[ARTICLE] What it might take to sign Nikita Zadorov and if it makes sense for the Canucks

[RWJC]

If Zaddy has become part of the nucleus in the room, and by all accounts he is doing so, he’s worth extending even slightly above market value. There is inherent value to chemistry, not to mention the fact that this player will stand up for everyone on the club. As a player (to a degree) for his size and mobility and underrated aspects, he is as much a rarity as Hronek as a young top end RHD. But as a personality and human being, he is good shit. He’s the type of guy that helps build bonds and between both players and coach it seems everyone is fond of him. 

We’ve needed someone like him in our jersey for years and imho he’s absolutely a priority. 

[NHL97OneTimer]

On 5/11/2024 at 10:38 PM, CanuckMan said:

Zadorav needs to be signed in order for the Canucks to remain a playoff team. It’s pretty obvious the big body guys do better in the playoffs when the play gets rough. Zadorav, Myers, Miller, Joshua, Lindholm etc are the guys stepping up. Big, strong on the play, or gritty guys. 
 

So do you trade EP to keep the big guys together?  I think this is what it would take.

[CanuckMan]

16 minutes ago, NHL97OneTimer said:

So do you trade EP to keep the big guys together?  I think this is what it would take.

Re-sign:

 

Zadorav, Joshua, Lindholm

 

Don’t resign:

Desmith, Hronek, Cole, Lafferty, Friedman

 

Maybe re-sign:

Bluegar

 

Maybe for the right price:

Bluegar

 

Trade: Mikeheyv.

 

 

Edited May 13 by CanuckMan
Spelling

[Pianoman]

For me, (assuming reasonable price of course) the priority would be zadorov and lindholm. Hronek is the only guy we can get something for trading. Ideally we could keep Hronek too. If we keep lindholm then bluegrass becomes expendable 

[CaptainCanuck12]

2 hours ago, NHL97OneTimer said:

So do you trade EP to keep the big guys together?  I think this is what it would take.

Okay!

[N4ZZY]

3 hours ago, CanuckMan said:

Re-sign:

 

Zadorav, Joshua, Lindholm

 

Don’t resign:

Desmith, Hronek, Cole, Lafferty, Friedman

 

Maybe re-sign:

Bluegar

 

Maybe for the right price:

Bluegar

 

Trade: Mikeheyv.

 

 

I think Mik definitely has to go, that's almost 4M freed up. Maybe attach a 2nd round pick for another team to take him off our hands? Can he be bought out? 

 

Blueger for me is a must to resign. He's a good PKer, and good depth piece. I don't think he'll be expensive to resign. 

 

But I agree that Zadorov, Joshua and Lindholm have to come back. 

 

 

[N4ZZY]

3 hours ago, Pianoman said:

For me, (assuming reasonable price of course) the priority would be zadorov and lindholm. Hronek is the only guy we can get something for trading. Ideally we could keep Hronek too. If we keep lindholm then bluegrass becomes expendable 

I think Blueger can be had for cheap. 

 

[Bob Long]

3 hours ago, N4ZZY said:

I think Blueger can be had for cheap. 

 

 

I know I can

 

[CanuckMan]

8 hours ago, N4ZZY said:

I think Mik definitely has to go, that's almost 4M freed up. Maybe attach a 2nd round pick for another team to take him off our hands? Can he be bought out? 

 

Blueger for me is a must to resign. He's a good PKer, and good depth piece. I don't think he'll be expensive to resign. 

 

But I agree that Zadorov, Joshua and Lindholm have to come back. 

 

 

For this ship to remain set in the right direction those 3 in Zadorav, Joshua and Lindholm must be signed I agree. Or we would be taking a step back.

I am positive management will find a way to move Mikheyev. It’s the most obvious move. 0 points in the playoffs (not much different than the regular season though). I don’t care about speed or checking. For almost 5M a year the guy has to put up SOME points. 
Same with Lafferty, he was cheap but not worth re-signing. Hasn’t been that impactful and again 0 points in the playoffs. 
 

