Vancouver Canucks Roundtable: Trade Deadline Preview

The Vancouver Canucks are in a difficult position not only regarding the playoffs, but also the trade deadline.

The 2017 NHL trade deadline is still a little more than a month away, but it is time to start making plans. For the Vancouver Canucks, that’s not an easy task.

I can’t tell you what Canucks GM Jim Benning will do. What I could do was ask our staff to share their opinion.

Let’s dive right in.

To start, I asked our staff: who is the Canuck most likely to get traded this season?

Alex Hoegler

Ryan Miller. The Canucks may be in the playoff race, but keeping Miller doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Whether they collapse or stay in the playoff hunt by the deadline, trading Miler is better for the future. He could secure at least a first-round pick, and possibly a young roster player. He’s their best bargaining chip and will be the most coveted Canuck on deadline day.

Jeff Godley

Management stated that they will not approach any player with a no-trade or no-move clause. I doubt the Sedins, Edler or Burrows will ask to be traded. And whenever they’re asked about trading a player without a clause, Benning and Linden always call the player a “key part of their group” whom they don’t want to part with.

Between those two things, management has basically ruled out selling anyone at the deadline. The only trades we can expect are lateral moves, like trading a defenseman for a forward. The Canucks, for better or worse, will be focused on getting immediate help at the deadline, not selling off to build for the future.

Gerald Morton

I agree with Alex that Ryan Miller is the most obvious choice. But it isn’t a done deal.

He has a modified no trade clause. The clause reportedly means Miller can designate five teams to be traded to. And, since Markstrom doesn’t seem to be the go-to guy for management it will depend on their playoff position come deadline.

If the Canucks are behind two or more teams for the last spot then I think Miller goes. If not, they keep him and try to squeak into the playoffs.

Janik Beichler

Like Alex and Gerald, I’m going to go with Miller here. Either that, or the Canucks don’t make any move at all.

I’m honestly not too worried about Miller’s no-trade clause. If the Canucks tell him he won’t be re-signed at the end of the season, he will have to move on in the summer anyway. So, moving elsewhere for a few months of this season really wouldn’t make much of a difference. Like any veteran, I am sure Miller would love to compete for the Stanley Cup another time.

Plus, I like the idea of dealing him to Dallas, and Dallas is the same distance from Los Angeles as Vancouver. Why does LA matter? Because Miller wants to be close to his wife who works as an actress in Hollywood.

Who Should Go?

None of us know what will happen, but we all have our own opinions. The trade deadline is the most fun when teams actually do make trades, so let’s hope we’ll see some action.

I asked our staff: Which Canuck do you hope gets traded this season?

Alex Hoegler

As much of a joy Alexandre Burrows has been in Vancouver, it’d be great to see him chase a Stanley Cup rather than stay loyal once again.

The Chicago Blackhawks make plenty of sense for Burrows, as they’re in the market for another winger. Burrows is a high-energy player and could be a major impact in the playoffs. It’d be nice if he chose a championship opportunity for once, given how he’s nearing the end of his career.

Jeff Godley

Erik Gudbranson.

Just kidding, that won’t happen. I argued for a Jannik Hansen trade last year, and I still believe he would be an ideal deadline asset. He’s cheap, can play on any line in any role, and is still only 30, so he the team acquiring him would get a lot of value. Hansen should be the easiest to deal, and could get a very good return after scoring 20 goals last season.

Gerald Morton

Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin — ’cause they are obviously a package deal.

I know this is extremely problematic and unlikely. There are two, with full no-move clauses and substantial cap hits. But, they deserve better than Vancouver has to offer them until the end of their careers. And the youngsters in Vancouver deserve to know what they can be with the weight of first-line minutes and competition.

Janik Beichler

Jeff mentioned Gudbranson and that’s honestly the one I’d love to see traded. In return, I would like the Canucks to get this Panthers prospect centre — I think Jared McCann is his name — and a second-round pick. Maybe add a fourth-rounder for fifth-rounder swap and it’s a perfect deal.

Unfortunately, that won’t happen, so… I guess Miller to Dallas would be totally fine as well.

Trading the Twins

There are players who spend their entire careers with the same team. It doesn’t happen often, but it is what takes hockey legends to ultimate club legend status. Think about what Detroit Red Wings fans think of Nicklas Lidstrom, and imagine what they would think had Lidstrom played for five different teams as well.

