Vancouver Canucks Trade Proposals: Luca Sbisa Edition
With GM Jim Benning cracking open the frozen NHL trade market with the early trade, it is open season for the Vancouver Canucks.
When the Vancouver Canucks made the unusually early move to grab defenseman Erik Gudbranson, it reminded us that even the biggest of trades can happen at the most unexpected times.
So here at The Canuck Way, we are going to a weekly dive into the NHL trade market and see what the Canucks could pull off as the offseason rolls on. This should hopefully keep us ready and alert for even the most unexpected trades.
It was obvious who the Canucks should try to move out, now that Gudbranson is in the mix. Let’s see how Luca Sbisa would do on the trade block.
An Overview: D Luca Sbisa
Best known as a provider of grit and physicality from the blueline, Sbisa’s resume has all the right things to make him a high-value asset and trade bait. He is only 26 years old, he is physical, and he is even a member of Team Europe for this year’s World Cup of Hockey!
Who doesn’t like a 6-foot-2 defender who can hit, clear out the front of the net at times, and launch a few blistering slappers from the blueline?
Some Vancouver fans, apparently.
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Although not as egregious as his performance in the 2014-15 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Sbisa’s injury-riddled 2015-16 campaign has earned him mixed reviews.
Sbisa has been getting better at not giving away free scoring chances, but his overall performance left room for improvement. Although occasionally playing top-four minutes, he was never a shut-down top-four player.
People will quote Sbisa’s Corsi numbers and point out his -6.9 percent relative Corsi for and correctly identify it as one of the team’s worsts. In fact, Sbisa is at the very bottom of the category. But guess who is second-last: Nikita Tryamkin.
On a side note here: Guess who is second-best in the category: Brendan Gaunce.
For Pete’s sake, Gaunce is not worth more than Tryamkin. Please. End of story.
Sbisa also proved as an effective partner for Ben Hutton when viewed with the WOWY metrics. Bottomline, Sbisa is not a worthless defenseman by any means, even through the eyes of analytics. Just be sure you look deep enough and not just at the Corsi’s and the Fenwick’s.
I hope I made my point clear that Sbisa is an asset worth trading for in today’s NHL.
His upside is as a fringe top-four physical boost while his downside would be as a top-six who can eat up big minutes against weak opposition.
Let’s take a closer look at who Luca Sbisa really is on the trade market.
Next: LUCA SBISA: What is he worth?
LUCA SBISA: What is he worth?
So we saw what the market price was for Erik Gudbranson. It hurt. Then it came to some, if not most of us, that it was the trend of the new NHL. It was the new price tag on defenders.
For Gudbranson, it was a decent first-round pick, a high second-round pick, and a bit more to turn a fourth-round pick to a fifth-round pick.
2015-16 Season Report Card: Luca Sbisa
Essentially, the deal sums up to be two mid-late first-round picks for a physical blueline leader who displays top-four upside with the history of being picked third overall.
For more context, take into consideration the comparisons that our editor Janik Beichler drew to the trades for Andrej Sekera and Kris Russell.
Roland McKeown was L.A.’s 50th-overall pick in 2014. Brett Pollock was a steal pick by Dallas at 45th overall in 2014. Jyrki Jokipakka is a big stay-at-home defenseman who has worked himself into Calgary’s top-six. In summary:
Rental Andrej Sekera = two late first-round picks
Rental Kris Russell = two early second-round picks + top-six asset
I still can’t imagine how the Canucks didn’t have a decent market for Dan Hamhuis at the trade deadline. Yes, Kris Russell is a great top-four defensemen, but is Hamhuis not better than the everyday top-six defenseman?
So what does this mean for Luca Sbisa, whose acquisition won’t be a rental like it was for Sekera and Russell?
The NHL sees Sbisa’s Contract a “Bargain”
Sbisa is a decent top-six option with still some potential to perhaps grow into a fringe top-four player. His contract doesn’t seem like an issue as some here in Vancouver like to point out. Remember Jim Benning at the Townhall Meeting last season?
Sbisa was getting calls and would have hit free agency with a $4.5 million dollar price tag. At least according an NHL GM, that is. And apparently he is one of Europe’s best. He was named to Team Europe’s blueline earlier this week.