Hronek is the biggest shocker with the goose eggs. 

[R3aL]

21 hours ago, RWJC said:

If Zaddy has become part of the nucleus in the room, and by all accounts he is doing so, he’s worth extending even slightly above market value. There is inherent value to chemistry, not to mention the fact that this player will stand up for everyone on the club. As a player (to a degree) for his size and mobility and underrated aspects, he is as much a rarity as Hronek as a young top end RHD. But as a personality and human being, he is good shit. He’s the type of guy that helps build bonds and between both players and coach it seems everyone is fond of him. 

We’ve needed someone like him in our jersey for years and imho he’s absolutely a priority. 

Coach loves him and says he loves him in the room and on the bench. Hard to think he’s not a key cog now.

 

im not sure if the coach has praised hronek post game once these playoffs? 
 

someone quote me if so

[Rekker]

Canucks have played 9 playoff games. Two hundred grand per game. That's how much Zads deal has gone up, and how much Hroneks has gone down. 

[VegasCanuck]

20 hours ago, Rekker said:

Canucks have played 9 playoff games. Two hundred grand per game. That's how much Zads deal has gone up, and how much Hroneks has gone down. 

We would not be ahead in this series if we didn't have Zadorov on the ice. He has been a major part of our success so far. Without him, we likely would have gone to 7 games with Nashville and good chance we don't make it through.

 

Has been highly effective for us at both ends of the rink.

 

[AlexanderM]

He must be re-signed, along with Lindholm, Joshua, Silovs!!! 

Edited May 14 by AlexanderM

[wai_lai416]

On 5/13/2024 at 3:28 AM, N4ZZY said:

I think Mik definitely has to go, that's almost 4M freed up. Maybe attach a 2nd round pick for another team to take him off our hands? Can he be bought out? 

 

Blueger for me is a must to resign. He's a good PKer, and good depth piece. I don't think he'll be expensive to resign. 

 

But I agree that Zadorov, Joshua and Lindholm have to come back. 

 

 

There’s no scenario zadorov Joshua and lindholm all comes back.. even if you think juulsen is good enough to play on defense.. we are still missing a top 4 assuming u trade or get rid of hronek.. these 3 will cost u minimum 14.5 and that’s being optimistic.. that leaves you with less than 15mil to sign 3 defenseman minimum of 1 have to be a top 4 preferably 2.. still need a minimum 1 top 6 player preferably 2 and fill the rest. Lindholm will be 7+ prolly closer to 8 again with his playoff performance we gonna have a 8mil 3c?

[Rekker]

51 minutes ago, VegasCanuck said:

We would not be ahead in this series if we didn't have Zadorov on the ice. He has been a major part of our success so far. Without him, we likely would have gone to 7 games with Nashville and good chance we don't make it through.

 

Has been highly effective for us at both ends of the rink.

 

Agreed, and a leader. He has the "it" factor, especially come playoffs. 

[HarbularyBattery]

33 minutes ago, wai_lai416 said:

There’s no scenario zadorov Joshua and lindholm all comes back.. even if you think juulsen is good enough to play on defense.. we are still missing a top 4 assuming u trade or get rid of hronek.. these 3 will cost u minimum 14.5 and that’s being optimistic.. that leaves you with less than 15mil to sign 3 defenseman minimum of 1 have to be a top 4 preferably 2.. still need a minimum 1 top 6 player preferably 2 and fill the rest. Lindholm will be 7+ prolly closer to 8 again with his playoff performance we gonna have a 8mil 3c?

I think Joshua is the one you gotta replace

 

Lindholm is also much more than a "3C". We don't really have 1 bonafide 1st line. We have 3 1B lines, which is whats so overwhelming for edmonton. This is a way better structure IMO. If you're going to pay a lot to your forwards, pay down the middle, we can fill in the wings with ELCs and smart UFA signings/projects.

 

Zadorov and Lindholm come back, we kinda have to get it done. This team doesn't work without someone like Lindholm down the middle.

