Why the Canucks should trade Jaroslav Halak right now

The Vancouver Canucks season remains at a crossroads. Currently sitting 24-22-6 and 6th in the Pacific Division, Vancouver’s season hangs in the balance on a nightly basis.

After firing Travis Green and Jim Benning early in the season, the 2021-22 campaign seemed like a lost cause for the team. However, since the appointment of Bruce Boudreau, the Canucks fortunes have turned around and the team remains with slight but not impossible chances of making the postseason.

As a result of the team’s reverse in form around the quarter mark of the season, the team sits in doubt. Do they act as sellers at the deadline and exchange veterans and expiring contract players for assets? Or, do they keep the team intact with hopes of a miracle run deep into the playoffs?

No matter what option new GM Patrik Allvin and President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford decide to go, there is one move the team must make.

That move is to trade Jaroslav Halak away as soon as possible.

The obvious issue with Halak’s status is the fact he possesses a full no-trade clause. When the 36-year-old Slovakian veteran signed his one year, 1.5 million dollar deal in the offseason with Jim Benning at the helm, Halak envisioned playing more games on a team that would be in serious playoff contention.

For a multitude of issues, this hasn’t come to fruition and surely Halak would consider a move to a team willing to either play him more or one that’s destined for the playoffs.

In this article, I’ll discuss three reasons why the Canucks front office should pull the trigger and re-coup some assets for Halak in a trade.

1. Halak’s performance bonus has not yet been reached

As outlined on the website previously, Jaroslav Halak’s relief appearance against the Ducks does not mean he has reached the ten game performance bonus he has incentivized into his contract.

If Halak, who currently has nine starts on the season, gets the nod one more time between the pipes he’s entitled to a 1.25 million dollar bonus. Given Vancouver’s tricky salary cap situation, adding another 1.25 million dollars to the books won’t prove to be an easy task.

Depending on whether or not the team could squeeze Halak’s bonus under the cap could have future repercussions on the teams outlook. If the performance bonus cannot be added to the books this season, then the cap hit would take affect next season, counting as part of the ‘rollover cap’ that every team wants to minimize.

Even if it means Vancouver lessens the asset(s) they get in return for Halak, getting rid of the Slovakian’s cap number and performance bonus is needed for the future of the franchise.

2. Spencer Martin has earned more playing time

After COVID-19 riddled both Canucks goaltenders in Thatcher Demko and Halak during late January, 26 year old goalie Spencer Martin rose to the occasion. Despite only getting three games in net and walking away with a record of 1-0-2, the Oakville product showed he can handle the speed and offensive ability within the NHL.

Martin put up save percentages of .971, .940, and .971 again in his three outings, saving 113 of 118 shots he faced. Keep in mind that Martin’s performances also came against teams with lots of offensive power in the Panthers, Oilers, and Jets.

I’m not clamouring that he’s going to be the Canucks back-up to Demko for the foreseeable future. However the organization must give him a legit number of games in order to showcase his capabilities.

Halak is a 36- year-old veteran on an expiring contract, whilst Martin is an unproven but very talented 26-year-old netminder who has untapped potential. It seems very obvious that clearing the decks with Halak and turning over the number two role to Martin for the remaining of the campaign is the right thing to do.