The Adam Gaudette trade showed the Canucks’ poor asset management

Although Adam Gaudette was going through a disappointing season for the Vancouver Canucks, trading him at this point of his career once again put the team’s poor asset management on display.

Yes, Matthew Highmore has a chance to become a useful role player for Vancouver, but there’s no denying that the team cashed in on its Gaudette stock at the worst possible time.

For instance, if the Canucks knew that Gaudette wasn’t going to be a part of their future plans, why not move him last offseason when his value was at an all-time high? Back then, he was coming off a year in which he scored at a 46 point pace and looked to be on track to be a decent offensive middle-six forward.

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Instead, the team decided to part ways with him when he was in the midst of his worst professional season to date and questions have been swirling in regards to his place in the NHL.

Even if Vancouver only soured on Gaudette recently, they could’ve waited until the summer to deal his RFA rights instead of at the deadline; there would’ve most likely been more suitors then, especially due to the upcoming expansion draft, which might’ve resulted in better deals being offered.

Don’t get me wrong, this trade is unlikely to have a significant impact on the team moving forward, and we’ll likely look back on it in a similar way to the Hunter Shinkaruk for Markus Granlund swap or the Jonathan Dahlen for Linus Karlsson deal. Even so, Vancouver sold low in all three instances, which just shows that management has failed to properly manage their assets to maximize their value.

Another example of this would be letting Tyler Toffoli walk and choosing to re-sign Jake Virtanen instead. The team could’ve created enough cap space to keep Toffoli had they traded Virtanen, especially when he still had some value after scoring at a 20 goal pace last year.

Of course, the Canucks also recently re-signed Tanner Pearson to a three-year extension when there’s going to be players available this summer who can provide 80% of his production for a third of his price point.

Again, the Gaudette trade is unlikely to impact the franchise in any meaningful way, but if Vancouver knew how to properly manage their assets, the team’s future would be a lot more stable and be without many of the porous contracts that currently litter the roster.

But what do you think, Canucks fans? Am I being too harsh in my assessment of management? Let us know in the comments below!