 

Hronek has been wildly disappointing, I don't think we lose a lot by letting him go and trying to find someone more like Tanev to play with Hughes. 

[wai_lai416]

31 minutes ago, HarbularyBattery said:

I think Joshua is the one you gotta replace

 

Lindholm is also much more than a "3C". We don't really have 1 bonafide 1st line. We have 3 1B lines, which is whats so overwhelming for edmonton. This is a way better structure IMO. If you're going to pay a lot to your forwards, pay down the middle, we can fill in the wings with ELCs and smart UFA signings/projects.

 

Zadorov and Lindholm come back, we kinda have to get it done. This team doesn't work without someone like Lindholm down the middle.

 

Hronek has been wildly disappointing, I don't think we lose a lot by letting him go and trying to find someone more like Tanev to play with Hughes. 

We don’t have 3 1b line we have 1 top line in boeser and miller a 2.5 line in lindholm garland Joshua and a ??? Line with pettersson and 2 4th liner. The lindholm line is a luxury to have if your top 2 line is great miller line is and then you have ep marooned on an island with no one to play with. Hoglander is good if there’s another guy to get ep the puck coz hoglander have 0 offensive awareness and passing ability except dig puck out and shoot at the net. Mikheyev can’t get the puck to ep either and can’t really do anything except defend.. kuzmenko even though can’t play defense at least can get the puck to ep. So we need to find a player to get the puck to ep and right now we don’t have that. The lindholm line is great as line a Joshua is in the mix because they are mostly playing against 3rd lines and they dominate coz they are way better than a 3rd line but not sure if they are quite a legit 2nd line and without Joshua who knows if garland would regress.. as for hronek.. easy for you to say get a tanev.. first tanev would have to want to come back.. and 2nd Dallas would have to let him walk as they can easily afford tanev for market instead of as begging for a discount 

[snowman955]

I assume Zad loves the Nucks. Here's hoping he resigns here. A lifer of sorts.

Every other team with Cap have taken notice of the elements he brings.

Let's no screw around and get pen to paper.

[DrJockitch]

4 minutes ago, snowman955 said:

I assume Zad loves the Nucks. Here's hoping he resigns here. A lifer of sorts.

Every other team with Cap have taken notice of the elements he brings.

Let's no screw around and get pen to paper.

Better not let him get to UFA. Treliving knows him and knows how much his team needs him. They may even have some money to spend. 

[Hockey God]

1 hour ago, wai_lai416 said:

There’s no scenario zadorov Joshua and lindholm all comes back.. even if you think juulsen is good enough to play on defense.. we are still missing a top 4 assuming u trade or get rid of hronek.. these 3 will cost u minimum 14.5 and that’s being optimistic.. that leaves you with less than 15mil to sign 3 defenseman minimum of 1 have to be a top 4 preferably 2.. still need a minimum 1 top 6 player preferably 2 and fill the rest. Lindholm will be 7+ prolly closer to 8 again with his playoff performance we gonna have a 8mil 3c?

There is one scenario that everyone comes back, and I think management has already prepared for this with EP's new contract structure.  I think this postseason is EP's proving ground.  If he doesn't come around and start making a difference now, compared to how other players on the team have been stepping up, I think he gets traded at the draft for picks and cap relief.  The farther the Canucks go in the playoffs without Elias doing anything of real note, the more obvious it becomes that he is not a main driver of this team's success.  Yes, he can get his points in the regular season, often against inferior line matchups or with players he can play woth who mesh well with his skillset, Boeser and Miller), but leaders step up in the postseason.  We're now seeing who the leaders/main drivers are on the team, and EP doesn't seem to be one of them.  Unless he is nursing some chronic injury which we are all unaware of, I would even suggest he might well be the #3 center on this team right now, and #3 centers don't get paid huge amounts of money, which may make him expendable in the name of keeping the rest of the team together.                

[Mike Vanderhoek]

Either way some difficult decisions have to be made and likely one or more unpopular ones in the process.