In comparison to Sekera and Russell, Sbisa is two years younger (26) than each of them at the time of their trades (28). Sbisa is not a rental acquisition, either. Considering that Sekera was being paid $2.75 million and Russell $2.6 million, Sbisa’s contract is a tad bit heavier.
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Sekera and Russell were both playing just under 23 minutes a night for their respective clubs before getting traded. Sbisa has averaged just over 17 minutes a game. No competition here — Sbisa is a bottom-pairing player while the other two were top-four players.
But look at the hits per 60 column.
Sekera (2014-15, pre-trade) = 2.13
Russell (2015-16, pre-trade) = 1.59
Sbisa (2015-16, 41 games) = 5.97
Sbisa hits just as many times as two Sekera’s and a Russell combined. That tells me that Sbisa knows what he is doing. Teams like players who know what they are capable of doing.
The Verdict?
Sbisa is a very good at what he is asked to do — hit while playing top-six minutes. Who are you taking, then? A decent top-four player or a top-six player who is tremendous at doing what he does?
For a team looking for physicality on the blueline, Sbisa is going to be a superb asset. He still has youth and his deal isn’t as egregious as some may think.
From a team with that need (and hence would call Vancouver about him), Sbisa could fetch Vancouver a mid-late first-round pick at this year’s draft, which is about 60 percent of what Gudbranson, Sekera, and Russell were each worth.
Next: BOSTON CALLS: Upgrading the Blueline
The Boston Bruins: Upgrading the Blueline
At the trade deadline, there were rumors that the Boston Bruins were interested in Dan Hamhuis. Potentially on the table were a few forward prospects who had been picked in the first round.
With the blueline still unsolved and disintegrating after not being able to make the playoffs, the Bruins are going to make some kind of a move to get a new core started on the blueline.
“We’re going to be aggressive.”
– Bruins GM Don Sweeney
After all, how much longer can giant Zdeno Chara play top-four minutes with much success? Maybe reality will settle in for those who think that this Canucks team is just a handful years past the glories of a Game Seven in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Boston-Vancouver era is past. Chara is 39 years old.
Also on the Bruins blueline this past year, John Michael-Liles is 35 years old and now a free agent. Aside from Adam McQuaid, there isn’t much in terms of proven physicality on the Bruins blueline.
Therefore, in a system already filled with a plenty of mobile defensemen like Tory Krug, I think the Bruins will be glad to add a guy like Luca Sbisa.
Zach Senyshyn is the right winger drafted 15th overall at last year’s entry draft. He is a typical “Benning-type” winger who is defensively decent with a combination of size, skill, and good hockey IQ. At 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, he is not a pushover, as displayed by the 45 goals and 65 points he put up in 66 regular season games with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL.
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With the Bruins overflowing up front with talent and the Canucks being devoid of good under-21 wing talent beyond Jake Virtanen and Brock Boeser, 19-year-old Senyshyn would be a great addition for Vancouver.
I would think that Vancouver sweetens the pot just a little bit in that deal.
If the Canucks choose rather to pursue a left winger, last year’s 14th-overall Jake DeBrusk could also be an option. Although not an all-around player, he is a prolific scorer with chance to make the NHL this coming September.
But perhaps more realistic is this trade. Again, feel free to add minor parts to this deal on both sides. I am suggesting just a framework, based on this quote from Bruins GM Don Sweeney:
“We’re exploring a bunch of different things trade-wise. It’s difficult in this league, but I think we’re in a position with two first-round picks to either be selecting really good players or be in the marketplace.” (GM Don Sweeney, NESN Nicholas Goss)
This trade will land the Canucks the *late first-round pick* they gave up in the Gudbranson trade. As it is San Jose’s pick, the exact position of the pick won’t be determined for a couple of weeks from now, but it is either going to be the 29th or the 30th overall selection.
The Bruins also have the 14th-overall pick this year, but it will cost the Canucks too much as the Bruins have many reasons to like the prospects ranked in the middle of the first round.
Next: DETROIT CALLS: A Salary Dump?
The Detroit Red Wings: A Salary Dump?
