CanucksArmy Monday Mailbag: Quinn Hughes, Opening Night Lineup, and Trades?

The Canucks should trade Alexander Edler, but it’s not that easy. The 32-year-old defenceman has a full no-trade clause, and by all accounts, no desire whatsoever for a change of scenery. As for the return, I could see Edler bringing in a second-round pick or a B-grade prospect. I wouldn’t hold your breath on this one, though.

You would think that the Canucks have to make a trade before the season starts. There are far too many bodies for too few roster spots. The math just doesn’t add up. With a little maneuvering, the best roster I could put together in an article for The Athletic Vancouver had Adam Gaudette in Utica and Brendan Leipsic out of the lineup entirely on most nights. That’s less than ideal.

There’s no room for Quinn Hughes or Olli Juolevi on the Canucks’ roster, as currently constructed either.

This team is going to need a full complement of bodies to get through the season, but even this feels a bit like overkill. There needs to be a path for some of their brightest and youngest to make it to the NHL. Right now, there are so many depth players making big dollars on one-way deals, that the opportunity doesn’t exist.

You know they’d love to move on from defenceman Ben Hutton, but can they find a suitor? If they could, one would imagine he’d have a new home by now. It’s hard to see any of their depth forwards drawing interest. They’re in a bind.

Quinn Hughes play defence.

On the assumption that you mean Jack Hughes, I’d have to think that he’d be the Canucks’ second or third best centre already. That’s not what I’d call a good sign for the Canucks and their centre depth.

I’d love to see Michael Carcone get a shot. He seems like someone that could be a fourth-line player at the NHL level. I’m not sure I see it happening this season though. There just isn’t enough room.

It’s difficult to understate how awful a team the Canucks have assembled. Things are not looking good for next season. I genuinely believe that the Canucks are going to be fighting for 31st place.

As for whether to be sad or not assuming a Draft Lottery loss, I’ll just provide the usual disclaimer: it’s more likely for the 31st place team to pick fourth overall than first, so I’d try not to be too upset. That’s just the way it goes.

I wasn’t in attendance at Development Camp, but Ryan Biech and Cory Hergott were, and the content they produced from the event is top notch.

I have no clue, for either of those two questions. Apologies.

It’s the security of the extra season that most likely appealed to Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel. I know the money is the same, but they’re getting up there in age so that matters; especially if they want to play for an extended period of time.

From the Canucks’ perspective, three-year deals would be preferable, though, still a bit rich for my tastes.

I think so, yes.

I usually try to use score-adjusted data when conducting my analysis, at the player and team level alike. They can make a big difference, especially for polarized teams that are either exceptionally good or horrifically bad.

For those less statistically inclined, score-adjustments try to, well, adjust players’ on-ice metrics based on the score state in which they take place. The general idea is that a team tends to see an increase in their shots for rates when they’re down a goal or two; conversely, the team that is up a goal tends to see their share of shots go down.

I think that Bo Horvat is a first-line centre, and that’s likely where he’ll slot in for the foreseeable future. I wrote as much on the topic here, right around the end of the season.

The Canucks won’t need to protect anyone from anyone Hughes’ draft class, or even Pettersson’s, in a Seattle expansion draft.

I’d like to think that Utica Comets general manager Ryan Johnson could benefit from an increased workload. He’s always struck me as a bright, relatively young hockey mind with something to offer. His work with the Comets last season was nothing short of brilliant.

I don’t feel comfortable suggesting who has to step down for Johnson to rise up, in case you’re wondering why I didn’t address that part of the question.

Jett Woo.

Alexander Edler – Chris Tanev

Michael Del Zotto – Erik Gudbranson

Derrick Pouliot – Troy Stecher

Ben Hutton

Barring at least one trade involving a member of the Canucks’ blue line, it’s hard to see a path for Juolevi to make the opening night roster.

Nikolay Goldobin?

Antoine Roussel, by a fair margin.

I could see Troy Stecher getting about $2.5-million in arbitration. I’m sure there are teams out there that would be interested in trading for Stecher; I’m less sure the Canucks would have any interest in parting with Stecher.

There’s room for Elias Pettersson, and that’s about it. The Canucks say they’ll do what’s necessary to accommodate any training camp standouts if they make a case for the opening night roster, but I imagine that’s mostly bluster.

The Canucks need Hughes more than Hughes needs the Canucks. This team can’t bring back the same eight defencemen from last season. That would be a PR nightmare. They need Hughes to inject some offence into that group, and some hope into the fan base.

Turning pro could prove detrimental to a player’s development if he’s not ready. Hughes is ready.

Anthony Duclair to the Columbus Blue Jackets on a one-way, one-year deal for $650,000 is the early winner for value bet of the off-season.

It might not be the worst thing if those players ply their craft in Utica, no. But what about next year? Or the year after? Because those contracts run for four seasons, so they’re not going to stop being obstacles to the lineup for young players anytime soon.