For the Canucks, the Sedins could become that kind of club legends. But, much like Mike Modano will always be remembered as a Dallas Star (and Minnesota North Star), the Sedins would probably be remembered as Canucks, no matter where they play the final years of their careers.

So, is it possible to trade the Sedins? If so, is it time yet?

Alex Hoegler

Although I do believe the Canucks need to trade the Sedins before their contracts expire, the trade deadline is not the time. Once the offseason comes along, teams are usually more aggressive in making blockbuster deals when they know how much salary cap space there is.

I do think the Canucks need to trade the Sedins before their contracts expire on July 1, 2018. But before this season ends? It doesn’t make much sense and they won’t get the best possible return.

Jeff Godley

With one year left on their contracts, the Sedins should absolutely be traded. In a perfect world, Daniel would hit 1,000 points before the end of the season, then they would be dealt in the offseason. The twins have said they think the Canucks could compete for the Cup in the last year of their contracts. It doesn’t look like that is going to happen, so they may be open to being moved.

I used to believe the Sedins were 100 percent untradeable. After all, what team has $14 million in salary cap space, plus room in their top nine for two roster players? But, if they were willing to get creative, it could be done. The Canucks would have to retain 50 percent of their salary. But they could probably get three assets in return; a young player, a prospect and a pick would be a godsend.

Gerald Morton

It is well past time. They should have been traded when the necessity of a rebuild was obvious to everyone, except management and ownership. And yes, it is still time.

Is it possible? The Leafs traded David Clarkson, so anything is possible. But, it is highly improbable. I hope they ask, and I hope they get their wish.

Janik Beichler

It’s definitely possible and I wouldn’t mind if it happened. That said, it’ll be extremely difficult. As Jeff mentioned, there aren’t many teams who have $14 million of cap space — especially not contenders. And the twins won’t be traded to non-contending team.

I’m also not sure if there’s a team that would want to pay that much for two middle-six players (which is what they would be on a top team). The more likely scenario would probably be a move in free agency, where the Sedins would cost a total of $8 million or less.

It would be weird, like seeing Mike Modano in a Red Wings jersey or Jarome Iginla in Bruins black and yellow. But, as Iginla is showing us with his third post-Flames team, you get used to seeing club legends in different colours.

Possible Trade Scenarios

Okay, with the first four questions out of the way, here is a final one: what is a possible trade scenario that also addresses the teams’ specific needs?

Alex Hoegler

In an ideal world for the Canucks, they miss the playoffs altogether and land another top-10 pick, stocking up their farm system. If they fall out of the playoff race by the deadline, that means they can become sellers and stock up on draft picks. Trading Burrows and Miller should net at least a first and second-round pick, and possibly more.

Jeff Godley

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Ryan Miller to the Dallas Stars for Kari Lehtonen and a 2017 second-round pick. The Stars score plenty of goals, and if they could get a goaltender they could possibly contend this year. Miller is on the last year of his deal, so the Stars could pick him up at the deadline and still be able to find a long term solution in the offseason. The Canucks would take back Lehtonen, who could back up Jacob Markstrom the remainder of this year and next, plus recoup an extra pick for this year’s draft.

Gerald Morton

Trevor Linden sells his soul to the Devil and… I think we are supposed to limit this to hockey trades. Satan hasn’t been an agent since the early eighties.

Calgary and St. Louis both thought they had their goalie situations locked up. But both are on the playoff bubble with poor-to-mediocre goaltending. Realistically, Calgary seems too patient to panic on another goalie move this season. But St. Louis might trade for Miller while either Jake Allen or Carter Hutton stabilizes.

The Blues are in a weird, past their Stanley Cup bubble but not near bad enough to rebuild, position. I can see Ryan Miller and Alex Burrows being traded for a first-round pick and Nail Yakupov. The Canucks can use the pick on a defenseman and hope the Yakupov puzzle can finally be solved, or he can be packaged at the draft in order to move up.

Janik Beichler

Next: 4 Trade Proposals for Ryan Miller

I really want to see Matt Duchene in Vancouver. But, I have a full article on trade offers for Duchene coming up and don’t want to spoil anything, so keep an eye out for that.

As an alternative for this one, I’ll go with Jeff’s trade. Miller for Lehtonen and a pick. That’s perfect.