The Detroit Red Wings desperately need to move out the Pavel Datsyuk contract should the star center continue leaning towards playing in the KHL. The contract carries a $7.5 million cap hit for just one more year.
With veteran defenseman Kyle Quincey not returning and Niklas Kronwall already 35 years old, the Red Wings really need to shake up their defense while considering retaining restricted free agents like Danny Dekeyser. Prospect Xavier Ouellet most likely draws into the blueline this coming season.
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The Red Wings have good size on the blueline. Dekeyser is 6-foot-3, Jonathan Ericsson is 6-foot-4, while Brendan Smith is 6-foot-2. Don’t be fooled by the numbers though — Ericsson is criticized for being too soft a defender.
Though many may deem this a strong blueline by the looks of it, Detroit has already been tied to Kevin Shattenkirk of the St. Louis Blues. The issue? The price is most likely to be a good young forward like Gustav Nyquist or Dylan Larkin.
Maybe Sbisa isn’t too good a fit for an already physical Red Wings blueline. If I am the Red Wings, I am totally comfortable waiting to see if a guy like Kris Russell hits free agency and signing him despite his undersized stature. The rest of the blueline can cover for him, right?
But they need the money to sign guys. How do they make money? Like this:
The Canucks will be just fine taking on a $7.5 million cap hit for just one year. If Datsyuk indeed heads to the KHL, the Canucks will not have to pay Datsyuk a single nickle. His $5.5 million NHL salary is erased off the payroll the moment he signs with the KHL. What does this mean?
The Canucks will lose the ability to sign $7.5 million’s worth of contracts cap-wise for one year, but financially the management loses nothing.
Subtract from Datsyuk’s cap hit Sbisa’s $3.6 million cap hit and the Canucks lose in total just $3.9 million in cap space.
Though the Canucks may not need too much of that this year, the Red Wings may come to use every cent when re-signing Petr Mrazek — Detroit’s next number one netminder — and Darren Helm, as well as the RFAs — Riley Sheahan and Teemu Pulkkinen.
Of course, the Wings need to bring in the replacement for Datsyuk, too.
In Luca Sbisa, the Wings will be getting a defenseman who actually hits. Playing around with the salary cap might be the way to go if Benning wants another pick in the first round without giving up a bigger asset.
Next: Trading Luca Sbisa: The Wrap-Up
Trading Luca Sbisa: The Wrap-Up
Trading Luca Sbisa is something that the Canucks should definitely consider. He should draw ample interest and the Canucks may surprise a few fans with how much return they can get back for the Italian defenseman.
But regardless of the return, the Canucks have a reason to trade Sbisa: the mess on the blueline is building and building by the minute. After a top pairing of Chris Tanev and Alex Edler, Erik Gudbranson and Ben Hutton should round out the top four. Nikita Tryamkin and Luca Sbisa should be on the last pairing.
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Of course, there is Philip Larsen who should be making the team. Alex Biega is also here to provide depth, while GM Benning will seek to fulfill his promise to keep Andrey Pedan playing in the NHL this coming season.
But do you really want to see two stay-at-home defensemen, Tryamkin and Sbisa, try to move the puck up the ice without Hutton? I would love to see Philip Larsen get a shot with Tryamkin.
And of course, there is Dan Hamhuis. He is still on the Canucks radar. When Tanev, the team’s top defenseman, asks the management to bring Hamhuis back, they have to at least try to retain the hometown guy.
Hamhuis with Tryamkin would be nice. Actually, Hamhuis with anyone would be nice as the third pairing. Does Sbisa provide the team the same versatility? Not even close. It would be better to sign Hamhuis to a deal than to keep Sbisa here.
When it is all said and done, somebody’s got to go from this crowded blueline. Sbisa.
Sbisa is the lone man out. The league is waiting for a physical defenseman like him to be put on the block. It’s time the Canucks dangled some pizza as bait.
Next: TOP 5 UFA D-Men: Is FREE AGENCY the Solution?
Whether it be taking advantage of a big need in Boston and putting Jim Benning’s old connections to use or picking up Detroit’s salary cal distress call, the Canucks have options should they explore the trade market with Sbisa.