The Canuck Way Mailbag: Virtanen, free agency, trade targets, more

The real work begins for Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning. With that in mind, it’s time for this week’s edition of the mailbag!

Now that the Vancouver Canucks are out of the playoffs, general manager Jim Benning has shifted his focus to the offseason and the many decisions he has to make.

The draft is also just around the corner, so it’s going to be a busy few months. After an exciting run to the second round of the playoffs, there is a lot to look forward to with this team. Unfortunately, the salary cap will get in the way of keeping this group together for the long-term future.

The offseason won’t be boring by any means, as Benning attempts to upgrade his team through free agency and trades while also trying to recoup some picks in one of the deepest drafts in recent memory.

Will he be able to trade away some of his mistakes? Who will stick around in the triumvirate of Chris Tanev, Tyler Toffoli and Jacob Markstrom? Those are just some of the questions that will get answered in the coming months. So while we’re speaking of questions, let’s get to some of yours in this week’s edition of The Canuck Way Mailbag!

It’s going to be a struggle to add anything significant in free agency this offseason due to the lack of cap space. That being said, if Benning can move out some high-priced contracts, then maybe a mid-value defenceman could be had for a decent price. However, I am on the side of making it work with the young core the Canucks have right now.

I would try to move on from Jordie Benn and Troy Stecher and hand the reigns to Olli Juolevi and Jack Rathbone. I would even entertain the idea of moving on from the oft-injured Chris Tanev if that means bringing in a younger, more mobile option. As much as I love Tanev, I think that could be the best way forward for the team.

So to answer your question, if I were forced to choose a free agent defenceman at a decent price, I would target Dylan DeMelo, formerly of the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets. He’s still young at 27-years-old and won’t command a lot in free agency.

As pointed out by Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal of The Athletic (subscription required), he played efficiently with Thomas Chabot and Josh Morrissey. If Tanev isn’t retained, he could be a perfect fit with Quinn Hughes, as he’s also a right-hand shot familiar with playing the role of sidekick to a young phenom.

Like Tanev, DeMelo is a smart defender with a great stick who makes excellent reads in all zones. He could be the perfect complement to Hughes if Tanev ultimately leaves the team via free agency.

As much as I appreciate what Markstrom did for the Canucks in 2019-20, I think it’s better to walk away from him and hand the mantle to Thatcher Demko. I realize it was only three games, but in those games, he showed everyone why he’s going to be an elite starting goaltender in the NHL. He was calm, cool, and collected while the Vegas Golden Knights threw everything at him. His mental makeup is suited to the number one position and he’s only going to get better under the tutelage of goalie coach Ian Clark (if he’s re-signed).

Markstrom is going to cost a pretty penny, potentially upwards of $6 million annually on a long-term contract. Going down that road could create more problems when the Canucks need to re-sign Hughes and Elias Pettersson to expensive long-term deals. They have a young goaltender right now under an entry-level contract. They need to take advantage of that while they can.

Trades and Jake Virtanen

I think there is definitely a market for all of those players. Brandon Sutter is a serviceable third/fourth line center, Antoine Roussel is an effective agitator with some skill, Jay Beagle is a reliable fourth-line center with faceoff/penalty killing prowess and Benn is still a great depth defenceman on most teams. All of them are overpriced in their roles, so it may be tough to trade any of them without adding a draft pick or prospect to sweeten the pot a bit.

That being said, Benning should explore all avenues to get some of them off the books. Of all of them, Sutter and Roussel have the most marketable value because of their age and intangibles they bring to a team.

Sutter had a solid postseason and is a very effective forward when he’s in the lineup. He can win faceoffs, kill penalties, and has scoring upside as well. He could fetch a third or fourth-round draft pick or even a solid mid-range prospect. If I was a betting man, I would bet Sutter is the one traded for the biggest return this offseason.

I think Benning will work the phones a lot this offseason, especially as it gets closer to the draft in October. The Canucks do not have a pick until the third round in a strong draft, and he’s already said he wants to recoup some picks. I don’t think he will be able to get back into the first round unless he is willing to trade Brock Boeser. A second-round pick is more realistic given the assets that are probably on the trade block.

Jake Virtanen is still only 24-years-old, and he has the potential to become a very effective top-six forward in the NHL. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s in Vancouver anymore. He’s worn out his welcome with this coaching staff, and he seems to have hit a wall in his development.

He seemingly turned a corner in the regular season with a career-high 18 goals and 36 points, but once again took a step back in the postseason where he struggled to sustain any positive momentum.

Benning has now gone on record saying that he was disappointed with Virtanen’s performance in the playoffs, so a trade now seems imminent. I think if he goes that route, he could probably obtain a second-round pick for him.