Ben Kuzma outlines potential succession plans for the Sedins
1 SEDINS SUCCESSION PLAN, PART 1: Much easier if the Canucks had landed the top pick in the lottery draft and selected centre Auston Matthews. Much easier if they had landed the second or third pick and slotted Patrik Laine or Jesse Puljujarvi at right wing. Imagine Matthews between free-agent wingers and the Sedins, who turn 36 on Sept 26, on the second line with Brandon Sutter? Imagine Laine or Puljujarvi on the current first line and spending free-agent money elsewhere? Imagine striking while the iron is hot and trading Jannik Hansen because the club has better depth on the right side? You could actually imagine the playoffs. It’s much harder without a get-out-of-jail-free card. Turn the clock way back and the Canucks missed on acquiring centre Kyle Turris at a bargain price when he held out in Arizona, signed a palatable contract and was dealt to Ottawa. They also targeted free-agent right-winger Shane Doan, but that was never going to happen. At the 2014 draft, they tried to move up from sixth to fourth to take centre Sam Bennett. What may happen June 24 could be encouraging. Drafting QMJHL centre-winger Pierre-Luc Dubois fifth overall is the plan because GM Jim Benning likes him in the middle and likes his chances of developing into a No. 1 centre. It should be an off-season of considerable discontent. It should be the sobering realization that a healthy roster won’t guarantee anything next fall, and that icing an all-too-familiar lineup will keep the Canucks from the playoffs. For the hockey operations department, the off-season will either define or question the ability to consider bold moves, be active in free agency and get creative at the draft. Sunday Province hockey writer BEN KUZMA looks at five things the Canucks should do and five things they should avoid.
But in the interim, what do you do to help the first-line succession? Go hard after left winger Jonathan Drouin, 21, knowing it’s going to cost that fifth pick and at least a roster player to pry the speedy playmaker from Tampa? Logic says no, because a strong playoff has increased Drouin’s asking price, and months ago a trade scenario would have been cheaper. Still, you ask. Steven Stamkos is the face of that franchise, not Drouin, and he’ll want north of the $8.5 million annually the Bolts pitched in an extension.
The Canucks’ left side needs the most help. There’s Daniel Sedin, and then Sven Baertschi punching up a weight class because, on a good team, he’s a third-line left winger. There’s not a bona fide Top 6 prospect in the system. Matthew Tkachuk would be a good default position if Edmonton takes Dubois at No. 4. He’s a hard-nosed, skilled future first-liner, and aligning one day with Bo Horvat and Jake Virtanen would make them a tough trio to play against. They had hoped that University of North Dakota free-agent left-winger Drake Caggiula, 21, would choose the Canucks, but he picked Edmonton instead. All those projections are great, but who’ll help now?
2 SEDINS SUCCESSION PLAN, PART 2: Henrik and Daniel aren’t over the hill. Henrik played hurt much of the season and Daniel had 28 goals. Get them real help on the right side and buy time for Jake Virtanen and Brock Boeser to develop, see if Anton Rodin is the real deal, whether Alex Grenier can play at this level and if Emerson Etem is a fit. Free agent Loui Eriksson, 30, makes sense. He’s coming off a 30-goal season with Boston, has a Swedish national-team history with the Sedins and Radim Vrbata’s exit means US$5 million in cap space can be applied as part of the cost because Eriksson warrants a raise from his $4.25-million cap hit. Term will be a problem. He has one good contract left and the Canucks must convince him there’s a ceiling. Kyle Okposo, (27, $2.8 million) is a cheaper and less-productive option and the Islanders could be kicking the trade tires on Edmonton’s Taylor Hall in a swap for Travis Hamonic to give John Tavares a top-flight winger.
3 HAVE OPEN MIND ON MILLER:
The one given next season is goaltending. Jacob Markstrom, 26, looks like a starter and Ryan Miller, 35, looks effective when rested and healthy. Benning said the tandem will stay intact and steal games to ensure the Canucks play meaningful games in March. But Miller will be a $6-million part-timer, which can’t thrill him or ownership.
The Canucks’ left side needs the most help. ... There’s not a bona fide Top 6 prospect in the system.
