The Rebuild

[Rede]

I was thinking about next years roster for a post over at HF and think this is the sort of dream retool I'd love to see Gillis pull off where we can remain competitive while getting younger players into the lineup.

Trade Edler, Schroeder to Colorado for O'Reilly
Trade Kesler to Anaheim for Etem, Vatanen, OTT 1st
Trade VAN/OTT 1st, VAN 2nd, Hansen, Higgins to Florida for FLA 1st (assuming top 3 and Edmonton takes Ekblad)

Add/remove picks or shuffle pieces as needed ... just a rough idea.

Sign Vanek 2 years @ 9.5m
Sign Halak 1 year @ 4.0m
Resign RFAs/UFAs as below

FORWARDS
Daniel Sedin ($7.000m) / Henrik Sedin ($7.000m) / Thomas Vanek ($9.500m)
Nicklas Jensen ($0.863m) / Ryan O'Reilly ($6.500m) / Zack Kassian ($1.750m)
Mike Santorelli ($1.750m) / Bo Horvat ($0.925m) / Alexandre Burrows ($4.500m)
Darren Archibald ($0.750m) / Brad Richardson ($1.150m) / Shawn Matthias ($1.750m)
Tom Sestito ($0.750m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Dan Hamhuis ($4.500m) / Chris Tanev ($4.000m)
Jason Garrison ($4.600m) / Sami Vatanen ($1.500m)
Ryan Stanton ($0.550m) / Kevin Bieksa ($4.600m)
Yannick Weber ($0.725m) /
GOALTENDERS
Jaroslav Halak ($4.000m)
Eddie Lack ($1.150m)
BUYOUTS
David Booth ($0.000m)
Keith Ballard ($0.000m)
BURIED
Jacob Markstrom ($0.275m)
RETAINED SALARIES (1.13% of upper limit)
Roberto Luongo ($0.800m—15.00%)
------
SALARY CAP: $71,100,000; CAP PAYROLL: $70,888,333; BONUSES: $850,000
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $211,667

If Horvat or Jensen aren't ready you have other guys like Etem, Gaunce, etc. Matthias and Richardson can also move up.

We get younger, rebuild the farm, remain competitive and get a puck moving potential PPQB in Vatanen (something we're missing).

The future looks pretty bright too: Bennett, Shinkaruk, Etem, Gaunce, Corrado, 6-12th pick this year, etc

[The Brown Knight]

Trade Edler, Schroeder to Colorado for O'Reilly

There is no way the Avs will give us O'Reilly for that proposed package.

Also - I'd only trade Kesler if we were getting a young center with superstar potential in return. Etem would be a great addition, but I'd rather see us get a young center. The proposed deal to Chicago is better in my opinion.

[The Brown Knight]

I

Sign Vanek 2 years @ 9.5m

I can't see Vanek signing with a rebuilding team (Canucks) at below market value.

Vanek will fetch a lot more than 4.75 million on the Open Market.

The only way he signs anywhere near that amount, is if he signs with a Chicago or a Boston type team to go for a cup (i.e. signing well below market value with the expectation that he's signing with a contender). Even then - there's no way Vanek will sign with anyone at 4.5 million.........let alone, a rebuilding Canucks team.

[Rede]

Trade Edler, Schroeder to Colorado for O'Reilly

There is no way the Avs will give us O'Reilly for that proposed package.

Also - I'd only trade Kesler if we were getting a young center with superstar potential in return. Etem would be a great addition, but I'd rather see us get a young center. The proposed deal to Chicago is better in my opinion.

So maybe swap Hansen or Higgins with Schroeder? Add a pick or prospect. Not sure exactly what it takes, but I think Edler has a lot of value himself still.

The acquisition of Bennett and ROR would make Kesler tradeable in these proposals. Perhaps trade our first pick in the package for Bennett rather than Ottawas and move Kesler for the Chicago proposal, but I do think this team could really use a high potential PPQB type like Vatanen, while Etem has chemistry with Shinkaruk and we'd have two top 10 picks.

Also that was 2yrs @ 9.5 (each) not 9.5/2yrs.

[SKYO]

Signing Vanek would probably be the best chance/move for Kesler to stay.

[Reefer2]

he has Vanek at $9.5M per season.

[The Brown Knight]

Also that was 2yrs @ 9.5 (each) not 9.5/2yrs.

Vanek at 9.5 million per season is loco bro. That's the type of money that one should be offering the Sidney Crosby's, Evgeni Malkin's, Steve Stamkos', and Jonathan Toews of this world.

And again - this core is in decline. Even by enticing Thomas Vanek to sign here at 170% above his market value, the Canucks would still be a middle of the road team at best.

Let's not make the same mistake the same mistake the Leaves made in 2004, and the Flames made in 2009.

Lets call a spade a spade. This core is finished, and throwing money and/or trading away picks/prospects to supplement our aging core would be a terrible move.