 

Dakota Joshua, if he is demanding more than $ 3m per he is very likely not returning and its not so much just Vancouver wanting to bring him back. There will be a suitor ready to overpay for his services. He is at a point in his career where he will be very tempted to make some real money as to this point he has not and he is getting older.

 

Teddy Blueger, I think this is a player you see back in Vancouver on a multi year deal around $ 2m per season. Very important player for the team moving forward.

 

Sam Lafferty, he has been fine but is someone who most likely moves on during Free Agency. He has good wheels and can play physical but he will be a casualty of the numbers game.

 

Elias Lindholm, such a luxury to have him and his game really elevated come Playoff time. Problem is he can be a top six C or even top line one on several teams, thus he will see some lucrative offers I just don't think the Canucks can come close to. I also think as much as he may have a blast here on the Canucks run and find success here, his game is not that of a third line C and being placed in that role while great for the team is not an ideal for him, if he's a third line C here he gets underpaid in Free Agency so as much as I would love to see him return I think at best its 60/40 in favor of him moving on.

 

At forward the Canucks will have multiple players pushing for spots out of camp, the likes of Raty, Bains, Sasson, Nielsen, Karlsson, and Podkolzin. Not sure Lekkerimaki is ready to make that jump but we shall see.

 

On defense the team will be extremely thin to start Free Agency,

 

Nikita Zadorov, regardless of the Playoff run and what some suggest he is still a 4/5 defenseman. He will not be offered a clear cut top four role and would need to be ok coming back as a defenseman who can play under 20 mins and some games be third pair or second pair. Vancouver needs to sell potential defensemen on their makeup being a top pair and 2 x second pairs essentially. I think quality of life is big and Vancouver is ideal for he and his family. I could see a return no less than $5m per however.

 

Tyler Myers, another dman who wants to stay here, he would need to be sold on taking a paycut and it could happen but he could also do quite well in Free Agency.

 

Ian Cole, is showing his age a little these Playoffs, a string of bad luck and bounces have gone off him sure but he is very dependable and a great mentor for the club to have. I could see him returning at a reduced rate more in line with a $ 2m per season cap.

 

Filip Hronek, he should extend and project as another 40+ point season. He is not everyone's favorite right now but still see a deal coming in at best case scenario a sliver under $7m per. He has shown to be a valuable member of the defense regardless of a dry post season and end of regular season.

 

Mark Friedman, was a good player to slot into the lineup short term but was losing the confidence of the coaching staff as his tenure has gone on. Likely move on in Free Agency. Another club could give him more opportunity.

 

I would like to see if Brisebois can make the club out of camp as an extra D. He was providing some reliable minutes on previous recalls. Not much cooking on defense with a few long shots so the expectation I have is maybe 2 of the three pending UFAs return and another couple adds out of Free Agency.

 

Goal I dont see Silovs as a backup so think he will continue his growth as the fulltime starter in Abby next year. DeSmith has been great but may simply command more than can be justified at his position. If you can find a backup for Thatcher around $ 1m per range you do that and slide that extra million DeSmith would require and invest into making a run at say keeping Joshua?

 

[Integra250]

I'd be okay trading Hronek for some pieces or letting go Tyler Myers if it means we keep Zadorov and end up signing Chris Tanev.

[RJCF96]

23 minutes ago, Mike Vanderhoek said:

Either way some difficult decisions have to be made and likely one or more unpopular ones in the process.

 

Dakota Joshua, if he is demanding more than $ 3m per he is very likely not returning and its not so much just Vancouver wanting to bring him back. There will be a suitor ready to overpay for his services. He is at a point in his career where he will be very tempted to make some real money as to this point he has not and he is getting older.

 

Teddy Blueger, I think this is a player you see back in Vancouver on a multi year deal around $ 2m per season. Very important player for the team moving forward.

 

Sam Lafferty, he has been fine but is someone who most likely moves on during Free Agency. He has good wheels and can play physical but he will be a casualty of the numbers game.

