WWYDW: Anyone Else?

Unless my math is off, the Canucks have one last recall at their disposal before the season ends. Looking at their transactions page on CapFriendly reveals they used their first three on Nikolay Goldobin, Tyler Motte and Reid Boucher, so there’s the calculus.

The way the Canucks are losing forwards to injury, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they could use another Utica Comet down the stretch. Some of the best ones are already with the team in Goldobin and Boucher, so picking the right one won’t exactly be easy. There are so many good options to choose from, too.

So, with that, I’m asking you, the reader, who you want to see the Canucks call-up from the Comets in the event that they lose another forward to injury. I’ve specified the forward position because there aren’t any defencemen in Utica knocking on the NHL door, and the Canucks seem to be in better shape with that part of the roster.

The rules are simple. As long as the player you’ve chosen is on an NHL contract, they work for the purposes of this exercise. So, have at ‘er.

Last week I asked: How would you feel about the Canucks adding Mikael Backlund in free agency to the same contract that the Calgary Flames signed him to just before the trade deadline.

I have to agree with JD on the 1 uear sign and flip, if we are to sign any free agents.
This team is still a couple years away from being in playoff contention, let’s not get another albatross contract like Erickson.

I would avoid signing any big-name forward UFAs right now, with the possible exception of one-year contracts with the Sedins.

The Canucks have a bunch of excellent forward prospects on the verge of making it. Let’s see how that pans out over the next two years. Signing major contracts would only limit the Canucks’ options and block prospect development.

Defense. That’s where the deals need to be made, particularly if a highly ranked D can not be drafted in June.

I like Backlund a lot, but I don’t see how he fits with the Canucks. Assuming the Sedins come back for another season and at least one of Petterson and Gaudette make the jump, where does he slot in the lineup? Why is an ostensibly-rebuilding team looking at signing a 28-year-old UFA centre to a long-term contract?

The only way signing Backlund makes sense is if the team has a trade partner for Sutter AND they’re not planning to re-sign Henrik, but even then, it’s not a move that a team that’s currently bottoming-out should do.

Backlund would have made sense if some of the veteran centres did not return (Henrik and/or Sutter). Otherwise, he’s older than the ‘next core’ and I am pretty tired of this remain competitive during rebuild stuff. Really. When you finish near the bottom, it’s not being competitive.

Yes, I do see the need to good mentors and showing players how to do things the right way but the rebuild should have started when Benning first came aboard. As of right now, it’d be better if he made more significant moves and expedited the rebuild.