Monday Mailbag: Max Pacioretty, Waivers, and Quinn Hughes’ Future

At this stage, the Canucks need to finally accept that there are no short cuts. Given the cost, acquiring players in their mid-to-late twenties isn’t likely to move the needle for them in any meaningful sense. The ugly situation in Montreal and Mark Bergevin’s reputation as a weak negotiator may make Pacioretty available at a discount, but I still think the Canucks are out on him, as they should be. Both he and Panarin should each fetch at least a first-round pick or A-level prospect, and the Canucks just can’t afford to be giving up premium assets like that at this stage of their life cycle.

This quote got some attention this week on twitter, usually with names like the ones you just mentioned attached to it. It’s important to clarify that the players were named by the article’s author, Jason Brough, rather than Benning himself. It’s unclear whether Brough was making inferences regarding Benning’s comment about “young guys on the bubble”, or if Benning was referring to these players specifically.

With that out of the way, I can’t begin to speculate on why he would show his hand like this. Saying that you’ll have to waive some of your players if you can’t find a trade partner doesn’t exactly put you in a position of strength during negotiations. It’s probably not going to make a huge difference, but it’s an unforced error.

Even with the logjam the team currently faces at the forward position, I can’t see the Canucks making any serious moves before training camp begins. I’m under the impression they’re fairly happy with their veteran-heavy forward group and expect Elias Pettersson to be the only rookie to make the team out of camp. If they do make any moves, I expect it to be along the margins with some of their bubble players like Nikolay Goldobin, Ben Hutton, or Markus Granlund.

Obviously, this is purely hypothetical. I’ll do my best to keep things at least semi-relalistic.

With Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel in the fold, I would immediately deem most of the remaining veterans expendable. There’s a market for Brandon Sutter, so I would look to move him for the best possible return. I’d also look at moving Erik Gudbranson while his value is still high, but I would want to get a good look at how Quinn Hughes looks on his off side before deciding whether to move him now or later. We’ve heard at least one team was interested in Loui Eriksson, so that’s something I would explore depending on how much salary would have to be retained. I would hold on to Chris Tanev for the time being and hope he can put together a healthy season and increase his value at either the trade deadline or the 2019 draft.

Even under the assumption that both Sutter and Eriksson are moved, that still leaves 17 forwards on the bubble to make the team, not including Elias Pettersson. That means Tanner Kero, Darren Archibald, Reid Boucher, and Tyler Motte would all be Utica-bound for sure. Adam Gaudette’s performance at training camp and in the preseason would determine whether or not he makes the team or heads to the minors to see more ice-time.

Line combinations would ultimately be up to the coach. What I would like to see, however; is a culture that emphasizes both competition and opportunity. Accept that the team isn’t ready to be competitive, and make clear to all the young players that they will get a chance to show what they’ve got, but that jobs will ultimately go to the players that earn it. For players like Brandon Leipsic, Markus Granlund, and Nikolay Goldobin, I’d make it clear this will be essentially their last shot to prove they can be consistent offensive contributors. This applies to veterans to some degree as well. The coach shouldn’t be afraid to sit older players if their performance isn’t up to par. Hopefully  by the trade deadline the team’s front office will have established which players are part of the future and clear the way for them. At that point, anyone left over with value could be moved for picks at next year’s draft, to give the attending fans as many chances to cheer as possible.

I’m not against the idea of keeping players like Pettersson, Hughes, Juolevi, Gaudette, and Dahlen in Utica this year in an attempt to build a competitive AHL team. It’s worked well for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization in recent memory. That being said, you don’t keep a player like Elias Pettersson off the roster just to avoid the risk of losing Brendan Leipsic on waivers. If he’s so good that he absolutely has to make the team I think you just accept that someone might end up on waivers, although neither of the players you mentioned would be my first choice.

This is a great question. Generally, fans and the media place too much importance on “bulking up”, especially in a league that’s becoming increasingly reliant on speed. I’d like to at least see Quinn Hughes in an NHL preseason game before I decide if he’s ready, though. If not, I’d imagine he would benefit more from a season in Utica than another year in the NCAA anyway.

Yes.

Maybe? That’s an awful lot of young blood on one line. I’m also still not sold on Jake Virtanen in an offensive role. Giving it a shot couldn’t hurt, especially if it means getting Pettersson away from Brandon Sutter.

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. It depends on who you’re losing. The Canucks are lacking proven offensive contributors at the moment, so losing a player who’s looked promising in flashes like Nikolay Goldobin or Brendan Leipsic would be a tough pill to swallow. Most of the time, losing a player on waivers isn’t the end of the world, but every once in a while, a team will give up value because of a roster crunch. Given where the Canucks are in their life cycle it would be unfortunate if they had the misfortune of being one of those teams.