 

Elias Lindholm, such a luxury to have him and his game really elevated come Playoff time. Problem is he can be a top six C or even top line one on several teams, thus he will see some lucrative offers I just don't think the Canucks can come close to. I also think as much as he may have a blast here on the Canucks run and find success here, his game is not that of a third line C and being placed in that role while great for the team is not an ideal for him, if he's a third line C here he gets underpaid in Free Agency so as much as I would love to see him return I think at best its 60/40 in favor of him moving on.

 

At forward the Canucks will have multiple players pushing for spots out of camp, the likes of Raty, Bains, Sasson, Nielsen, Karlsson, and Podkolzin. Not sure Lekkerimaki is ready to make that jump but we shall see.

 

On defense the team will be extremely thin to start Free Agency,

 

Nikita Zadorov, regardless of the Playoff run and what some suggest he is still a 4/5 defenseman. He will not be offered a clear cut top four role and would need to be ok coming back as a defenseman who can play under 20 mins and some games be third pair or second pair. Vancouver needs to sell potential defensemen on their makeup being a top pair and 2 x second pairs essentially. I think quality of life is big and Vancouver is ideal for he and his family. I could see a return no less than $5m per however.

 

Tyler Myers, another dman who wants to stay here, he would need to be sold on taking a paycut and it could happen but he could also do quite well in Free Agency.

 

Ian Cole, is showing his age a little these Playoffs, a string of bad luck and bounces have gone off him sure but he is very dependable and a great mentor for the club to have. I could see him returning at a reduced rate more in line with a $ 2m per season cap.

 

Filip Hronek, he should extend and project as another 40+ point season. He is not everyone's favorite right now but still see a deal coming in at best case scenario a sliver under $7m per. He has shown to be a valuable member of the defense regardless of a dry post season and end of regular season.

 

Mark Friedman, was a good player to slot into the lineup short term but was losing the confidence of the coaching staff as his tenure has gone on. Likely move on in Free Agency. Another club could give him more opportunity.

 

I would like to see if Brisebois can make the club out of camp as an extra D. He was providing some reliable minutes on previous recalls. Not much cooking on defense with a few long shots so the expectation I have is maybe 2 of the three pending UFAs return and another couple adds out of Free Agency.

 

Goal I dont see Silovs as a backup so think he will continue his growth as the fulltime starter in Abby next year. DeSmith has been great but may simply command more than can be justified at his position. If you can find a backup for Thatcher around $ 1m per range you do that and slide that extra million DeSmith would require and invest into making a run at say keeping Joshua?

 

Fairly good assessment on each player. For Lindholm, if he does re-sign I can see him playing 2C on a line with Pettersson with Pettersson on the wing. Or we see a load up with the Lotto line wiht Pettersson on the wing.

[Coconuts]

On 5/12/2024 at 2:05 PM, wai_lai416 said:

I’m not too concern if we offer a 7-8 years contract to big Z if it keeps the cap down. Let’s be realistic the Canucks competitive window is prolly right now and the next 5 year ish. After that it’s all unknown. Heck in a few years we don’t even know if we still have Demko or if Hughes would leave in free agency. 5 years later miller would prolly be a 3rd-4th liner.. there’s a remote chance of him pavelski his career but it’s remote. Too much unknown 5-8 years down the road if u can guarantee yourself a competitive roster for the next 5 you do it. After that who cares. If PA or JR don’t go deep the next 5 years they prolly be gone anyways so the 6-8 years down the road wouldn’t affect them. If we are to stay competitive for the next 6-8 years too much would need to go right.. silov becomes the goalie of the future. Willander lekkerimaki becomes a top player. EP continue to produce at 31+ miller is still effective at 36 37 etc etc

 

Perhaps, but I'd rather at least attempt to build for a lengthier window of being competitive than assume it can't be done. 

