Exactly how much cap space Canucks have for the 2024 trade deadline
The Vancouver Canucks approach this season’s trade deadline as the best team in the NHL, with a comfortable lead in the Pacific Division. They’ve beaten all expectations and rounded out into a true contender.
Besides a blip earlier this month, much of this season has been smooth sailing. With the March 8 deadline just a few weeks away, the Canucks are firmly in the buyer category and looking to add to the current roster. However, limited cap space makes that a difficult task.
The Canucks have just over $3.5 million in cap space at the moment, per Cap Friendly. However, that will get significantly eaten into when Carson Soucy returns from LTIR. The hulking defenceman carries a cap hit of $3.25 million, leaving a difference of $274,583.
Assuming Dakota Joshua is back at this time, they would also need to send someone down in a corresponding move, likely a player like Arshdeep Bains who is waiver-exempt.
Since Bains costs $816,667, this would leave the Canucks with just under $1.1 million in cap space and a full 23-man roster. Even if they don’t choose Bains specifically, other likely candidates make a similar amount.
This essentially means that when it comes to the trade deadline, the Canucks have a buffer of roughly $1 million to $1.1 million.
The Canucks could then bring in a player making $1 million or less or make a deal where the net gain in salary is under that amount. They can also pay other teams to retain a salary to acquire a more expensive player but still have the money work.
Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin have a difficult task ahead of them. They need to improve the roster but can’t take on much more salary. They’ve impressed in these cap-strapped situations during their tenure so far. Can navigating the 2024 trade deadline become the latest accomplishment on a growing list of successes for the duo?
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