3 ways the Vancouver Canucks can keep Adam Gaudette in the NHL

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VANCOUVER, BC – SEPTEMBER 25: Vancouver Canucks Right Wing Nikolay Goldobin (77) warms up before their NHL preseason game against the Ottawa Senators at Rogers Arena on September 25, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Devin Manky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Part Ways with Nikolay Goldobin

This is a tough pill to swallow, but at what point do the Canucks start telling their players, “listen, you’re either in or you’re out. If you aren’t going to make an impact then there’s not a spot for you on this team.” At what point do the Canucks stop allowing passengers on their bus?

The chances of a player like Nikolay Goldobin getting picked up on waivers are about 50/50 in my opinion. It’s unfortunate that Goldobin didn’t work out for the Canucks, but teams looking for a boost to their offence will gladly take on Goldobin’s low cap hit of just $900 thousand.

The easy answer is to say the Canucks should just send a guy like Tim Schaller down to the minors instead, but did Goldobin really outplay Schaller this preseason? If we’re going to say the Canucks should be focused on icing the best team possible, does keeping Goldobin over Schaller make sense?

Goldobin is a player who needs to be in a top six role, but the Canucks now have better options for their top six in J.T. Miller and Micheal Ferland. If Goldobin clears waivers, then that’s great for the Canucks. Personally, I could see a team like Edmonton, Anaheim, or even Minnesota take a shot at him. He’ll get top-six minutes with any of these teams and could flourish, especially if he’s in Edmonton playing alongside Connor McDavid.

Additionally, it’s hard to compare a player like Schaller to a player like Goldobin. Schaller is a bottom six player who can kill penalties and throw his weight around when he needs to. Goldobin, on the other hand, is a top six player who needs to be in that role, otherwise, he struggles.

I’m someone who has been on the #FreeGoldy movement for a long time, and I was hoping that his offseason training would pay off with a strong showing in the preseason, but that just wasn’t the case, and to be honest, Goldobin’s time in Vancouver may be coming to a close. Parting ways with Goldobin would leave a roster spot open for Gaudette.

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