Canucks: What could a Travis Hamonic deal look like?

Travis Hamonic has recently been linked with the Vancouver Canucks, but what type of contract might be fair for both sides?

If the Vancouver Canucks decide to demote Sven Baertschi to the minors and place Micheal Ferland on LTIR, the team will be able to open up over $3.1 million in cap space with two roster spots left to fill.

That extra wiggle could allow Vancouver to pursue another free agent or two, and one of the players that have been linked to the team is Travis Hamonic.

This should come as no surprise to fans since the Canucks are lacking in depth on the blueline after the departures of both Chris Tanev and Troy Stecher. The addition of Nate Schmidt will be huge for Vancouver, but the bottom pairing still looks awfully thin and the Canucks are one injury away from either a rookie or Jordie Benn from playing top four minutes.

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It’s also worth remembering that Hamonic asked for a trade from the New York Islanders specifically to play in Western Canada, so it seems likely that the Canucks are one of the teams on his radar as well.

If both sides are interested in working out a deal, the natural question that follows would be how long and for how much Hamonic would sign for. Considering the budget constraints that every team is currently experiencing and the down year Hamonic just had, it makes sense for him to ink a one-year deal that could help recoup some of his value to help him sign a more lucrative contract next summer.

Now comes the trickier part: how much is he worth on a one year deal? This offseason has proven to be an unprecedented buyers market, with most players signing for a lot less than expected.

Some good comparables for Hamonic include names such as Nathan Beaulieu, Kris Russel, and, ironically, Troy Stecher. These players can perform adequately on a team’s bottom pairing while also being able to step into a top-four role when needed, and they were all signed to relatively cheap deals as well:

https://twitter.com/bill_huan/status/1339740708949790720

When we factor in Hamonic’s injury history and recent decline, he should definitely be worth less than Stecher and could be had for about $1.3-1.4 million on a one-year contract. This would allow the Canucks to promote a cheap forward to round out the team and the 23-man roster could look something like this:

In this scenario, Vancouver will still have close to $1 million in cap space left, which could come in handy if the team needs to make callups due to injuries or if they decide to make deals at the trade deadline.

Ultimately, it seems like a smart move for the Canucks to consider bringing in Hamonic, as he could provide some defensive depth and provides a level of assurance in case injuries strike. He might not be the same player he once was, but there’s little to no risk involved if he’s signed to a one year contract.