Vancouver Canucks Trading Isn’t Done Yet

With as little cap space as they have, Ye Olde Vancouver Canucks Trading Post is still open for business. And as we mentioned before, they rarely do one-part moves.

Canucks Trading One More Piece

First, the disclaimer: This whole thing is speculation. You know it, we know it. But there is more than enough history here – between leaked proposals, past history, and plain old logic – to guess what’s coming.

The funny thing is, Tyler Myers may be going into his least-criticized season ever. There’s something about knowing the player is in the last year of his deal that’s somehow soothing. Plus, if a deal appears it could be at the trade deadline, so patience now, reward later.

Yes, it’s Myers and his $6 million cap hit taking centre stage once again. We know that his hit is a burden, but it’s not like he’s a replacement-level player. We aren’t arguing he’s top-pair but between his size, speed, and some nastiness he’ll have value. It’s all a matter of timing.

Tick… Tick… BOOM

While we generally feel that Myers has been misused during his NHL tenure, there’s no reason to expect change now. He’d have been better deployed to use his more aggressive side. But there is just enough talent that scouts and coaches dream of an offence suddenly coming alive.

So, let’s talk about him as he’s used. A team acquiring Myers will be looking for a fast, big, decent puck handler. He can also have words with any forward deciding to overenthusiastically crash the net. That all is fine, but the problem is that $6 million salary cap.

The Canucks trading Myers will primarily be looking to take that cap hit off the books. They’ll need to fill the space he leaves in their talent pool at right-side defenceman, though, which is a trick. There’s a reason why a market for Myers can exist, after all.

It’s all about the timing.

Sooner

There are really three different times the Canucks trading Myers makes any sense. And no, keeping him is right out wrong – even if the team is “in the race” for a playoff spot. Stop that.

First is as soon as the bonus is paid. There’s no firm answer as to when that actually is in public yet, with guesses ranging anywhere from the first to the 15th of September. The exact day isn’t terribly relevant, but the more time before training camp the better.

Ideally, players join new teams with plenty of time to settle into the environment. New city, new teammates, and new coaches all take some getting used to. But if the 15th is when teams are interested, that’s when it will happen.

The argument in favour of getting a player this early is pretty much just that. Have him play your system before the games matter and see who he gels with best.

Should a player or players be headed back the other way who have a slightly lower cap hit but higher cash payout, that helps financially. In those cases, the total amount saved isn’t likely to be much, but it might time the scales.

Later

The Trade Deadline Special, right when general managers are under the most pressure to perform. Last chance for a ticket to the dance, so to speak. The cap hit is reduced – even more with retained salary – and the playoffs await.

The deadline has been a bit of a Canucks trading nightmare for fans, but they need to trust that this is a different group. Gone are the desperation swings, and in return are modest, well-reasoned moves. So far.

It’s a high-risk game, holding any prospective unrestricted free agent this late into the season. There’s always a chance of injury to the player, taking him off the trade block or dramatically reducing his value. They may overprice him, causing trade partners to look elsewhere.

Or maybe he plays poorly enough that teams just aren’t interested in taking him on. Fans may treat him more harshly than he deserves, but there is enough to criticize in his play that the risk is there. Being 34 years old at the deadline won’t help.

On the flip side – it’s real, REAL easy to convince yourself that your team might just need that one extra thing to push them over the top. Especially if the Canucks have a down season. Surely, Myers will play much better on a more talented, playoff-bound team. Right?

And hey, a second-round pick could be in the mid-60s if everything goes right. That’s not such a bad throw of the dice to win now instead of getting a kid in three years!

Or

Okay, just hear us out for a bit. Vancouver’s 20-25 games in, and the team’s doing… something. Could be good, could be bad, could be around .500, none of which would be a surprise. The team could use a shake-up heading into an early-December home stand.

Myers has been paid his bonus money. His cap hit is reduced to a more manageable amount. Sure, his scoring hasn’t increased over last year, but under new coaching, his defence has improved. Could be just what several teams that aren’t doing as well as hoped are looking for.

The Canucks trading Myers mid-season rather than early or at the deadline is a bit of a surprise. The price is low, with a player almost certainly coming back in return. Or maybe he goes to fill a sudden hole for a team dealing with a bit of injury trouble.

Out goes Myers for an empty space, soon filled with a familiar name. Welcome back, a fully healthy and happy-to-sign Ethan Bear.