoth Nikita Tryamkin, the focus is squarely on the offseason, and more specifically the draft.
In their history, the Canucks have never chosen 1st overall. Sure, there’s been a bevy of high picks, including the infamous spin of the wheel prior to the club’s inaugural season which landed them Dale Tallon at 2nd overall instead of Gilbert Perrault in 1970, and the masterstroke which was the 1999 draft, when former GM Brian Burke managed to swindle his way into taking Daniel and Henrik Sedin 2nd and 3rd (the less said about taking Petr Nedved at number two in 1990, three spots ahead of Jaromir Jagr, the better). The team also landed current President of Hockey Operations Trevor Linden at 2nd in 1988 (ahead of, among others, Teemu Selanne). But first overall? Nothing more than a fever dream.
Until maybe the 2016 draft that is, at least that’s what many fans in Vancouver are hoping. At this point, the first pick is anything but a certainty, but this dramatic fall down the standings has put the Canucks into 28th overall, tied with the Edmonton Oilers at 67 points, just two points up of the last place Toronto Maple Leafs, so one can understand the thirst for the 1st pick with 30th being so deliciously close (never mind that with the new draft rules, it’s more likely a team who finishes in the bottom three will actually pick outside outside of the top three come June).
Still, it’s hard not to have visions of consensus 1st overall pick and potential franchise center Auston Matthews dancing in one’s head. And that’s where things get interesting.
Though perhaps not quite on the level of Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid, more than a few haven’t hesitated to slap the “generational” tag on Matthews, and it’s not hard to see why. Matthews is an offensive dynamo, with the skating, hockey intelligence, physical ability, maturity and work ethic to back it up. At a minimum, he seems likely to develop into a perennial All-Star at the NHL level, and potentially a franchise center who a team can build around for the next decade-plus.
This is where the Canucks come in, as the team is desperately in need of such a player. Vancouver boasts a number of strong pieces for the future, including Bo Horvat, who, despite some criticism, has been able to improve on his rookie point total this season (32 points in 74 games), and Jake Virtanen, who has scored only 13 points in 49 games this year, but has also been the Canucks best even-strength possession player at 51.33 CF% (albeit in limited ice time).
Horvat and Virtanen are, at this point, the best Vancouver has going for them in terms of young forwards, and while both have performed admirably, there is one thing they are not: Future franchise players. They are top-six forwards some day down the road to be certain and will form part of the foundation of the future core, but neither are “The Franchise.”
Which is why the potential addition of Matthews is so enticing, particularly at the center position. When looking at previous Stanley Cup champions, a true number one center, preferably one with two-way ability, has been integral to their success. Look no further than Jonathan Toews, Anze Kopitar and Patrice Bergeron for proof. While wingers Patrick Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi are nice draft consolation prizes this year, what the Canucks need is to install Matthews as the heir to current number-one center Henrik Sedin.
So you’re probably wondering at this point, how does Arizona Coyotes All-Star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson factor into all this? It’s quite simple actually: Matthews is from Arizona, and the Coyotes probably need Mathews more than any team in the league.
This has lead to a surge of rumors that the Coyotes might be willing to offer Ekman-Larsson and their own first round pick this year (which is currently 8th overall) and maybe even more for the 1st overall pick and the opportunity to take Matthews. That seems like a pretty high price to pay, particularly as Ekman-Larsson has quietly evolved into one of the top defensemen in the world over the last handful of seasons, but the impact of Matthews in the desert would be huge.
I’ve emphasized recently that the Coyotes aren’t giving up OEL for Auston Matthews. Here’s why: https://t.co/XAAbNQP6sa
— Catherine Silverman (@CataCarryOn) March 23, 2016
Cat Silverman rightly pointed out why the Coyotes should not consider such a deal, but it’s also the same reason the Canucks might. The other half of the rumor was that the Canucks might be enticed to take such an offer from Arizona for Matthews, if the team managed to snag first overall.
From a Vancouver perspective, it would be a difficult offer to say no to, because as hard up at they are at center moving forward, the defense is probably even worse, with a dearth of prospects other than the aforementioned Tryamkin and the trailing off Ben Hutton ready to make an NHL impact. Adding a 24-year-old Ekman-Larsson who can run the power play and anchor the top pairing (potentially playing with fellow Swede Alex Edler) at an affordable $5.5 million over the next three years would go a long way to improving the Canucks blueline.
However, the appeal of Matthews and what he can bring to Vancouver should be too much to pass up if the Canucks land the first pick. While a number-one defenseman is one of the most valuable things in hockey, the only player that trumps it is a truly elite, two-way, number one center, and in today’s NHL there’s only one way to acquire such a player: The draft. Should the opportunity present itself, the Canucks absolutely cannot squander the chance to bring Matthews into the fold as the team’s first ever 1st overall draft pick.
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