Vancouver Canucks: A fair asking price for Thomas Vanek

Vancouver Canucks winger Thomas Vanek has been traded for very little at the trade deadline twice in his career. But this time, the 34-year-old should is worth a big asking price. Will the Canucks get it?

The Vancouver Canucks signed veteran Thomas Vanek to a one-year deal worth a modest $2 million, which caused some to scratch their heads. Why would a rebuilding team bother signing a 34-year-old who’s a shell of his former self?

Well, Vanek and Benning have shared the last laugh. He’s on his way to a 20-goal and 50-point season, barring anything unforeseen. Vanek could be that final piece a team needs to chase a Stanley Cup, so the Canucks deserve a good return for him.

Remember, the Ottawa Senators dealt a promising prospect in Jonathan Dahlen for a 36-year-old Alexandre Burrows, who’s been a bottom-six forward over the last three years. He only had 20 points in 55 games for Vancouver before he was traded.

But it’s impossible to know how the trade market will work in any given year. Benning wasn’t able to work out deals for a top-pairing defenceman Dan Hamhuis and perennial sniper in Radim Vrbata in 2016. But besides getting Dahlen for Burrows, he landed Nikolay Goldobin and a draft pick from the San Jose Sharks for Jannik Hansen.

See what I mean? It’s just impossible to know what general managers are looking for, and what they’re preparing to give up. Let’s take a look at what the market should look like.

Canucks aren’t in a position of strength

When it comes to trading away Vanek for a nice return, Benning won’t have it easy. There are so many big names that could be available, including Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, Patrick Maroon, Mike Hoffman, Evander Kane, Mike Green and Max Pacioretty, among others.

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This isn’t like the past three trade deadlines, where impact players on the trade block were few and far between. If the Canucks shop Vanek and are asking for too much, other general managers will just hang up the phone and look at the names mentioned above.

Last year, the trade deadline was a dud. Yet all the Detroit Red Wings got for Vanek (15 goals and 38 points in 48 games at the time), was an average prospect in Dylan McIlrath and a third-round pick.

When the New York Islanders traded Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens in 2014? They got Sebastian Collberg (he’s never played an NHL game), and a second-round pick. Five months earlier, the Isles dealt Matt Moulson plus a first and second-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Vanek.

The bottom line: Vanek hasn’t fetched much at the trade deadline, in years where the market was weak. It’s going to be very tough for the Canucks to sell him high, given all the other big names available.

The right price

Of course, all those players I mentioned above are not guarantees to be on the move. It’s safe to say that the likes of Nash, Kane and Pacioretty will have extremely high asking prices. If rival GMs aren’t willing to pay up big for those, a number of them could engage in a bidding war for Vanek.

So what’s a fair price for Vanek? Given the season he’s had, the Canucks deserve to land a first or second-round pick, and/or a B-level prospect. Teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets could use scoring wingers, and now’s the time to go all-in and make a big trade for a player like Vanek.

If the Canucks deal Vanek to a playoff bubble team like the Colorado Avalanche or Philadelphia Flyers, they can expect a minimal return. You’re only getting a great package from a legitimate Cup contender who views Vanek as that final piece.

Next: Canucks shouldn't have many trade untouchables

So if I’m Mr. Benning, I’m asking for a first or second-round draft pick, and seeing if a team will throw in a prospect with good upside. If he’s not getting those, then the goal should be to extend Vanek.

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