Gillis' biggest priority in this off-season should be in trying to hit a home-run with a Kesler deal. Period. In said Kesler deal, we should be getting back massive FUTURE pieces of the form of draft picks and prospects. If you have to throw in Edler in a potential Kesler deal, you DO IT.

By that same token, I think it bears worth mentioning that we should NOT trade all of our important vets and only keep a few rubbish vets with a whole bunch of kids. That's Edmonton Oiler/Florida Panther territory and that is going to the other extreme.

Keep a strong veteran presence but rebuild the farm in a very significant way. That's what Gillis needs to do.

[RoyalDude]

The worst kept secret in the NHl is that Vanek wants to sign with Minnesota this off season where he lives in the off season and where his wife is from. Why even dream about him? Also he will end up with a contract that will be an albatross compared to his product on the ice.

[The Brown Knight]

he has Vanek at $9.5M per season.

I know eh?

Fuck - Gillis would get his balls chopped off by the Acquillini Group if he signed Vanek for that amount of money.

On a different note - I'm wondering if the Oilers and Canucks could be good trading partners with one another?

Ignoring the obvious fact that they are divisional rivals, and the management of each team do not particularly like each other, the Oilers and Canucks could be a good fit with one another.

The Oilers are in dire needs of veteran leadership, while the Canucks are in dire need of prospects and/or getting young promising talent.

Oilers could really use a guy like Kevin Bieksa or a Chris Higgins.

Canucks on the other hand, could try and land one of the Oilers' top young players in a packaged deal of sorts.

[The Brown Knight]

Like seriously........

Given how the Oilers have fared over the past 4-5 years with all of that supposed promise, is it really farfetched to assume that a guy like Jordan Eberle could be had for the right price? (i.e. if the Oilers receive some really key vets in return to help supplement the talents of RNH, Taylor Hall, etc.).

Obviously - it would be a very steep price, but why couldn't it work?

Oilers need as much change as the Canucks do..........for entirely different reasons.

[Island Nucklehead]

The worst kept secret in the NHl is that Vanek wants to sign with Minnesota this off season where he lives in the off season and where his wife is from. Why even dream about him? Also he will end up with a contract that will be an albatross compared to his product on the ice.

Yep. And with Heatley's gross contract coming off the books this summer, Minny has plenty of space to give Vanek the $7.5M-$8.5M long-term deal he wants.

IMO, the Canucks are more likely to go after a guy like Paul Stastny, especially if Kesler is the guy being moved. I'm not sure it's an upgrade, but it only costs money.

[RoyalDude]

The Canucks were apparently talking with Colorado, some people speculated it was ROR, but would not be surprised if they were kicking the tires on Stastny, that interest may continue into July 1st. Would not be surprised if we make a pitch for Stastny but would the Amerian/Czech want to play here? He'd be a good safety net if we move Kesler.

[Island Nucklehead]

The Canucks were apparently talking with Colorado, some people speculated it was ROR, but would not be surprised if they were kicking the tires on Stastny, that interest may continue into July 1st. Would not be surprised if we make a pitch for Stastny but would the Amerian/Czech want to play here? He'd be a good safety net if we move Kesler.

Kinda what I was thinking. The return for Kesler (Teravainen/Etem or whatever) + Stastny would probably be better for the Canucks, at least offensively. I'm sure he'd cost us around $7M per, so there's the $$$$ to swallow, but if this team plans on staying competitive, it's something to consider.

[The Brown Knight]

The Canucks were apparently talking with Colorado, some people speculated it was ROR, but would not be surprised if they were kicking the tires on Stastny, that interest may continue into July 1st. Would not be surprised if we make a pitch for Stastny but would the Amerian/Czech want to play here? He'd be a good safety net if we move Kesler.

Kinda what I was thinking. The return for Kesler (Teravainen/Etem or whatever) + Stastny would probably be better for the Canucks, at least offensively. I'm sure he'd cost us around $7M per, so there's the $$$$ to swallow, but if this team plans on staying competitive, it's something to consider.

I would be a huge advocate of the above scenarios.

[Rede]

he has Vanek at $9.5M per season.

Fuck - Gillis would get his balls chopped off by the Acquillini Group if he signed Vanek for that amount of money.

Mats Sundin in says Hi.

Also, you're going to be surprised with FA prices. Almost every team is going to have cap space and the FA pool is very shallow. Low supply, high demand.

It will take that kind of money to lure Vanek for a short term deal. We can trade him for an asset or two if the team isn't competitive, and either way its short term with another big cap jump next season and a bunch of kids coming through the system who will be cost effective.

I think you're also missing the fact that this proposed roster has added ROR, Jensen, Horvat, and Vatanen with Bennett, Gaunce, Shinkaruk, Etem, Corrado, and a top 10 pick coming through the system. It also sees big parts of the core moving in Kesler, Edler, Hansen and Higgins. This is not Calgary and, frankly, if you think Aquillini is going to let the Canucks tank for a few years you're fooling yourself - this would be a fantastic a retool while remaining competitive (aka not an Edmonton rebuild where players don't know how to win).