 

Even a few seasons into the future could be unknown, this is why drafting and development are so important. We just went through nearly a decade of poor to mediocre teams, I'd rather try to at least be competitive long-term and in my view part of that is managing the length of contracts. I've zero interest in giving a guy who's probably a 3-4D right now 7-8 years. I've zero interest in giving him a deal that takes him into his late 30's, I'd rather eat a higher cap hit for shorter term and cap flex sooner than later in the form of expiring deals. 

 

I care, as I've made abundantly clear. I'd prefer the Canucks to generally stick to short and medium term deals, with the odd exception for higher end pieces like Pettersson, Hughes, and maybe Boeser going forward. 

 

Organizations often need things to go right, that ain't exclusive to the future. Franchises need to get lucky, to have things work out, but they've also got to put in the work. We've seemingly come a long way as an organization in just a couple years, if we continue to hire the right people and ownership is willing to pay I don't see why it couldn't continue going forward. 

 

1 hour ago, HarbularyBattery said:

I think Joshua is the one you gotta replace

 

Lindholm is also much more than a "3C". We don't really have 1 bonafide 1st line. We have 3 1B lines, which is whats so overwhelming for edmonton. This is a way better structure IMO. If you're going to pay a lot to your forwards, pay down the middle, we can fill in the wings with ELCs and smart UFA signings/projects.

 

Zadorov and Lindholm come back, we kinda have to get it done. This team doesn't work without someone like Lindholm down the middle.

 

Hronek has been wildly disappointing, I don't think we lose a lot by letting him go and trying to find someone more like Tanev to play with Hughes. 

 

Agreed, and I think we could fit a different player onto that Garland line and have it work out just fine. Joshua's had an impressive year and he brings a nice toolkit, but it's pretty clear that Garland is the driver on that line. 

 

Keeping Lindholm would be interesting, but I think we'd have to look at him as more of a top six piece than a 3C. I'd argue we need 1-2 top six players as is. Maybe come playoff time he could be swapped to 3C for the sake of matching lines, but generally if he stays he should be playing top six considering what it'll probably cost us to keep him. 

 

I'd like to keep Zadorov at 4 years, 5 max. 

 

I'm of the opinion that Hronek might not be fully healthy, I think it'd be a kneejerk move to ship him out. No, his second half wasn't as great as it could have been but we've been screaming for management to find a RD partner for Hughes for years, Hronek is the most skilled partner he's ever had. Obviously if there's a potential trade that makes sense management should explore it, but shipping him out also means we need to replace him with a top 4RD and there's no guarantee we'd get one via UFA. 

 

23 minutes ago, Mike Vanderhoek said:

Either way some difficult decisions have to be made and likely one or more unpopular ones in the process.

 

Dakota Joshua, if he is demanding more than $ 3m per he is very likely not returning and its not so much just Vancouver wanting to bring him back. There will be a suitor ready to overpay for his services. He is at a point in his career where he will be very tempted to make some real money as to this point he has not and he is getting older.

 

Teddy Blueger, I think this is a player you see back in Vancouver on a multi year deal around $ 2m per season. Very important player for the team moving forward.

 

Sam Lafferty, he has been fine but is someone who most likely moves on during Free Agency. He has good wheels and can play physical but he will be a casualty of the numbers game.

 

Elias Lindholm, such a luxury to have him and his game really elevated come Playoff time. Problem is he can be a top six C or even top line one on several teams, thus he will see some lucrative offers I just don't think the Canucks can come close to. I also think as much as he may have a blast here on the Canucks run and find success here, his game is not that of a third line C and being placed in that role while great for the team is not an ideal for him, if he's a third line C here he gets underpaid in Free Agency so as much as I would love to see him return I think at best its 60/40 in favor of him moving on.

 

At forward the Canucks will have multiple players pushing for spots out of camp, the likes of Raty, Bains, Sasson, Nielsen, Karlsson, and Podkolzin. Not sure Lekkerimaki is ready to make that jump but we shall see.

