With a new general manager signed, the Vancouver Canucks next moves are vital. How quickly they’ll be done is another question entirely.
Predicting the Canucks Next Moves
There is one certainty and that’s big changes happening. The current team has no loyalty to the current roster, so they have nothing to lose, here. Patrik Allvin hasn’t talked up anyone he’s traded for because he hasn’t traded for anyone. While he’s certainly had a meeting with the Canucks new White Collars, it’s very unlikely a snap decision is going to be made immediately. They are going to be a collaborative group, assuming they take team president Jim Rutherford‘s lead. And collaboration takes time, especially if there is another hiring to come, as is rumoured.
But where’s the fun in that?
Rutherford has mentioned gaining cap space as a high priority, something that’s music to long-suffering Canucks fans’ ears. After several seasons of overpaid free agents and trading short-term benefits for long-term pain, any sign that a plan is in place should be welcomed. And the folks hired – Allvin, Émilie Castonguay, and Derek Clancey – are joining long-time members of the Canucks to hammer out what form that plan should take. Ryan Johnson is the most active of those and is the most likely to get a promotion in name at least, joining the assistant general manager ranks. Johnson’s involvement in Abbotsford is vital information. They’re going to use it. Add it to Stan Smyl being welcomed back into the Canucks management inner circle and fans should like what they see.
Look First, Jump Second
So there are several perspectives in place, including the “trust your gut” guy in Rutherford himself. This is already a departure from the slightly mysterious two-headed monster that was Jim Benning and John Weisbrod with special appearances by Doug Jarvis. One thing the previous bunch can be given credit for, is the negotiation of the salary cap. Yes, Benning used it badly, that’s no secret. But his staff squeezed every dime out of player movement, injury reserve, and contract manipulation. They were really, really good at balancing on the beam the former GM pushed them onto. Unfortunately, that precarious position left them without any room to improvise. When things went wrong, they went WRONG.
This new organization is looking to build not just a safety net, but enough of a “cap bumper” that they can take advantage of late moves. Benning took advantage of cap-squeezed teams to bring in players, but they always meant tight cuts later. The most extreme example happened, with the COVID-19 epidemic being disastrous for a team that walks this close to the edge. In short, if you’re a Vancouver Canucks fan then you are intimately familiar with CapFriendly’s FAQ pages.
There is exactly one way this team can get out from under their cap issues. The Canucks have 13 players signed for next year and about $10 million to fill the spaces. We’ll talk in more detail about potential moves in the near future, but moves have to be made. Taking full advantage of long-term injured reserve the team needs to be at the top of the cap, so not getting there is more complicated than just going cheap.
The Decision
The bottom line is this: what does management see when they look at the Vancouver Canucks?
Rutherford has already said he doesn’t think the team is too far away from being competitive. He’s right in that, too. The Canucks next moves shouldn’t be cutting the core out of the team. They have a top centre, a true “Number One” defenceman, and an all-star goaltender. Those are the anchors any championship team needs. The obvious needs are adding skill on the blue line and to increase team speed. That is going to cost, one way or another.
If they try the free-agent route, they’ll be limited in who’s available, their ages, and the literal cost. That’s the easiest way to veer into player overpay, as this market well knows. Plus the team will need to shed salary to have the money available in the first place. Adding skill through free agency seems very unlikely.
Promotion from within is always the preferred route, though the options there are limited. There are some players who can make the team relatively soon – Jett Woo, Jack Rathbone, and William Lockwood seem closest – but that’s depth. Potentially big-impact rookies made the team immediately, so there’s not a lot on the way.*
So it’s trades. That’s the route the team has, and they are going to take it. It seems like they will take their time making deals, especially with the Olympic break faux-deadline vanishing. Allvin may want a bit more time to assess the talent level now that he’s officially named general manager. But he has also undoubtedly been paying attention to the team and their games leading up to today.
The Verdict
The Vancouver Canucks next moves – trades – aren’t a question. When they’re going to do them and exactly who will get moved is. Even as the team drops out of their faint-hope run for the playoffs they’re going to be a fascinating watch.
*Though Linus Karlsson is doing wild things as an SHL rookie right now, he’s 22 years old. He may make the NHL, but he’s not Elias Pettersson.
[pickup_prop id=”9781″]
Main Photo:
