What sort of picks or prospects will Benning (or the next GM) have to part with to unload the Eriksson and Sutter contracts?
— Fred P (@Meerschaum529) July 8, 2019
This is an excellent question. It’s going to depend largely on which parties are involved in the trade negotiations. If the Ottawa Senators are interested in Eriksson, that gives the Canucks a bit of leverage, because the Senators need to add salary to reach the cap floor. If they’re out on Eriksson, that will make things more difficult. Every team in the league knows the Canucks have to shed salary if they want to sign Brock Boeser, and that Eriksson’s contract is the biggest roadblock in getting a deal done. Any team that isn’t eager to shed their own salary or to meet the cap floor is going to have Jim Benning over a barrel in potential trade negotiations. If the Hurricanes got a first-round pick for taking on one year of Patrick Marleau at 6.25, I can;’t begin to fathom what the asking price is for three years of Eriksson at 6. I can’t imagine there’s any way out this for the Canucks that doesn’t involve giving up a young player/prospect with pedigree at the very least. Jett Woo, Olli Juolevi, Nikolay Goldobin, Adam Gaudette, and Jake Virtanen all look like they’re possible candidates to be the sweetener in a potential Eriksson deal.
Have the Canucks completely moved on from Ben Hutton or if he was available in 2 weeks time for $1.5-$2m would they circle back?
— thirdlinewinger (@thirdlinewinger) July 9, 2019
There was a time when I would have said yes, but at this point they just don’t have the cap space and have better things to worry about. It’s possible they might circle back if they’re able to shed a lot of salary this offseason, but that’s a big “if”.
Who should replace Don Cherry? He was great back in the day but the last few years it's been clear he has to go. How do you feel about
?
— BJ Peters (@BJPeters02) July 7, 2019
If I were to give an in-depth answer to the question of how I feel about Grapes, we’d be here all day. I can give you the Cliff notes, though. I think he’s an incoherent reactionary who has no business being on television anymore. Not only is it unfair to whatever group Don Cherry is liable to direct hate at in a given week, it’a also unfair to him. He’s in his mid-eighties now and hasn’t completed a full sentence in what feels like decades. At this point, the appeal of his segment is largely that it gives viewers the opportunity to gawk at an old man who isn’t as sharp as he used to be, and that seems nearly as cruel as as subjecting an increasingly diverse fanbase to his ramblings.
As far as who should take his job, I assume Sportsnet is grooming Brian Burke for a similar position. Frankly, I’m fine with that. Burke is similarly bombastic but he’s far more coherent and in touch with the modern game, and his off-ice opinions are much less likely to attract the kind of negative attention Don Cherry has generated.
Who other than Gilman and the usual suspects should be front runners to replace Benning? Mark Hunter seems like a slightly smarter Benning and seems popular with the Benning Bros for some reason
— DaddySeatoo (@DaddySeatoo) July 7, 2019
Normally, the best way to predict who the next GM will be is to either look within the organization, or at whoever is still on the market. That would mean Ryan Johnson, Judd Brackett, Ron Francis, and Ron Hextall are possible candidates, as well as a couple of current AGMs who could be interested in making the next step, like Mike Futa or Bill Guerin. To be honest, though, it’s all wild speculation until the Canucks actually announce they’re looking for a replacement. Your guess is as good as mine.
Can you come up with three realistic trades that could send Loui Eriksson elsewhere?
— Matt Gunn (@mattgunn18) July 8, 2019
I could see him going to Dallas in a deal involving Andrew Cogliano, to Arizona in a deal involving Derek Stepan, or to Nashville in a deal involving Nick Bonino. In all three cases, the Canucks would likely have to add since they’d be the ones getting cap relief, but those are all realistic starting points, if nothing else.
What would you pay for Gusev if he's willing to sign a 2 year $4 million contract?
— Hugh Mungus (@DR_Hugh_Mungus) July 8, 2019
Honesttly, at this point the Canucks aren’t in a position to bring on any more salary, so I would pass at the opportunity. I like Gusev’s potential but I just don’t really see a fit unless the team’s salary cap situation changes drastically.
In your opinion, are the Canucks owners and the way they've built our team just simply cash grabbers?
— Kelso (@BertTheTank) July 8, 2019
I don’t think it’s quite that simple. The Canucks would have saved far more money by now if they had stripped the team down and embraced a scorched-earth rebuild a few years ago than they ever stood to make from two or three games of playoff revenue. I think it’s more a case of letting emotions cloud their judgment and being convinced they’re a couple of tweaks away from being back in the postseason than it is a case of simply being cheap or greedy. In all other business ventures I’d say your assessment of the Aqualinis as money-hungry would be justified, but when it comes to the Canucks, it’s more complicated than that.
Is Boeser eligible for an offer sheet? Couldn’t another team just offer him what the Canucks can’t actually afford with their available cap space and walk away laughing? I know some ‘bout hockey but not all ‘bout hockey, so could be totally missin’ something here…
— ithinkicanuck (@ithinkicanuck) July 9, 2019
Luckily for the Canucks, Boeser does not meet the games-played threshold to be eligible for an offer sheet. They’re very fortunate that’s the case, too.
I've heard conflicting reports of whether Loui Eriksson's contract would allow the Canucks to send him to Utica. Are they able to, or are they required to have him on the roster for next season?
— Jack Luber (@JackLuber2) July 8, 2019
According to the contract terms listed by CapFriendly, Eriksson’s no-move clause expired at the end of the 2017-18 season. Assuming those terms are correct, he can be sent to Utica.
If Louie retires can he sign in the SHL if he wants to keep playing closer to home?
— Gavin Foster (@gavinfozzie) July 8, 2019
Assuming he officially retires, he can go play wherever he’d like. There’s not a strong chance of that happening, though.
Is there a market out there for Brandon Sutter or Chris Tanev, and if so, would there even be a decent return?
— Jack Luber (@JackLuber2) July 8, 2019
The Canucks can probably move Brandon Sutter quite easily, but might have to add a small sweetener to convince a team to take on his contract. Tanev, on the other hand, still has legitimate value. I don’t think he’d fetch more than a mid-round pick, but he plays a premium position and is on an expiring contract, which should make him attractive to a playoff team. Assuming he can be dealt before the season starts, or before sustaining another career-altering injury, I think he could yield a mid-round pick or B-level prospect from the right team.