Vancouver Canucks should make a trade with Minnesota Wild
By Alex Hoegler
With plenty of salary cap space and a need for more scoring wingers and young defencemen, the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild are ideal trade partners. Here are some moves the Canucks should explore.
The Vancouver Canucks aren’t usually active in the trade market unless it’s the deadline, but general manager Jim Benning should be calling Chuck Fletcher’s replacement, and see if a deal can be had with the Minnesota Wild.
Following their first round loss to the Winnipeg Jets in five games, the Wild began changes by parting ways with Fletcher, who was GM in Minny for nine seasons. Minnesota has been eliminated from the opening round in three consecutive years, and they have not advanced past the second round despite six straight trips to the playoffs.
Without a doubt, some form of a roster shake-up should be in place. Dane Mizutani of TwinCities.com suggests that forwards Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter “might have finally worn out their welcome,” in Minny. Sniper Jason Zucker and young blueliner Matt Dumba are RFAs and need new contracts.
Minnesota only has a little over $137 K in cap space, according to CapFriendly.com, and they don’t have any big contracts coming off the books this summer. They’ll have to move out somebody (maybe multiple players), this summer, and the Canucks are a perfect trade partner.
The Wild could use a handful of Canuck players who could hit the trade block this summer, namely top-pairing veteran blueliners Alexander Edler and Chris Tanev. Perhaps Sven Baertschi or speedy winger Sam Gagner might entice the Wild’s next GM.
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In a stacked Central Division that features the Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets, it’s clear the Wild have some drastic moves ahead of them.
Why not target some of Vancouver’s veteran blueliners? Edler and Tanev are the physical and shutdown blueliners you need for the playoffs.
Here’s an idea. With so much cap space, why don’t the Canucks offer to take on the rest of Tyler Ennis‘ contract? He’s only signed through 2018-19 with a $4.6 million cap hit, and Vancouver can afford to take it in a package deal.
A player like Coyle would be a nice fit for Vancouver. He’s only 26 years of age and had 42 and 56 point seasons in 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively.
Injuries limited him to 11 goals and 37 points in 66 games, but he’s only two years removed from a 21-goal season. Coyle is signed at a bargain $3.2 million through 2019-20, and he’d be a worthy gamble.
As for Niederreiter, the Swiss stud is just a year removed from a 25-goal, 57-point season. Prior to 2017-18, he had reached 20 goals in three straight years. He is 25 and signed at a $5.25 million cap hit through 2021-22. But maybe the Canucks can entice Minny to swap Brandon Sutter for him?
Dumba is coming off a 14-goal, 50-point season. But if the Wild decide they don’t want to sign him long-term, the Canucks could offer up a package that could include Edler or Tanev, and maybe Baertschi.
Players like Coyle, Dumba and Niederreiter bring speed, are young and can be effective players for the Canucks during this rebuild. Vancouver also has some veteran blueliners and forwards that could help Minny boost their championship hopes next season.
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Changes are in store for the Wild, and their new GM may want to get down to business right away. That’s where Benning should step in and offer some of his veterans and see if Minnesota will part with some of their younger roster players.