Monday Mailbag: Podkolzin’s Selection , Boeser’s Contract, and Eriksson’s Future

I really liked the pick. There was a collection of about 4 players there that I think could have been argued to be the best player available. That group included Peyton Krebs, Matthew Boldy, Cole Caufield, and Podkolzin, along with maybe Victor Soderstrom, if you’re feeling generous. Any time you picked a player who was in the conversation to go in the top five at tenth overall, you’ve done well. I also have a lot of respect for the fact that Jim Benning looks to be on borrowed time, but selected a high-upside player who won’t be joining the Canucks until well after Benning has been let go if things go south for this team next season. He’s not a home run, but if the Canucks hit on him, they might get a very special player, and that’s about all you can ask for outside the first few picks.

As far as Tanev is concerned, I honestly have no idea. It’s going to depend so much on how Tyler Myers and the defense looks throughout next season, and whether or not the team is in a playoff spot. Unless he stays healthy and looks like himself again, I don’t suspect they’d get much for him, so I won’t be surprised if the team just holds on to him.

Adam Gaudette would have to be lights-out this preseason to earn a spot on the team. As the roster is currently constructed, with everyone healthy, there just isn’t room for him. They’d have to make a trade or waive a legit NHL asset to accommodate him and I’m just not sure he can put up the kind of performance that would justify doing that. Gaudette has looked absolutely dominant at lower levels, but so far he’s just been treading water in the NHL. I think he has a future but he might have to wait another few months for a roster move or an injury before he gets his shot.

I’ve heard people make this case a number of times in the past, and I’m not sure how to feel about it. There are elements I like and elements I don’t like. I honestly believe there’s a very strong case to be made that in the long term, JT Miller will be most effective for the Canucks as their third-line centre. The NHL is trending increasingly towards balancing scoring across the top three lines, and they simply don’t have a third centre that can put up points the way Miller can.

What I don’t like is the idea of moving Gaudette to the wing. Most if not all the the utility he has the potential to bring to an NHL roster is as a centre. I think the ideal scenario would be for the team to find a taker for Brandon Sutter, and bring Gaudette along slowly in a bottom-six centre role. We’ll see what happens.

Article 10.1 of the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulates that players become unrestricted free agents after 7 accrued seasons, or they reach the age of 27. Since Boeser got a brief look at the end of the 2016-17 season, I believe that means a four-year deal would take him directly to his first year of UFA eligibility, unless I’ve interpreted that section incorrectly.

So, with that in mind, the Canucks will likely be looking to avoid a deal in the 4-5 year range. A shorter deal will give the Canucks the ability to negotiate with Boeser’s camp while he’s still an RFA and they have more leverage, and a 6-7 year deal will buy some UFA years. Anything in the middle would be less than ideal.

At this point, Boucher is what he is. In the right system, with the right coach, maybe he gets the occasional opportunity to play in a top 9, but I think that ship has sailed for him with regards to the Canucks organization. He’ll start in Utica, where he’s likely to stay for most if not all of the season.

I do! The Canucks are going to be much more watchable this season than they were in years prior. Fans are going to fall in love with this team, because while Tyler Myers may not actually be a huge upgrade on the right-side defensemen in years past in terms of value, he’s inarguably a lot more fun. They’re probably going to struggle to keep pucks out of the net, especially if Jacob Markstrom turns back into the goalie he was prior to the three-month stretch that ended last season; but they should score a few more goals with the additions of players like JT Miller and Micheal Ferland. I don’t know how many more wins they’ll get, but they at least look more likely to lose games 5-4 and 4-3 than 3-2 and 2-1. I don’t know about you, but that seems preferable to me.

For the Canucks? I’ll say 15. Fighting is down across the league, but the Canucks added some grit this season, so I could see them increasing their total fights up from the 13 they had in their prior two seasons.

I saw True Romance when I was a teenager and I remember it being pretty good. My guess would be that’s why? I’d have to watch it again as an adult to see if there are any themes that cross over. You’ve piqued my interest.

My guess would be that he’d be loaned to another organization, likely the AHL Texas Stars, while the team explores trade options; similar to what happened with Sam Gagner. I just don’t see him playing in Utica given what’s transpired over the past 6 months or so. I don’t think he’s ready to retire, but I would think he’d like to be closer to his family, who have reportedly moved back to Dallas.