He would be harder to move at the trade deadline. Explore options, take back some salary, get a pick or a prospect and spend those savings elsewhere.
Calgary has no goaltending. Anaheim has a three-headed monster. Markstrom played 33 games and his goals-against average and saves percentage mirrored Miller. Can Markstrom handle 50 games? If the answer is yes, there are plenty of capable free agents to split the cage for a couple of seasons until Thatcher Demko develops. 4 THE DEFENCE SHOULDN’T REST: Amid much concern on the back end — Luca Sbisa doesn’t have a no-trade clause and has two more seasons at a $3.6-million annual cap hit ($3.6 and $4 million in actual salary) — there is some optimism. Chris Tanev and Ben Hutton are at the world championship in Russia and Alex Edler will be healthy next fall. The Canucks still need a true No. 4 and that will mean either targeting teams in potential cap trouble or parting with a roster player in a package to help make that happen. If they get Dubois, they might have to ship Jared McCann because of depth, and he looked better on the wing than in the middle at the end of this season. 5 USE THE HAMMER ON HAMHUIS: Dan Hamhuis wants to stay. The UFA defenceman is willing to be reasonable on salary and term and if Benning convinces him that at age 33 he’s slotted into more of a support role and should be compensated accordingly, then Hamhuis can’t swing for the financial fences here. On a good team, he’s a No. 5 and getting him to agree to a significant cut from an annual salary of $4.25 million and palatable term will be the real test of staying here or testing free agency. The Canucks and Hamhuis will talk, but Hamhuis must walk if it’s going to be about money.
THEY SHOULD AVOID THIS
1 TRADING VERSATILE JANNIK Hansen: Jannik Hansen is 30. He’s not going to match a career-high 22 goals because he won’t be playing with the Sedins in 2016-17, unless the Canucks strike out in free agency. But you’re not going to find a better cap fit than $2.5 million annually for the next two seasons — $3 million is his actual pay — for a guy who can play up and down the lineup, doesn’t pout about limited power-play time, anchors the penalty kill, is refreshingly frank and has become a greater voice of reason in the room.
2 TRADING DOWN AT THE DRAFT: There’s always a temptation to move down in the first round, especially if you think a pair of targeted players will still be there. The 6-foot-6 Logan Brown is a tempting target at centre and so are defencemen Olli Juolevi, Mikhail Sergachev and Jakob Chychurn. But the Canucks are going to get a good player at No. 5 — Dubois is Plan A, Tkachuk is Plan B — and either selection will eventually aid the ongoing and eventual transition of the top line.
3 NOT THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: The Canucks finished last in faceoff efficiency this season, at just 45.4 per cent. Rookie Jared McCann was at 34.7 per cent and sophomore Bo Horvat was the only centre above 50 per cent at 50.9, if you don’t count Brandon Sutter’s 52.5 showing in just 22 games.
Whether it’s positioning, strength or crucial penalty-kill draws, wouldn’t Manny Malhotra, 35, help in an advisory capacity?
The former Canucks centre was released from his tryout with the AHL Lake Erie Monsters in March. In his last five NHL seasons, his success rate in the circle was 59.3, 59.5, 65.3, 58.5 and 61.7 per cent.
4 PLAYING THE SENTIMENTAL CARD: There was a suggestion from management in its year-end meeting with the media that there may be a scenario where both Alex Burrows and Hamhuis return.
But a buyout scenario is logical for Burrows. The 35-year-old winger is a $4.5-million cap hit next year and $3 million in actual salary on the expiring contract. He’s a fourth-liner and a penalty killer and is coming off a ninegoal season.
Buying out two-thirds of what’s left on his final year and averaging out the adjusted cap hit over two seasons makes sense to open up a roster spot for a younger player.
5 GIVING VOTES OF CONFIDENCE: There’s some uneasiness in propping up a coach or GM or anybody making key hockey decisions.
Bench boss Willie Desjardins got one from president of hockey operations Trevor Linden, and so did the rest of the coaching staff. You can understand delivering some news of stability in a gathering of season-ticket holders, but does a coach really need one?
Desjardins knows it’s a bottom-line business. The Canucks started a nine-game losing streak a dozen days after he was given the thumbs-up.