Monday Mailbag: Canucks’ 3rd round draft targets, a free buyout, and a healthy top 9
3 years ago
Last week’s mailbag was a smashing success — so let’s attempt to follow that up with another fun one for my second as Managing Editor.
Honestly, I would probably say learning the ins and outs of the Judd Brackett situation before they were made public. That was definitely pretty cool, and happened all at the same time as me taking over as ME. It was helpful knowing what was going to happen before it actually happened because it allowed me to take a step back and plan out a bit of a content strategy around the situation once more details were made public.
I’ve got to go with Phoebe Stecher! I’m a sucker for Bernese Mountain Dogs.
This is a fantastic question and one I’ve given a lot of thought to. It’s 100% Eriksson, but most importantly, it’s not going to be Tyler Myers as I’ve seen some suggest. Here’s why.
First of all there’s the positional need — the Canucks desperately need to improve their blue line, and parting ways with Myers doesn’t accomplish that. In fact, it’s almost as big of a step backwards as letting Chris Tanev walk and replacing him with Nikita Tryamkin instead!
“But David, you need to look long term!”
Sure, it’s possible, maybe even almost likely that by year four or five of this deal, Myers’ six million dollar cap hit envokes the same unpleasant feeling that Eriksson’s does every time it’s brought up. I get that. But assuming the salary cap still goes up dramatically thanks to the new TV deal when Seattle enters the league, much like it did when Vegas joined, that six million on the cap all of a sudden becomes much more palatable.
And does Myers’ play this season really warrant a buyout after the first year? I’m not convinced, and I know for a fact the organization isn’t convinced. Eriksson, on the other hand, is somebody that both management and fans alike are both incredibly disappointed in.
On a team with players such as Josh Leivo (who, yes, they should certainly re-sign), Zack MacEwen, and prospects like Kole Lind, Nils Hoglander, and Vasili Podkolzin soon to be knocking on the door for an NHL job, keeping Eriksson’s dead weight around doesn’t make much sense.
What I’m saying is that for how little he brings to the team, combined with how many more competent forwards the Canucks already have under contract, Eriksson is the surefire lock to be the Canucks’ choice to buy out if given the opportunity to do so freely.
Great question. As you already know, we’ve got our draft profiles running on the site right now, but for the first time in many years, Canucks fans won’t be interested in who is available in the first two rounds, because the Canucks likely won’t pick until the third round.
To answer this question properly, I reached out to Elite Prospects’ Editor In Chief, J.D. Burke to get his opinion. The names he mentioned were Ethan Edwards, Dmitri Rashevsky, and Cross Hanas.
We will have full, more extensive profiles on these players at a later date, but here’s the initial scouting reports:
Ethan Edwards is a 5’10 165 pound defenceman playing in the AJHL for the Spruce Grove Saints. He is committed to the University of Michigan.
Here’s what Bill Placzek had to say about his game:
Speedy undersized defender with excellent four way edging and high end puck skills and decision-making capabilities. Firmly carries pucks out with head up in transition, and will fight off the opposing team’s stick checks along the way. Has a quick stick defensively. Will funnel pucks towards the net offensively and has a good wrist shot. Putting on weight and may add an inch or two. Developmental prospect with a high ceiling for success or failure. Committed to the University of Michigan.
Dmitri Rashevsky is a 6’1, Russian overage forward who put up 44 goals and 30 assists in the MHL this season.
It’s a little harder to find scouting reports on Rashevsky, but make no mistake, I’ll have an in depth answer about what this player brings when I do his draft profile. From what I can see, he saw a huge jump in production this season compared to last:
Cross Hanas plays in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks and is a 6’1 LW. He put up 22 goals and 27 assists this season as an 18-year-old.
We will have much more in depth profiles on these players and many more very soon, but for now, keep those names in mind for who the Canucks could target in round three!
I mean, the answer has got to be yes, right? I made a somewhat bold prediction a few months back on Canucks Conversation where I said that MacEwen had played his last AHL game. Now that take doesn’t seem so bold after all.
Benning loves this guy and he has every right to. He plays #TheRightWay and is probably the organization’s biggest success story when it comes to a player who developed in Utica. He’s a better option than Eriksson on the fourth line, that’s for sure.
The logjam of forwards might be a cause for concern, but I can see MacEwen taking any opportunity the organization gives him and run with it.
And you know for a fact that they’ll give him that opportunity.
It’s got to be the Seattle Murder Hornets, right? In all seriousness, I’ve heard that it’s either going to be Kraken, Totems, or the Sockeyes, and out of those three, I think Sockeyes is probably best.
That being said, they will certainly be an immediate rival for the Canucks, so I kind of hope they go with Kraken. The nicknames that Canucks fans could come up with for Seattle fans would be legendary.
There’s been a lot of talk about what the Canucks’ lineup would look like if and when the season returns.
It would be the first time they’d have Leivo, Toffoli, and Boeser healthy and in the lineup at the same time. Those are three very solid wingers on the right side, and they help give the Canucks a legitimate top 9 forward group.
Three effective scoring lines — something Edmonton and Calgary don’t really have.
That just about wraps up this week’s mailbag! Thank you to everyone who asked a question.
If you’d like to ask me a question for next week’s mailbag, follow me on Twitter @QuadreIli and be on the lookout for the weekly mailbag tweet!
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