1: An expensive, and mostly pointless, buyout
Thanks to the ingenuity of Loui Eriksson’s agent, and perhaps to the over-confidence of Jim Benning when he gave him the deal, Loui Eriksson’s contract is as near to buyout-proof as you can get. According to Cap Friendly, a buyout of Loui’s deal would save the Vancouver Canucks just $444k in each of the next two seasons, $2.444m in 2021/22, and would then ADD cap for the three years from 2022-25 to the tune of $556k per season. That’s signing bonuses for you.
Financially, there is no point in buying out Loui Eriksson’s contract, because whoever takes Loui’s place on the roster – even on a league minimum deal – would in effect be costing the Canucks more than simply keeping Loui on the team.
That’s not to say that buying out Loui is totally pointless. He remains a millstone around the necks of this young team, with the focus on his continued under-performance and lack of consistent offensive contributions a regular frustration for Canucks fans and media. If the Vancouver Canucks were to buyout Loui’s deal, they wouldn’t save much by way of cap – but they would free themselves of both the ongoing headache of having to answer endless questions about his contract and, crucially, would free up a roster spot for a younger, hungrier player.
It’s unlikely that Jim Benning does buyout Loui Eriksson’s deal – but there is perhaps more merit to it than there was this time last year. If the Canucks do move Loui in any way, you can bet that someone else on this team will pick up all the flak Eriksson so graciously takes for the team.
LIKELIHOOD: 1.5/5