WWYDW: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

It’s bye week for the Canucks, which means that we won’t have any games to reflect on until Saturday. That’s in part why the talk of the town this week has been the trade deadline, which is one week away. The Canucks have a few players on expiring contracts and could use to recoup some assets, as well as shed non-exempt players in preparation for the expansion draft. 

After asking how the Canucks should approach the deadline this time around, this week we’ll get more specific. Who would you like to see traded at the deadline? Don’t be afraid to get creative.

Sell old/buy young and undervalued with first line potential (obviously Evander Kane was that guy this year for example/but too much personal baggage for management to take the risk). Acquire picks/prospects where possible.

Since the main thing the Canucks need to do is replace the first line, so they should start drafting and acquiring talented young forwards with potential/or proven first line talent. They have to be controllable over a reasonably lengthy number of years for it to make sense.

Demote/split up or replace the Sedins (if they was something workalble that made sense), as it’s currently not appropriate to have them at the very core of this team.

It’s really important to have the vision and confidence to make swift decisions when opportunity arises (as with the Canadians this week in their hiring of Claude Julien).

It’s not an easy skill, but that’s why management make the big bucks. We’re counting on you JB. 

Hansen and Burrows are of more use to the Canucks long term than a couple of low-ish draft picks and I don’t expect either to waive in order to go to a ‘contender’ that is so hard for anyone to call in todays NHL (no one picked a SJ- Pens final last year). Chicago and Pitts are probably the cup favourites (maybe Washington) but i can’t see any of those teams needing either player to put them over the top.

Montreal is a long shot for the Cup imo and they already have Brendan Gallagher so why would they need Burrows who plays the same kind of game.

Miller could go to LA as a back up (If Quick is done for the year) at best though.  

At this point, if anyone calls with the deal of a lifetime and you can easily protect the assets you get, everyone not named Bo would have a for sale sign hanging on his neck.

Obvious choices are the trifecta of Miller, Burrows and Hansen.

Gudbranson, Edler and Tanev, Sbisa would be fine depending on return.

Anyone of the ‘Hardly scoring Boys’ of Skille, Megna, Chaput for cab fare to get them to the airport works for me.

Anyone calling for Loui gets priority status and a jersey of their choice. Heck, I’d retire their beer league jersey in the rafters if they took Loui and actually gave an asset back!

The depleted ‘rebuild’ team now has a top line of Bo, Baer, Granlund. Second line of Sedins and Boeser or Virtanen.

Third line of Sutter, Boucher and a Utica call-up.

Fourth line is Gaunce and some fill-ins from what’s leftover.

And then draft the best players available! 

Approach Hansen, Miller and Burrows with the prospective teams that have come calling. I am sure there will have been at least a few offers on them whether good or not. As much as they have earned the right to have NMC/NTC’s it’s unlikely they’ll say no — it will only improve their potential appeal as UFAs to go to a playoff contender and hopefully do well enough to earn one more decent contract. If they really want to they can come back here next year (not Hansen and I realize it’s a different story for him but even then being placed on a good team might be appealing to him).

I’m not sure who else would be in the mix — maybe Sbisa or Sutter for a team wanting a somewhat cost-controlled (if still a bit expensive) player in their “prime” (and despite all the bashing on CA I think they’ve both been pretty good for what they bring to the table this year).

At any rate, I don’t see the point of standing pat — all the losing of late has probably removed any delusions of the playoffs. And if we god forbid actually were to toss picks and prospects at someone for a veteran to help us make the playoffs then I would jump onto the CA hate train.

Sell and then sell some more.

Here’s my wish list: A) Hansen has some contenders on his ‘list’ and they can strike up an actual bidding war. B) Burrows gets to go play for the Habs with a pick coming back C) a goalie gets injured and Miller becomes a hot commodity D) Benning makes some unforeseen move and trades another vet (Sutter,Guddy, Edler?) for some sort of respectable haul.

In reality, my expectations are so low that getting an extra second rounder from the deadline would be cause for celebration.