Vancouver Canucks: Anders Nilsson increases trade value at Worlds
By Alex Hoegler
Vancouver Canucks goalie Anders Nilsson backstopped Sweden to gold at the World Hockey Championship in Denmark, and he also built up his trade value heading into the offseason.
It was joyous for Vancouver Canucks fans to see goalie Anders Nilsson lead Sweden to a thrilling gold medal victory over Switzerland in the World Hockey Championship, and it may just lead to something good for general manager Jim Benning.
Nilsson won all eight of his starts and stopped four of five Swiss shooters, helping Sweden successfully defend their World Hockey title. And with that, the 28-year-old may have just enhanced his trade value for the offseason.
Thankfully, trading Nilsson shouldn’t have been hard before the tournament. Benning only signed him to a modest two-year, $6 million contract. But with Jacob Markstrom outplaying him and prized prospect Thatcher Demko ready for the NHL, the 6-foot-6 Nilsson should be the odd man out in the Vancouver crease.
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There are a handful of teams that need a new starting goalie, and plenty need a new backup. The New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators make sense as suitors for Nilsson.
The Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild make sense as teams that need a backup like Nilsson.
Given the lack of goaltending depth in this year’s free agent pool, Nilsson should be one of the more sought-after netminders this summer.
And after a strong showing at the World Hockey Championship, Nilsson’s trade value should only go up.
Nilsson looked poised and calm under pressure when it mattered most. Judge how he performed with Sweden, and not his past numbers with the Canucks, Sabres and Islanders. These have all been mediocre teams that haven’t had a star goalie in years. Maybe the play in front of them is the reason why?
If I’m a rival GM, I’m taking note how well Nilsson played when he actually had a strong group of talent in front of him, and the fact he played well in pressure-filled games. I’m not saying he’s the next Vezina Trophy winner, but Nilsson showed he’s definitely better than what people give him credit for.
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So the Canucks now have to start making calls and see what they can get for Nilsson, while the Worlds are fresh in the mind of other general managers. Nilsson played great on the international stage, and it should only increase his trade value. As such, the front office now has a chance to move him out, get a draft pick or two and roll with Markstrom and Demko for next season.