 

On defense the team will be extremely thin to start Free Agency,

 

Nikita Zadorov, regardless of the Playoff run and what some suggest he is still a 4/5 defenseman. He will not be offered a clear cut top four role and would need to be ok coming back as a defenseman who can play under 20 mins and some games be third pair or second pair. Vancouver needs to sell potential defensemen on their makeup being a top pair and 2 x second pairs essentially. I think quality of life is big and Vancouver is ideal for he and his family. I could see a return no less than $5m per however.

 

Tyler Myers, another dman who wants to stay here, he would need to be sold on taking a paycut and it could happen but he could also do quite well in Free Agency.

 

Ian Cole, is showing his age a little these Playoffs, a string of bad luck and bounces have gone off him sure but he is very dependable and a great mentor for the club to have. I could see him returning at a reduced rate more in line with a $ 2m per season cap.

 

Filip Hronek, he should extend and project as another 40+ point season. He is not everyone's favorite right now but still see a deal coming in at best case scenario a sliver under $7m per. He has shown to be a valuable member of the defense regardless of a dry post season and end of regular season.

 

Mark Friedman, was a good player to slot into the lineup short term but was losing the confidence of the coaching staff as his tenure has gone on. Likely move on in Free Agency. Another club could give him more opportunity.

 

I would like to see if Brisebois can make the club out of camp as an extra D. He was providing some reliable minutes on previous recalls. Not much cooking on defense with a few long shots so the expectation I have is maybe 2 of the three pending UFAs return and another couple adds out of Free Agency.

 

Goal I dont see Silovs as a backup so think he will continue his growth as the fulltime starter in Abby next year. DeSmith has been great but may simply command more than can be justified at his position. If you can find a backup for Thatcher around $ 1m per range you do that and slide that extra million DeSmith would require and invest into making a run at say keeping Joshua?

 

 

If Joshua's smart he'll cash in via UFA, his career earnings thus far haven't amounted to much and he'll likely never get a better chance to secure the bag. I think he's replaceable. I think his production is replaceable, I think his physicality is replaceable. Sure, his replacement may not hit as much but that's something that can be replaced as a collective. 

 

I'm fine with replacing Lafferty, he's also replaceable. 

 

I'm open to keeping Zadorov if the cap hit/term is right, if he wants too much someone else can pay him. This isn't to say management shouldn't try to retain him, but there should be a line they're not willing to cross in negotiations. I don't think they simply give him whatever he wants. I like how he's fit into the Canucks but I'm also not going to let this singular playoff run convince me he'll always be this player. He's at the age where he's likely peaking as a player, getting the term right would be very important. 

 

Myers would likely be willing to come back for 1-2 years, I have a hard time envisioning a better caliber RD who'd be willing to take that kind of term here. I also reckon he'd be likelier to take a discount for the Canucks than other UFA D. I've argued he'd be a good stopgap til Willander is ready, there's a lot to like. Obviously it depends on the term and cap hit, but if he's willing to take a team friendly deal that'd be great. 

 

I'd probably look to see if there's maybe a younger option we could bring in than Cole, which isn't to dump on his season. Wouldn't be opposed to bringing him back, but I'd prefer a younger D is possible. Bringing Myers back would fill the veteran role Cole also brings to the table. 

 

I think Hronek stays unless he's simply not willing to play ball when it comes to cap hit, which I think he ultimately will. If another team wants to make us an offer we can't refuse I'd be open to it. Shipping him out means we need to find another top 4RD though and there may not be many of those available come UFA; I think there's a solid chance Carolina finds a way to keep Pesce for example, and that Tanev is retained by Dallas. 

 

Friedman probably goes, as you've said. 

 

I'd be a little surprised if Silovs isn't the backup next season, but I also like the idea of him being the starter in Abbotsford, he'd likely play more games. 

[HarbularyBattery]

2 minutes ago, Coconuts said:

 

Perhaps, but I'd rather at least attempt to build for a lengthier window of being competitive than assume it can't be done. 

