The trade deadline has been a polarizing time of year for Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning. In 2016, the team failed to unload the likes of Dan Hamhuis and Radim Vrbata in exchange for young assets. This is seen by many as a low point of Benning’s tenure. The 2017 deadline was a welcome change of pace. Prospects Nikolay Goldobin and Jonathan Dahlen were acquired for veteran forwards Jannik Hansen and Alexandre Burrows.
It is the mixed bag of past results that has sparked some worry among Canucks fans, and a relative lack of faith in management. Many fear the organization will fail to unload veteran assets in exchange for a youthful direction. In order to extinguish these concerns, it is crucial that the Canucks are sellers at the deadline. This includes off-loading the likes of Thomas Vanek, Erik Gudbranson, and perhaps a variety of others.
The Vancouver Canucks Need To Sell At Trade Deadline
A concern for some regarding the Canucks’ vision is the potential low return. In regards to Vanek, some point to his recent playoff performance as a possibility for lack of interest. In discussing Gudbranson, it is fair to say that underlying statistics do not support his reputation as a top-four blue-liner. While both these ideas are fair topics for debate, they should not hinder the organization’s willingness to trade the two. Should the team wish, there is always the option of bringing back Vanek in the off-season. As for Gudbranson, a return should not be in the cards. It appears likely he will command over $4 million on the open market. For a team looking to get younger and faster, extending the 26-year-old does not make sense in the current era.
Additionally, Benning’s strong draft record supports the sell-cause. He has found many strong prospects in later rounds of the draft. Potential Hobey Baker Award winner Adam Gaudette was a fifth-round pick. Skilled forward Petrus Palmu was a sixth-round pick, and shows promise. Taken in the third-round was intriguing netminder Michael DiPietro. It stands to reason that it would benefit the organization in allowing Benning more chances to hit home runs in the draft. A good way of doing so is trading rentals for mid-round draft picks.
Additional Trade Bait
The selling off process could extend beyond Vanek and Gudbranson as well. Depth defender Michael Del Zotto has been said to have some interest. Similarly, goaltender Anders Nilsson has been a name thrown around in rumors as of late. Young, pending Restricted Free Agents Markus Granlund and Sven Baertschi have also been a topic of conversation. It is worth pondering whether to sell while the value is high. The same could be said for top-pair defenceman Chris Tanev, who could bring in a haul of young assets.
The Canucks need to buy into the rebuild. There is a public appetite for a legitimate roster reconstruction, and there is no better way to enhance the process than the trade deadline. Moving forward, Vanek, Gudbranson, and others, are not part of the solution. Through a stockpiling of assets, the focus needs to shift to a search for the future core.
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