RW Derek Dorsett
Luca Sbisa and Derek Dorsett both signed contract extensions with Vancouver in 2015. Just one year later, both find themselves on the trade block, because things didn’t quite work out the way they were supposed to. Like Sbisa, Dorsett is a solid bottom-line player, but he doesn’t exactly fit in Vancouver’s system anymore.
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On the right wing, the Canucks currently have Dorsett, Loui Eriksson, Jannik Hansen, Jake Virtanen, one of Emerson Etem and Alex Burrows. On the left wing, in addition to Burrows/Etem, the Canucks have Daniel Sedin, Sven Baertschi and Anton Rodin. That makes nine players for eight spots — all good to this point. But, Jim Benning also went into free agency with the goal to add a middle-six two-way winger and wants to bring Brendan Gaunce into the lineup soon.
Dorsett is a valuable player on and off the ice. He is a leader in the locker room and stands up for his teammates in game situations. But as things stand today, he takes a roster spot away from the younger guys who need his ice time more than anything. Younger players like Etem, Virtanen and Gaunce can fill the hole he would leave on the ice, while players like the Sedins, Burrows, Eriksson, Alex Edler and Ryan Miller provide experience and leadership.
Dorsett carries a cap hit of $2.65 million until the end of the 2018-19 season, which isn’t ideal, but definitely affordable. The Canucks only acquired Dorsett for a third-round pick, and they should be able to get a draft pick or prospect in return if they trade him now. If there is a team looking for some toughness and leadership, Dorsett is definitely a good option.
Next: RW Alex Burrows