As the NHL trade deadline fast approaches, if I'm GM Mike Gillis I'm asking one question, what's Cody worth?
I realize Canuck nation thinks Cory Schneider is the key trading chip the Canucks have but I don't believe that anymore. Considering Schneider's use in key road games this year, I think he's in the Canucks playoff plans and it would take a massive offer to move him before the summer.
No, the one really valuable young trade chip Vancouver owns that doesn't fit the role the Canucks currently have for him is Cody Hodgson. Cody is an offensive centre currently being used on the third line, a spot generally reserved for checking centres, which Hodgson is not.
AV stated last week he would prefer his third line to check the hell out of the opposition and play against other teams top lines, freeing one of the top two lines to go against the third line of their opposition, creating a huge mismatch in favour of Vancouver. How many teams have a third line capable of handling Henrik or Kesler's line over the course of a night? Not many.
The problem is the third line as currently configured with Hodgson as the centre cannot play against the other teams top lines since he plays defensive hockey about as well as Elaine Benes dances. Cody's best fit is working as a 2nd line centre with the potential to be a number 1 but he's on a team that more than adequately has those spots occupied.
Which leads me back to wondering what's Cody worth because he may be of more value to the Canucks in trade for the player they need than playing a position he's not suited to fill.
Anyone who's watched the Canucks over the last couple of years knows their biggest need, a power forward with the skill to score 30 and the nastiness to make the opposition think twice about taking liberties with the Sedin twins. This kind of player is nearly impossible to find without the right package of players.
Anyone who's watched the Canucks over the last couple of years knows their biggest need, a power forward with the skill to score 30 and the nastiness to make the opposition think twice about taking liberties with the Sedin twins. This kind of player is nearly impossible to find without the right package of players.
Well here's the package the Canucks have to offer: it starts with Hodgson, add in Connauton or any prospect not named Tanev and include any of Raymond, Hansen or Higgins, throw in a draft choice or two and if the big deal comes along, Schneider's not untouchable and you should have what it takes to bring almost any player.
For example, if you offered Hodgson, Raymond and Connauton or a 1st for Shane Doan, wouldn't Phoenix be crazy to say no? This leave Vancouver with forward lines that look like this:
Sedin – Sedin – Doan
Kesler – Burrows – Booth
Malholtra – Higgins – Hansen
Lapierre – Weiss – Bitz
AV has the third checking line he desires and the top two lines are as solid as any in the league with versatility up and down the line up. A depth player may be required to augment this group but Vancouver has veteran Steven Reinprecht stashed in the minors for 3rd or 4th line depth or they can make a trade for a guy like Travis Moen who could likely be had for a 2nd round pick.
AV has the third checking line he desires and the top two lines are as solid as any in the league with versatility up and down the line up. A depth player may be required to augment this group but Vancouver has veteran Steven Reinprecht stashed in the minors for 3rd or 4th line depth or they can make a trade for a guy like Travis Moen who could likely be had for a 2nd round pick.
For whatever reason, I don't think most of these players are moving but that doesn't mean I don't think Mike Gillis should make a call to each of these teams.
In order of which players Vancouver should be chasing, here's my top 10 wish list:
1) Corey Perry - Anaheim Ducks – Cap hit $5.35 mil -
Analysis: Perry is last years Hart trophy winner and a player any team would covet. Unfortunately for Canuck fans, the Ducks recent surge has quieted the trade rumours coming out of Anaheim. Bob Murray suggested he was available earlier this year but I doubt that's the case now. If he can still be had, I might even throw Schneider into this deal, he's that good. Only 26, already a Stanley Cup winner and a 50-goal scorer with a manageable cap hit, he would make their top 6 downright scary.
Chance the deal could occur: 3 / 10
2) Jerome Iginla – Calgary Flames – Cap hit $7mil - NTC
Analysis: Hey Flame fans, I'm going to let me you in on a secret your management appears to be keeping from you. It's unlikely you win a single round in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but your chances of winning four with Oli Jokinen as your number one centre are about the same as Paris Hilton's chance of winning an Academy Award for her acting work. Despite Calgary's best chance of winning the cup being tied to trading their two veteran stars, Iginla and Kiprusoff for the key pieces to their rebuild, Calgary management seems determined to keep Calgary in a perpetual state of mediocrity by clinging to these aging warriors even though they don't have the talent around them to succeed nor any youthful talent on the way to augment the aging core. Iggy's the perfect blend of toughness, leadership and skill but Flame management's incompetence coupled with the fact their fans would likely burn down the Saddledome if they saw Jarome in a Canucks uniform let alone parading the Stanley Cup down Robson make the chance of this trade happening almost inconceivable even if Vancouver threw Schneider in too. I would ask the question anyway though if I'm Gillis.
