Tortorella transaction complete: Canucks receive 2nd round draft pick from Blue Jackets
The Canucks have picked up an additional selection at next month’s NHL Draft.
The #Canucks are getting Columbus' 2nd-round pick, 55th overall, as compensation for John Tortorella. Jackets have informed them.
— Matthew Sekeres (@mattsekeres) May 31, 2017
Vancouver will receive the second-round pick, 55th overall, belonging to Columbus as compensation for the hiring of their former coach.
When the Blue Jackets hired John Tortorella as head coach on October 21, 2015, Columbus had to surrender a second-round pick to Vancouver in 2016, 2017, or 2018. Though fired more than a year earlier, Tortorella was still technically under contract by the Canucks, hence the reason for compensation.
This was found money for the Canucks, who didn’t have a use for Tortorella anyway. The NHL has since altered the rule, allowing for such a hiring to occur without compensation going forward.
The Blue Jackets got to choose the year of the compensatory pick, with a deadline of June 1. Surrendering this year’s selection made sense for the surprising Blue Jackets, who finished the regular season with the league’s fourth-best record.
The #Canucks now possess the following picks for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft pic.twitter.com/E9VgwH9lji
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) May 31, 2017
The Blue Jackets draft choice now gives the Canucks three picks in the first two rounds. Thanks to the Jannik Hansen trade, Vancouver also has six selections in the first four rounds for the first time since 1984.
The NHL Draft will take place on June 23 and 24 at the United Center in Chicago.
See also
Follow Channels and Categories