Is Ilya Kovalchuk a possible solution to the Canucks’ problems?
With the Canucks’ recent struggles as of late, the team could be looking at acquiring a forward who is in desperate need of a change of scenery.
Optimism has never been higher since 2011 in both the Vancouver Canucks organization, and amongst its fans. After a few years of Canucks hockey as bland as soy milk, the team has looked revitalized and is even flirting with the possibility of making the playoffs (the Canucks are currently on a 99 point pace, a considerable leap from their 81 points last season). While the results and feeling around the team have improved, two of its biggest issues still remain.
The Canucks’ first big and arguably most important issue is to find a suitable winger to play with Bo Horvat. The second biggest issue (one that has lived rent free in the minds of Canucks fans everywhere), is what to do with Loui Eriksson. Well Canucks fans, here is my take on how we could solve both problems in one transaction.
The Canucks should trade Loui Eriksson to the Los Angeles Kings for fellow expensive problem, Ilya Kovalchuk.
More from The Canuck Way
- Which team won the Bo Horvat trade?
- What to expect from newcomers Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty
- Back to the future: How the skate uniforms became a regular Canucks’ feature night
- Canucks kick off 2023 with disappointing 6-2 loss to Islanders
- 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg
It is no secret that Ilya Kovalchuk has had a tough go as a Los Angeles King, as he has been a frequent healthy scratch both this season and last. More recently, word is spreading around the league that the Kings have told him he will no longer play for them.
Let’s be clear, the way Kovalchuk has played as a Los Angeles King, these scratches and limited usage are certainly justifiable. He has not been good, period. Kovalchuk has slowed down a lot, and is a defensive liability (something that Loui Eriksson is not, to his credit).
But as we have seen just recently with the James Neal trade, highly skilled offensive players can be revitalized in a new situation.
Enter the Canucks, who are looking for a skilled winger to play with Bo Horvat. While stylistically, Horvat may not be the best suited for Kovalchuk (both are shoot first players), Kovalchuk could be a great fit on a line with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. With both Pettersson and Miller having forechecking and elite playmaking ability, a sniper like Kovalchuk could thrive.
As a result of Kovalchuk playing with Pettersson, Brock Boeser could be moved down to play with Horvat, as these two have a lot of experience playing together in the BP (Before Pettersson) era. The Canucks Top 6 could look something like this:
Kovalchuk – Pettersson – Miller Pearson – Horvat – Boeser
This would give the Canucks two legitimate scoring lines!
The Canucks could shelter Kovalchuk (limited defensive zone starts, ample power play time, restricted ice time, etc.) and potentially see greater benefit as opposed to Eriksson being a fourth line tenant. When both were in the prime of their respective careers, Kovalchuk was by far and away the most potent scorer. Even right now as a bitter disappointment to the Kings, Kovalchuk has 9 points through 17 games. Loui Eriksson in comparison has 0 points in 9 games played.
An additional benefit, Kovalchuk has one year remaining on his contract after this, while Eriksson has two. So even if Kovalchuk does not pan out, the Canucks could scratch Kovalchuk and be no worse for it than they are right now with Eriksson. And the extra year saved could allow the Canucks to allocate cap space to other players, or use the extra roster spot to bestow upon Vasili Podkolzin.
Why would a swap like this be enticing to the Kings? For starters, even if Kovalchuk is bought out, they would be saddled with his $6.25 million cap hit as he signed his contract when he was 35 years old. It doesn’t make too much sense for the organization to pay that much money for him to not play, and still have the cap hit remain.
With Eriksson, even though they still won’t be getting value for their money, at least they have somebody they can put on the ice and help defensively. This kind of benefit would be similar to that of the the Nathan Horton – David Clarkson trade between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets a few years ago, where the Blue Jackets felt it was better to pay the money to someone who would play for them, as opposed to paying someone to be on injured reserve for the duration of his career.
Would Kovalchuk come in and lift the Canucks to a new level? No way! Could he be an improvement over Eriksson, provide Horvat with a quality winger, and be gotten rid of a year earlier than Eriksson. Yes!
If the Canucks are going to have a $6 million dollar millstone hung around the neck of their salary cap, I’d rather that millstone be a washed up former Rocket Richard trophy winner. All said and done, what do the Canucks really have to lose?