Chance this deal could occur: 1 / 10
3) Andrew Ladd – Winnipeg Jets – Cap hit $4.4mil - NTC
Analysis: Consider him Jarome light. Not quite the offensive force of Iggy but just as much size, speed and tenacity. He might be the perfect fit considering his age, cap hit, talent and truculence, unfortunately these are the same reasons Winnipeg would be unlikely to move Ladd. Ladd fits well into the long term plans in Winnipeg so only a godfather offer might entice the Jets to move their captain.
Chance this deal could occur: 2 / 10
4) Ryan Getzlaf – Anaheim Ducks– Cap hit $5.35
Analysis: Another Duck whose recent play has likely taken him off the market but at 6'4" and 225lbs, this point a game producer would sure look good as a Canuck if he could make the switch to wing. His cap hit is manageable and he's another guy who could open a lot of space for Daniel and Hank to weave their magic. He's definitely worth calling about.
Chance the deal could occur: 3 / 10
5) Brendan Morrow – Dallas Stars – Cap hit $4.1mil - NTC
Analysis: Anyone that watched the 2010 Olympics knows how good this guy can play; he started as a spare part and ended as a key component. He's tough strong and scores 30 goals a year. He might be the player I would target considering Dallas' desire to shed salary and his all around game but his recent injuries likely preclude him from being available come Monday morning.
Chance the deal could occur: 3 / 10 <= higher if he wasn't injured
6) Shane Doan – Phoenix Coyotes – Cap hit $4.55mil – NTC
Analysis: The first player on this list whose an unrestricted free agent at years end, he's another big, strong former Canadian Olympian. He's a guy Mike Gillis should take a long look at as he might be a perfect fit for Vancouver. Doan might be available for the right price if Phoenix can get him to wave his no trade clause.
Chance the deal could occur: 6 / 10
7) Rick Nash – Columbus Blue Jackets – Cap hit $7.8mil – NTC
Analysis: His age and talent level put him in the top three on this list, his contract price and term pushes him down to seventh. If the Canucks made this deal, I would look to flip him in the off-season because his pay scale will destroy the entire contract structure Gillis has developed in Vancouver. There's no way he can convince his players to take pay cuts if one player is getting paid at the top of the wage scale. It may be worth the gamble though because his talent could be enough to push the Canucks over the top.
Chance the deal could occur: 6 / 10
8) Dustin Brown – Los Angeles - Cap hit $3.175
Analysis: He's a little bit less of everything than the guys above. A little smaller, a little less talent but he is a 25-goal scorer, comes at a reasonable cap hit and is a tremendous leader. The biggest hurdles to this one are Los Angeles and Vancouver's are unlikely to augment each others playoff chances and the Kings are looking for immediate scoring so Hodgson may not be what they're looking for. Still he's worth picking up the phone to find out what it would take. My offer would be less than those above.
Chance the deal could occur: 3 / 10
9) Ryan Smith – Edmonton – Cap hit $6.25mil
Analysis: His cap hit would be unbearable if it wasn't the last year of his deal but his tenacity and leadership could be just what the Canucks need. Again, I wouldn't give the full package to get this aging gladiator but I would definitely make the call to see what it would take to get him for the playoffs. This is a trade I could actually see happening.
Chance the deal could occur: 7 / 10
10) Steve Ott – Dallas Stars - $2.95 mil
Analysis: Ott brings less
talent than anyone else on this list but more pugnaciousness. If the Canucks can’t acquire the talent
they’d like they could do worse than to get Ott for all the other things he
brings to the table. The one downside is
adding Ott to the most hated team in the league that includes Kesler, Burrows
and Lapierre may make them the most hated team in history. Another deal that wouldn’t require all the
trade assets available and also wouldn’t surprise me if I saw on the trade
tracker scroll Monday morning.
Chance the deal could occur: 7 / 10.
As you can see, I'm hoping the Canucks hit one out of the park Monday morning but I think Gillis is going to hit a couple of solid singles. The names I see coming here include Smyth, Ott, Moen or Allen not Perry, Iginla or Nash but it's okay to dream isn't it?
No comments:
Post a Comment