There were no reasons whatsoever to believe that the Vancouver Canucks wouldn’t be able to land free agent forward Alex Kerfoot. By the same token, there are no reasons to be disappointed about losing out on him.
The Vancouver Canucks find themselves leaving the Alex Kerfoot sweepstakes empty-handed after being so close to acquiring the NCAA free agent forward’s services. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound centreman was regarded as the top NCAA forward available in the open market.
While Kerfoot isn’t a guy who is set to become a stud top-six NHL forward by any means, he does bring a fast, skilled game that is suitable to today’s NHL.
Kerfoot comes to the NHL as a 23-year-old after being drafted back in 2012, so it’s not like he was a blue-chip prospect. The hype was built around his background as the co-captain of the Harvard Crimsons team and a Hobey Baker finalist as one of the NCAA’s top players.
Missing out on Kerfoot: The ensuing disappointment?
What could make this “loss” so disappointing for some is the fact that the Canucks were close right to the end to getting Kerfoot. Plus, Kerfoot was born and raised here, playing junior hockey with the Coquitlam Express.
To add some salt to the wounds, he ended up signing with Burnaby Joe Sakic‘s team, the Colorado Avalanche. So close and yet so far. That just stinks on so many levels as a Canucks fan.
Alex Kerfoot confirms #Canucks were 'in final 3 or 4'. He joins us on Gameday @tsn1040 to discuss his decision to sign in COL over VAN
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) August 24, 2017
Colorado? Seriously?
It would have been more understandable had Kerfoot decided to sign with the New York Rangers. They are an Original Six team. They have a winning pedigree. Most importantly, they have Kerfoot’s former teammate, Jimmy Vesey.
But Colorado. Yikes.
Looking at this situation and the signing with the Avalanche, the Canucks and their fans could have many things to be disappointed about. But no, that shouldn’t be the case.
The Counter Argument: No reasons to be disappointed
Undoubtedly, there are so many small reasons to be disappointed about this situation, as outlined above. But there are so many bigger reasons not to be disappointed as a Canucks fan about losing out on Kerfoot.
First of all, one must understand Kerfoot’s signing with the Avalanche rather than with the Canucks is an indication that Vancouver has accumulated formidable depth down the middle. Kerfoot, as a 23-year-old, needed to find a team that would provide him with the best chances to make the NHL this October.
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Looking at Vancouver’s depth down the middle, there are three undeniably NHL-calibre centremen in the form of Henrik Sedin, Bo Horvat, and Brandon Sutter.
In addition, there are many other forwards who have considerable experience playing pivot in the NHL, like Brandon Gaunce, Sam Gagner, and Alex Burmistrov.
And then there are the prospect centremen who are coming in red-hot. Names like Adam Gaudette and Elias Pettersson are going to be in the NHL in a few years.
Kerfoot simply did not see that level of depth in Colorado. This signing is an indirect indication of how strong the Canucks are down the middle.
On the flip side, the Canucks did not really need Kerfoot. By the same logic, the Canucks have enough depth down the middle and already have more young players than they can incorporate into the NHL lineup this October. Though adding Kerfoot for free would have bolstered that depth, the depth also means that not adding Kerfoot is just as insignificant.
Let us remind ourselves once again that Kerfoot isn’t a sure NHL-calibre player. He is on the smaller side and scouts note that his shooting is below-average. Because of his limited skill set, he will have to play in the bottom six but with that size, Kerfoot can only be so effective.
Colorado: It could have been worse, really.
Hey, I’m pretty sure I am not the only one who feels good about Kerfoot signing with Colorado rather than with the Edmonton Oilers?
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The Edmonton Oilers have accumulated a ridiculous amount of free agents thanks to the prospects of playing with star Connor McDavid.
Last offseason saw Vancouver Giants product Milan Lucic sign with McDavid’s club and more significantly, also saw the Oilers trump over the Canucks in the Drake Caggiula sweepstakes.
Caggiula had teammate Brock Boeser as a reason to sign with Vancouver. However, the new rink in Edmonton and the new phenom McDavid were too enticing.
I am only too glad that Edmonton did not get their hands on Kerfoot. Heck, Colorado isn’t even in the same division as Vancouver is!
To be honest, there may not be so many fans out there who look at this situation regarding Kerfoot as a disappointment, let alone anything negative, for the Canucks. However, it is true that whenever there is a chance to add a young asset for free, it does feel good to beat the competition and sign the prospect.
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Kerfoot is a good hockey player. He just simply wasn’t for Vancouver and there is nothing to be disappointed about that.