The Canuck Way Mailbag: Boeser, Ekblad, trades, more

The Vancouver Canucks have lots to think about this offseason. Potential trades and buyouts are the hot topics of this week’s edition of the mailbag!

The Vancouver Canucks continue to wade through the offseason as everyone speculates what moves could happen between now and the beginning of the 2020-21 season. The Brock Boeser trade rumours have returned as Matt Dumba appears to be on the trading block after the Minnesota Wild re-signed Jonas Brodin to a pricey long-term contract, and of course, the rumours are swirling about what may happen to Loui Eriksson, Brandon Sutter, Sven Baertschi and the like.

The Canucks may turn out to be one of the most active teams on the trade front, and even in free agency despite Jim Benning’s comments to the contrary. Now that Alex Pietrangelo looks to be on the way out of St. Louis, the rumours will undoubtedly pick up about where he might land. Should they take a run at him if they are able to shed some salary? That could be a possibility, but we all know every team that can take a run will ultimately do so, which means they will have some competition.

This edition of The Canuck Way Mailbag was full of trade speculation, and why not? The Canucks are going to need to be active as they try to navigate the murky waters of the salary cap while trying to improve the team for the bright future they are undoubtedly going to have. So with all that said, let’s get to your questions!

Where there’s smoke there’s fire, so it’s unwise to just shrug these rumours off as just rumours. With that being said, I would not move Boeser for Dumba. In fact, I would not move him at all given that he is just entering his prime in the NHL. If the Canucks trade him for a defensive upgrade like Dumba, the top-six goes from one of the best in the NHL to just average, especially if Tyler Toffoli isn’t re-signed.

The Canucks need to deal from a position of strength and moving Boeser right now when you don’t have a capable replacement is not proper asset management in my mind. Who at this point will replace him? I know they have Vasili Podkolzin coming soon, but he’s not a proven commodity, even though he has immense potential written all over him. Boeser is good for 20-25 goals every season, and it’s not like the Canucks have anyone right now that could take over that production.

In addition, Boeser is a strong presence in the locker room and one of Elias Pettersson’s best friends. I know hockey is a business, but potentially upsetting one of your most important star players may not be the best idea. Benning has said that he won’t be trading Boeser, and I tend to believe him. I think there will be plenty more moves before that is even on the table. Though, I will not say that it will never happen.

I think Jim Benning’s most likely move will be Sutter. He has a palatable one season left on his contract at $4.7 million AAV and he still is a capable penalty killer with the potential to score 10-15 goals. He could also be a veteran presence for a young team looking for more experience in their locker room.

Sutter probably won’t be moved on his own, as a sweetener will probably be needed in the form of a prospect or draft pick. The Canucks may also need to retain some salary to get a deal done, which kind of defeats the purpose of moving him unless the number is relatively low. Regardless, I think he will not be on the roster next season.

Antoine Roussel is an intriguing name on that list, especially considering his age and versatility. At 30-years-old, he still has some good seasons left and he could fill a void in a team’s lineup that is lacking a physical aspect. Like Sutter, he also adds that veteran presence and character to a team’s identity. Additionally, he could be traded on his own without a sweetener.

With Nils Hoglander, Zack MacEwen, and Kole Lind busting down the door in the near future, Roussel’s roster spot will need to be vacated fairly soon. Why not trade him when he’s still a marketable asset?