Vancouver Canucks: The 5 options for Loui Eriksson

5: Continue playing for the Canucks

Of all the aforementioned options, this is probably the most likely option. Eriksson’s fourth year is the last in which he holds a full No-Trade Clause; Years 5 and 6 see him hold a modified NTC, and that makes it much easier to trade him to whoever is on his list of possible destinations.

If Loui is to come back to Vancouver for the 2019/20 season, it would behoove Travis Green and his coaching staff to settle on a fixed assignment for Loui. Be that as a shutdown third line winger, or as a fourth-line energy guy getting 9 minutes a night, the whole team (and Loui himself) would be much better off if he had a clear task, and stuck to it.

Next season needs to be focused on the continued development of the team’s young stars. No Vancouver Canucks fan wants to continue reading critiques of Loui Eriksson when the team has the likes of Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat, Quinn Hughes and Jacob Markstrom to crow about. If Loui is given a clear assignment he will undoubtedly fare better than he has done the last three years, and perhaps – just perhaps – the media will climb down off his back and let him get on with his hockey.

LIKELIHOOD: 4/5

What to do with the ever-frustrating contract of Loui Eriksson is doubtless going to be one of Jim Benning’s major headaches this summer. While we don’t anticipate a buyout, and certainly don’t foresee retirement as an option, Vancouver Canucks fans will be hoping for either a trade or a demotion to Utica ahead of the failsafe option of bringing Loui back to Vancouver for another year. If Loui does come back for the new season, he needs a clearly-defined role to take the heat off him and to allow the media attention to fall on the team’s young core of stars.

Whatever happens this summer, we hope that Jim Benning takes decisive action – and we also hope that Loui can rediscover his form and love for the game, whoever he suits up for next season.