Welcome Matt: Canucks should focus on affordable trade targets
One thing to consider as the Vancouver Canucks approach towards the March 8 NHL trade deadline: depth.
Depth, as in: are the Canucks deep enough in general? And are they deep enough to actually subtract from the current roster if pursuing the top deadline targets?
Because while Andrei Kuzmenko may never fit Rick Tocchet’s system, is he not still more valuable than Linus Karlsson or Phil Di Giuseppe (assuming his health recovers) in a postseason game? Might have to spot play him on the power play and late in games when trailing, but if the Canucks are pursuing players such as Calgary’s Elias Lindholm or Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel, they will likely have to subtract from their roster in order to make the salary cap work.
That means acquiring either Lindholm or Guentzel in a deal that sends Kuzmenko out for cap purposes, doesn’t improve depth. It improves quality, not quantity.
And of course, any two-for-one scenarios where both Nils Höglander and Kuzmenko are shipped out further diminishes depth.
That’s why players who can be added without cap gymnastics — Montreal’s Sean Monahan, who makes less than $2 million; St. Louis’ Kevin Hayes, with the Blues retaining 50% of his $3.57 million salary — may make more sense.
Or, if they do subtract after landing one of the big fish, the Canucks might have to make a second trade to bolster forward depth for a long playoff run.
Because at the moment, Karlsson and Di Giuseppe are the next men up, and unless Arshdeep Bains or Vasily Podkolzin crash the big club before the end of the regular season, that’s probably not good enough for a Cup contender.
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