 

Even a few seasons into the future could be unknown, this is why drafting and development are so important. We just went through nearly a decade of poor to mediocre teams, I'd rather try to at least be competitive long-term and in my view part of that is managing the length of contracts. I've zero interest in giving a guy who's probably a 3-4D right now 7-8 years. I've zero interest in giving him a deal that takes him into his late 30's, I'd rather eat a higher cap hit for shorter term and cap flex sooner than later in the form of expiring deals. 

 

I care, as I've made abundantly clear. I'd prefer the Canucks to generally stick to short and medium term deals, with the odd exception for higher end pieces like Pettersson, Hughes, and maybe Boeser going forward. 

 

Organizations often need things to go right, that ain't exclusive to the future. Franchises need to get lucky, to have things work out, but they've also got to put in the work. We've seemingly come a long way as an organization in just a couple years, if we continue to hire the right people and ownership is willing to pay I don't see why it couldn't continue going forward. 

 

 

Agreed, and I think we could fit a different player onto that Garland line and have it work out just fine. Joshua's had an impressive year and he brings a nice toolkit, but it's pretty clear that Garland is the driver on that line. 

 

Keeping Lindholm would be interesting, but I think we'd have to look at him as more of a top six piece than a 3C. I'd argue we need 1-2 top six players as is. Maybe come playoff time he could be swapped to 3C for the sake of matching lines, but generally if he stays he should be playing top six considering what it'll probably cost us to keep him. 

 

I'd like to keep Zadorov at 4 years, 5 max. 

 

I'm of the opinion that Hronek might not be fully healthy, I think it'd be a kneejerk move to ship him out. No, his second half wasn't as great as it could have been but we've been screaming for management to find a RD partner for Hughes for years, Hronek is the most skilled partner he's ever had. Obviously if there's a potential trade that makes sense management should explore it, but shipping him out also means we need to replace him with a top 4RD and there's no guarantee we'd get one via UFA. 

 

 

If Joshua's smart he'll cash in via UFA, his career earnings thus far haven't amounted to much and he'll likely never get a better chance to secure the bag. I think he's replaceable. I think his production is replaceable, I think his physicality is replaceable. Sure, his replacement may not hit as much but that's something that can be replaced as a collective. 

 

I'm fine with replacing Lafferty, he's also replaceable. 

 

I'm open to keeping Zadorov if the cap hit/term is right, if he wants too much someone else can pay him. This isn't to say management shouldn't try to retain him, but there should be a line they're not willing to cross in negotiations. I don't think they simply give him whatever he wants. I like how he's fit into the Canucks but I'm also not going to let this singular playoff run convince me he'll always be this player. He's at the age where he's likely peaking as a player, getting the term right would be very important. 

 

Myers would likely be willing to come back for 1-2 years, I have a hard time envisioning a better caliber RD who'd be willing to take that kind of term here. I also reckon he'd be likelier to take a discount for the Canucks than other UFA D. I've argued he'd be a good stopgap til Willander is ready, there's a lot to like. Obviously it depends on the term and cap hit, but if he's willing to take a team friendly deal that'd be great. 

 

I'd probably look to see if there's maybe a younger option we could bring in than Cole, which isn't to dump on his season. Wouldn't be opposed to bringing him back, but I'd prefer a younger D is possible. Bringing Myers back would fill the veteran role Cole also brings to the table. 

 

I think Hronek stays unless he's simply not willing to play ball when it comes to cap hit, which I think he ultimately will. If another team wants to make us an offer we can't refuse I'd be open to it. Shipping him out means we need to find another top 4RD though and there may not be many of those available come UFA; I think there's a solid chance Carolina finds a way to keep Pesce for example, and that Tanev is retained by Dallas. 

 

Friedman probably goes, as you've said. 

 

I'd be a little surprised if Silovs isn't the backup next season, but I also like the idea of him being the starter in Abbotsford, he'd likely play more games. 

the thing that worries me about hronek is yes he was great in the regular season, at least for a lot of it, but in the playoffs, with everyone swarming hughes, hronek isnt creating space for him. maybe hes injured and thats impeding him.