Sekeres: Canucks may look to acquire hefty contract for draft pick

Matthew Sekeres of TSN 1040 thinks the Canucks could make an interesting type of move before the NHL trade deadline comes to a close.

We’ve seen these types of deals before and for the Canucks, any opportunity to gain an attractive asset should be examined. Last summer, we saw the Florida Panthers trade Dave Bolland and Lawson Crouse, the teams first round pick in 2015, to the Arizona Coyotes for a second and third round draft pick. Bolland hasn’t played since December 2nd 2015 due to lingering ankle and back injuries. 

Bolland carries a 5.5 million dollar AAV and Florida had to shed that off their books to sign pieces of their young core. To unload that contract, they contacted Arizona, a team that’s rebuilding, in need of an asset and has the cap space to take Crouse’s contract. 

Arizona received Bolland’s contract, along with a highly regarded prospect in Lawson Crouse as well. For the Canucks, two candidates come to mind for this type of deal to happen before the deadline. Andrew Ference of the Edmonton Oilers and Eric Fehr of the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Ference, who hasn’t suited up since November 2015 due to a career ending hip injury, carries a 3.25 million dollar AAV and is currently preventing Edmonton from making another move hours before the NHL trade deadline cutoff. The Oilers could likely offer up a second or third to pay Ference’s contract until he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Canucks would likely be more than willing to pay Ference for the remainder of the year if they were to get a pick or valued prospect in return for their troubles.

Eric Feher, who was recently placed on waivers, carries a two million dollar contract to his name and furthermore, one of the reasons the Penguins have zero cap space. The Penguins may want to continue to make moves up until the deadline and if that’s the case, shedding that contract by giving the Canucks a few picks could be the ideal scenario. 

With Ryan Miller apparently not moving and with few other attractive trade options, this could be the last deal we see the Canucks make.