Canucks’ regime change claims forward Booth
VANCOUVER — Some saw scenarios where David Booth could be kept on through the final season of his relatively overpaid contract.
Canucks president Trevor Linden and GM Jim Benning, though, saw none, and Tuesday morning began the compliance buyout process by putting Booth on waivers.
On Wednesday, after he clears, they will make the buyout official and expunge his salary from their books — though they’ll need to pay the oft-injured winger twothirds of the $4.75 million he’s owed on the final year of his contract. Booth, 29, will get a cheque from the Canucks for that $3.16 million — paid out over two seasons — so he can afford to offer himself up at bargain prices to other NHL clubs when he becomes a free agent on July 1.
What the move says is that the Canucks plan to spend near to the NHL salary cap — expected to be somewhere in the $69-million range for next season — so don’t want to be hamstrung by using $4.25 million (Booth’s cap hit on his six-year deal) of their payroll money for a player whose top end at this point in his career appears to be third-line winger.
It also indicates that Linden and Benning aren’t interested in taking on a reclamation project left in their hands by the previous regime. And it means they want to move on and bring in their own people wherever feasible — and possibly see that third-line job going to a young prospect such as 19-year-old Bo Horvat.
With Booth’s cap hit gone, the Canucks have 17 players under contract for next season (nine forwards, six defencemen and two goaltenders) for a cap payroll of $55.14 million. Assuming an NHL salary cap of $69 million, that leaves the Canucks with $13.86 million to spend. But out of that must come money to sign restricted free agent winger Zack Kassian and D-man Chris Tanev (somewhere between $4 million and $5 million in total) and possibly forward Mike Santorelli, as well as adding two or three other players.
Of course, the expected Ryan Kesler trade will likely change these numbers.
Booth’s agent, Mike Liut, said he expected the Canucks to wait until closer to the June 30 buyout deadline to make their decision.
“Possibly, they decided they needed to move earlier,” Liut said. “He’s a $4.75-million player next season and I guess they didn’t think he was worth that. Obviously, they feel they need to make some changes.”
Booth, who finished with 9-10-19 in 66 games, had his moments, but not enough of them. He also had a miserable 32- game goalless drought that began in midDecember.
Liut said he broke the news to Booth, who was disappointed but also looking forward to landing spot a new spot next season.
“He said, ‘OK. I’m excited.’ It was typical David,” said Liut. “He’s just looking at this as a new challenge.”