Vancouver Canucks should trade Erik Gudbranson to the Islanders
By Chris Faber
With an Erik Gudbranson trade seemingly inevitable, the Vancouver Canucks should trade the 6-foot-5 defenceman to the New York Islanders.
The Vancouver Canucks should trade defenceman Erik Gudbranson to the New York Islanders by the trade deadline. My guess? He will fetch a second-round pick to boot.
The Islanders have the picks and the Canucks have the defensive leader that John Tavares can rely on in the playoffs.
Gudbranson is one of the most talked about defencemen on the active trade market in the National Hockey League, and talks will heat up as more and more teams figure out if they have a shot at the playoffs.
So why the Islanders?
The Islanders are one of the teams that is in the battle for one of the final eastern conference playoff spots. The Islanders are also one of the teams that possesses multiple second-round picks in the upcoming 2019 NHL entry draft. They also control a conditional second-round pick that depends on if the Calgary Flames make the playoffs this year.
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John Tavares would no doubt be excited for a big and tough defenceman who can help the defensive depth in the playoffs.
The Islanders adding not only a defensceman, but becoming buyers at the deadline would be a good move for the organization.
The Isles want John Tavares to stay in New York for a long time. The project for a new arena in Belmont Park is a big step to signing Tavares to a long-term contract.
Adding players at the deadline and saying to Tavares “we are trying to win here” is another brick in the wall to building a long-term deal with “Johnny T”.
How this fits with the Canucks
This just fits amazing with the Canucks. Gudbranson has had another disappointing season in Vancouver. His contract will most likely not be renewed by the Canucks because the money from the free agent market will be too expensive to match.
Gudbranson is a physical right-hand shot defenseman who is only 26 years old.
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Those credentials on their own make four and a half million dollars a year over four years and that’s just too pricey and too long of term for the Canucks at their point in the rebuild.
Pierre Lebrun of TSN was on with Sekeres and Price on TSN1040, where he claimed that the market isn’t set yet and that Gudbranson could fetch a second-round pick and maybe even a prospect on top of that.
Getting another pick back
If the vCanucks can swing a trade for Gudbranson that included a second-round pick it will bolster a prospect pool that is already showing signs of general manager Jim Benning’s elite drafting ability. Just think about the two second-round picks that the Canucks selected in the 2017 draft.
Adding another Western Hockey League stud like Kole Lind or World Junior gold medalist such as Jonah Gadjovich would be another big step in the rebuild.
Now there will be plenty of options for the Canucks and Gudbranson come February 26th, but a Gudbranson move to the Islanders in late January or early February may be the time where his value will be the highest.
There will be a lot more teams at the top of the league standings that will try an add a defenseman at the deadline, but Gudbranson’s return could only be a third-round pick by then.
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I think Benning needs to be on the phone with Garth Snow yesterday and make some moves, his contract is up just as much as Gudbranson’s is at the end of the year. Benning needs a strong showing at this year’s trade deadline to get re-upped for a new contract, and moving Gudbranson for a second-round pick is step one.