WWYDW: Appointment Viewing

The Canucks announced the broadcast schedule on Monday morning, which means that the offseason is finally coming to a close and the prognosticating and speculation that comes with it will soon be replaced with actual games to analyze. So, it only seems appropriate to turn our attention to the upcoming season. What games will you be circling on your calendar this year and why? 

Last week I asked: Would you trade for Erik Karlsson? If so, what would you give up? (Please try to be realistic.)

From Beagle to Karlsson? That’s going to make this team competitive? What is going to be given up to get him? Hughes?

This team has one centre, one winger, barely one D and maybe Demko makes the jump to goal and maybe does better than Markie?

You just drafted Hughes — why would you even entertain the haul you would give up to get Karlsson. Nuts. Set this team back another decade. Totally nuts.

EK may be the best D in the league but that doesn’t make him the best D for this team unless you get the deal of a lifetime.

I wouldn’t trade for Karlsson. The price will be too high, and he’ll be in his 30’s by the time they’re ready to compete. If they want to add veteran depth to their defense, they should explore free agency. Giving up young players will just prolong the rebuild.

If you can take Ryan with Karlsson for a reasonable package built around the Canucks’ second tier of prospects – players like Adam Gaudette, Kole Lind, and Olli Juolevi (No Petterson, no Hughes, no 1st round pick this season) – and then flip Karlsson to an Ottawa rival in need of help on defense like Toronto or Boston (Chara’s going to retire at some point), for a major return, absolutely do it.

As for acquiring Karlsson to play on the Canucks – that’s just a terrible idea. Karlsson is amazing, but he isn’t going to lift a bottom-five team to contention by himself, and the cost of acquisition will likely be very high.

As with any trade, it totally depends on the cost.

There are only a couple of scenarios that make a trade like that palatable for where the canucks are right now in their development and I don’t see any of those being realistic so basically no…I wouldn’t trade for him.

Those things?

1) We get him for cheap. Not going to happen.
2) He signs for cheap. Not going to happen.

Basically what I don’t want the team to have (as long as there is a cap structure like there is currently) is a 10+ million dollar player. Hell, I don’t even want an 8 million dollar player if it can be helped. There is no leverage at all with a player like Karlsson. He’s going to cash in and easily be an 8+ million dollar player. It doesn’t fit.

As I mentioned before…I want a lot of good cost controlled young “stars” all around 6-7 million (for the best of them) then surrounded by good veteran short term deals for when they are ready for a run. Then those contracts are traded right before FA, and we reload.

I’d love to have Karlsson as a one year rental. That would be fun. I’d even give up some assets for that…but nothing major….like I said…Not going to happen.

With the Canucks being a bottom dweller, Karlsson having only one year left before unrestricted free agency and being at an age where players cash in on long-term contracts that general managers keep handing out even though they are usually poor value in the long run, it really doesn’t make sense for the Canucks to even consider acquiring Karlsson with a view to keeping him for the long-term.

If they can get him for next to nothing, then of course it makes sense. I’d be happy to see the Canucks trade Eriksson, Beagle and Gudbranson for Karlsson. Obviously, Ottawa wouldn’t go for that. They aren’t a team to take on bad contracts and they’d be sure to get better offers.

If the Canucks can manage to get him and flip him so that they get something out of it (preferrably in assets for the future) or if they can take part in a 3-way deal where another team gets Karlsson and the Canucks get more value back than what they pay out as their part of the deal it can make sense, but generally there are better fits for Karlsson than the Canucks. A current Stanley Cup contender with low (or no) state income tax and a desirable location makes the most sense. Vancouver may be a great place to live but otherwise just isn’t a fit.

Lets see, best dman in hockey. Only 28. Right handed (rare). Offensive powerhouse even on his own.
You are right why would the Canucks go after him, when they have Hutton and Gudbranson and other future Superstars on D. Why would the team want to win now when they can wait another 4 years!! What would they be thinking. Sheesh.

Regarding Karlsson, it makes sense for the Canucks to kick the tires to see if they can lowball the Sens but since other teams will be more willing to make better offers then the Canucks should not get into a bidding war.
Ultimately the best thing is for the Canucks to walk away, they may very well need this cap space, especially considering the potential penalties from Luongo’s contract if he retires before the end of it; also the Canucks are not in a win now situation so they should not be trying to make any serious offers here.