Motte's grit, hustle make him worth keeping
Kevin Bieksa isn't Tyler Motte's agent. It might just seem that way.
“I might owe him a dinner at some point,” Motte, the Vancouver Canucks winger, said of the repeated praise he received from the former Canucks defenceman-turned-tv analyst during Hockey Night in Canada intermissions during Vancouver's playoff run.
“He respects the little things and he knows what it takes to win. It's an even bigger compliment coming from a guy like him who played the way he played and was a part of the last long playoff run in Vancouver and knows what the team means to the city.”
Motte's scrappy, hard-working play throughout Vancouver's post-season success in Edmonton won over more than just Bieksa, the 10-year Canucks veteran whose own feisty efforts were integral to the team that went to the 2011 Stanley Cup final.
Many Vancouver supporters connected with Motte's moxie and mettle. The all-fan Broadscast podcast even produced Motte Girl Summer T-shirts and hoodies, with proceeds from sales donated to mental health initiatives in B.C. and Michigan, Motte's home state.
And if all that weren't enough, Motte also seemed to further the trust he had started to gain with Canucks coach Travis Green during the regular season.
Motte averaged 15 minutes and 17 seconds of ice time during Vancouver's 17 post-season games, highlighted by the 24:17 he played in Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues. Motte also had four playoff goals, equalling his total from 34 regular-season games. He led all the Canucks in playoff hits (61) and take-aways (17) and all Canucks forwards in blocked shots (24).
Motte is now a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. General manager Jim Benning has plenty to iron out in the coming weeks — including the statuses of unrestricted free agents Jacob Markstrom, Tyler Toffoli and Chris Tanev — but with the mutual admiration between player and team it's easy to predict Motte will get a multi-year deal from Vancouver with a raise over the US$975,000 he earned last season.
It's a bit more difficult to guess what his raise will look like. If Motte signed an offer sheet from another team with an average annual salary between $1.44 million and $2 million, the Canucks would receive a third-round draft pick. If you were a team trending like the Canucks and felt Motte brought the energy and effort you needed in a bottom-six forward role, would you give up a third rounder? Maybe those are the salary number ranges to look at to start.
“I'm feeling like Vancouver is a good fit and I've had some positive conversations about being a part of their group moving forward,” said the 25-year-old Motte, who is at home in Michigan.
“I love the organization. It's an exciting time to be a part of this group of players. And the team values what I can bring and that's what you want.”
He's an easy guy to cheer for. Back in January, during the annual Hockey Talks campaign to raise awareness about mental health, the Canucks released a video on their social media channels in which Motte discussed how he had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression and what he was doing to combat it.
“It was about sharing my story and maybe giving somebody something that they could draw on,” said Motte.
“I just hope people can talk about mental health. They are not easy conversations to have, but having those conversations gives people a chance to learn. We all want to help. We all want people to feel comfortable in their own skin. A big first step is having those conversations.
“My teammates were very supportive when I did it. I wasn't really expecting anything but I got a lot of, `If you need anything at all, you come see me.' It meant a lot.”
Motte is from St. Clair, Mich., a small town near Lake Huron with a population of 5,485. But as good as Motte played over the past few months, he's not the most celebrated athlete these days from his group of high school buddies.
Motte grew up with Jake Cronenworth, 26, a second baseman with the San Diego Padres who's a candidate for National League rookie of the year. Through 45 games, Cronenworth was hitting .310, with four home runs and 20 runs batted in.
Vancouver is Motte's third pro team. He started with the Chicago Blackhawks, moved to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Artemi Panarin deal and then came to the Canucks in February of 2018 in the trade for Thomas Vanek.
Cronenworth's tale is similar. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. He was dealt by the Rays, along with outfielder Tommy Pham, to the Padres last December in the trade that saw outfielder Hunter Renfroe go east.
“It's awesome to root for someone you've known for so long and know how hard he's worked to get there,” said Motte, who, like Cronenworth, is a University of Michigan product.
“He's earned it. He would hit off a tee for hours in his garage.”