Another day, another rumour in Canucks’ search for veteran centre
Here’s how smouldering embers ignite into trade speculation and how the Vancouver Canucks get linked to yet another rumour because they need to replace the retired Henrik Sedin.
It’s been nearly a month since Ryan O’Reilly let loose on locker cleanout day. The Buffalo Sabres’ centre said he had become OK with losing and had lost his love of the game. An honest assessment of another bad campaign became good trade-fodder material.
O’Reilly led Sabre forwards in ice time, had a decent 61 points (24-37), but was minus-23 on the NHL’s last-place team that iced the worst offence and third-worst defence. It was only natural to assume that the weight of three sorry seasons in Buffalo had crushed his confidence.
Maybe he wanted out. Maybe the Canucks wanted to kick the trade tires. Then came the NHL draft lottery bonanza of landing the first overall pick, which will turn into highly touted defenceman Rasmus Dahlin. It has turned on a turnedoff hockey populace and provided a glimmer of roster hope.
Then came the world hockey championships in Denmark, where O’Reilly had four goals in 10 games and said he wants to stay in Buffalo, loves the city and wants to win. And even though that should have poured water on those trade embers, it didn’t.
In Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt and O’Reilly, the Sabres have a pretty good trio down the middle, but if management has an appetite for change, then everything is up for discussion.
The retooling Carolina Hurricanes are willing to move leftwinger Jeff Skinner, 26, who slumped to 49 points (24-25). Sam Reinhart can play centre in Buffalo and the Hurricanes would acquire a veteran centre to slot in behind Jordan Staal and ahead of Elias Lindholm. However, it gets more complicated than that.
O’Reilly has five more seasons at a US$7.5-million, salary-cap hit and the Sabres might have to eat some of that because Staal is a $6-million hit for five more seasons and the Hurricanes are frugal. Getting the year that Skinner has left off the books at $5.7 million would resonate with ownership. And the Sabres could roll the dice and hope Skinner returns to 30goal form.
What does this all mean in Vancouver? If the Canucks were truly interested in O’Reilly, what does that say about being financially prudent and having faith in Bo Horvat and the potential of Elias Pettersson?
Adding O’Reilly adds significant cost and confusion. Parting with the seventh-overall pick in the 2018 draft and perhaps a prime young player or prospect makes no sense for what is supposed to be a rebuild.
The Sabres could also want Chris Tanev because they ’re high on him to pair with Dahlin and mentor the young Swede, even though general manager Jim Benning said he’s not moving the veteran defenceman.
The Canucks can address a need by shopping wisely in free agency. A third-line pivot, who has the potential to play second-line minutes, is the target because it gets thin after Horvat. Brandon Sutter is better suited for a shutdown role, Adam Gaudette will start as a fourth-line centre, but has the potential to move up quickly and Pettersson is starting at right wing.
The Canucks are trying to buy development time and be more competitive. That’s hard.