The Vancouver Canucks are now three years into Loui Eriksson’s six-year deal – but what options do the Canucks have on the table with Loui as they look ahead to a crucial season in 2019/20?
When the Vancouver Canucks signed Loui Eriksson to his 6-year, $6m AAV contract way back on July 1st, 2016, most Canucks fans were looking forward to him linking up with Henrik and Daniel Sedin and potting 120+ goals during his time with the team.
Sadly, for whatever reasons, Loui’s time with the Canucks has been a (mostly) unmitigated disaster. With just one game remaining in his third term with the team, Eriksson has just 32 goals and 44 assists in 195 games. He continues to contribute a modicum of offence — and this season has been the best of the three for scoring — and he remains generally solid defensively. But the negative attention his mere presence brings on the team, at a time when there is so much to be positive about for Canucks fans, means that now is the time to decide once and for all on Eriksson’s future.
Today, we look at the five options that general manager Jim Benning has on the table as the Canucks look to answer a difficult question: How do you solve a problem like Loui?