WWYDW: The First Line

It’s early August, which means the NHL news cycle has come to a grinding halt. So, now is as good a time as any to speculate on what next season’s lineup might look like.

There’s a lot of questions when it comes to the 2018-19 forward group, not the least of which is who will get the nod to play with the presumptive first line duo of Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson. Our very own Faber explored the possibility of JT Miller getting a look there, but there are plenty of other options available, too.

Last week I asked:What would you do with Loui Eriksson?

I would try and trade Loui to any team that would not demand a draft pick or young prospect to be added as part of the deal. The return would not matter as long as it would not be a contract worse than Eriksson’s.

If no trading partner can be found over the summer I would try and build up his value. The best way to do this is to play him with Elias Pettersson or Bo Horvat in the top six. A rejuvenated Eriksson may be a fit with a playoff contender that has the cap space to take him.

I would tell him he either has to make the team as a top 6 forward, which is what he’s paid for, or he’ll be sent down to Utica. During he career, to date, he has banked 57,625,000 and the three years remaining has him owed 4 million in bonuses and five million in salary. I really don’t believe he would play out his contract if demoted, that remaining 9 million just won’t be enough to endure 3 years of riding the bus especially when he could retire from the NHL and play in Sweden and recoup some of that remaining balance. As far as other UFA not wanting to come here because we demoted an over paid ineffective forward I don’t believe it would dissuade future signing unless they believed they couldn’t live up to the contract, win – win if you ask me.

I think you try to trade him if you don’t have to give up anything that will hurt the team’s ability to contend for a cup in 3 years & beyond. IMO you could include Baertschi or Goldobin in that category, and a mid round draft pick, but not someone like Virtanen who still has playoffs potential & popularity among the fans.

Do anything possible to move him. Eat a little salary and throw in a prospect if need be. Give Goldobin some quality line mates at the start of the season to make him look good. Then use him as the sweetener for the deal. Throw in Virtanen if you have to. Ferland just made Virtanen expendable.

I would trade him if possible, but not Throwing in a bunch of add ons.

If he can’t be traded he should be given a chance. Some articles earlier this summer showed Eriksson was an elite penalty killer, which has huge value (I mean to a winning team, not a 6 mil contract). But if a bad attitude affects his play or his locker room presence, then off to Utica or even Kalamazoo. But Eriksson is a better NHL player and provides more value than others in the roster like Schaller or Motte and the Canucks only get the same cap relief for any of them being sent down. For me it comes down to his attitude and the value he provides in the lineup compared to other players as they all provide the same cap relief.