Musings on Canucks, Stamkos, Torts and Treliving

Random thoughts heading into this weekend's NHL draft and the July 1 free agency opening ...

Canucks will make a good draft pick

The Vancouver Canucks stand to gain from the draft, because they can't do much worse than they have in past years. It also helps to have the fifth overall pick, which should land Pierre-Luc Dubois from Cape Breton of the QMJHL. Dubois showed his offensive upside by recording 99 points during the regular season. He also stood out during the Top Prospects game in Vancouver, where he scored a goal and added two assists in Team Orr's 3-2 victory over Team Cherry. From there, he averaged a point per game in the playoffs with 12 points in as many post-season contests.
Other advantages: Dubois, a Sainte-Agathe-des-Mont, Que., native who turns 18 on Friday, can play both centre and wing, has size (six-foot-three and 200 pounds) plus nastiness (112 penalty minutes) and, therefore, fits the profile of a power forward that every team covets. The only question is whether the Edmonton Oilers will upstage the Canucks and take him with the fourth-overall pick instead of American prospect Matthew Tkachuk of the OHL's London Knights, who plays left wing. But even if the Oilers take Dubois, the Canucks stand to prosper, considering that Tkachuk, the son of formerly NHLer Keith Tkachuk, produced 107 points in the regular season and added 40 -- yes, 40 -- points in the playoffs as the Knights captured the Memorial Cup.
Either pick is a no-brainer and, barring unforeseen events, will land a spot in the Vancouver lineup next season, furthering a youth movement (if not a rebuilding program) under competent, but increasingly criticized general manager Jim Benning. While Benning might deserve criticism for failing to land talent at the trading deadline, he has succeeded in steadily injecting youth into the lineup -- whereas former GM Mike Gillis failed miserably.
The selection of Dubois or Tkachuk will make up for a shortage of Canuck draft picks this year due to past  moves. But the lack of picks will be relatively moot, considering that the Canucks will still be able to stock some young talent for future years. Unlike in 2015-16, the Canucks will not shuffle their roster next season, because holes have been filled after all of the juggling that occurred. If Dubois or Tkachuk become long-time core players as expected, any poor picks by Benning will be forgotten, if not forgiven.

Benning has money to spend

Benning can also make up for any struggles at the draft when the free agent frenzy begins July 1. Whereas the Vancouver GM is unlikely to swing a significant draft-day trade, he has a chance to make a splash in free agency. Simply put, the Canucks have money to spend -- just under US$10.5 million at this point and potentially more if they buy out the contracts of wingers Chris Higgins and/or Alex Burrows. Chances are that at least one buyout will occur.
If both are bought out, Benning would have an additional US$7 million to play with, according to NHLnumbers.com. Add a slight US$1-million boost in salary cap, and he has up to US$18 million at his disposal. He only has to dedicate a small portion of that cash to restricted free agents Emerson Etem and Linden Vey, and the latter is in danger of being let go for nothing or traded for a draft pick.
Potential high-end signings include Vancouver native Milan Lucic from Los Angeles, Loui Eriksson from Boston, Mikkel Boedker from Colorado and Kyle Okposo from the New York Islanders, among others.
Lucic is a seemingly good fit because of his hometown roots, grittiness and scoring ability, but the prediction here is that he will sign elsewhere. Although he has expressed interest in playing for the Canucks, they are likely not his first choice. He has been subject to some off-ice abuse from fans during past returns to Vancouver, and a source indicates that he is not keen on facing the pressure of being a hometown boy on a team in a Canadian market. He might also be looking for more money -- in excess of US$6 million -- than Benning is willing to pay.
Eriksson, a 30-year-old Swede, is a good fit because he has played with Henrik and Daniel Sedin during international competitions and would likely slide seamlessly into a dressing room culture that revolves around the twins. He is also a good all-around player who can score, producing 63 points with the Bruins in 2015-16.
Boedker, 26, has been criticized for a lack of defensive proficiency, but would likely improve under the guidance of Canucks coach Willie Desjardins and assistant Perry Pearn. More importantly, Boedker produced a career-high 61 points in a 2015-16 campaign split between the Avalanche, who acquired him at the trading deadline, and Arizona Coyotes.
Boedker's age definitely appeals to the Canucks, because he would be a rare top free agent who could stay for upwards of a decade. Also, having played in the west, he is used to arduous travel, and would likely be keen to receive some mentorship from fellow Dane Jannik Hansen, who has become a model professional and two-way player.
Okposo, an American, might find it more difficult establishing links to Vancouver, but he would appeal to Benning for obvious offensive reasons. He is a high-scoring right winger, of which the Canucks need more.
Okposo recorded 64 points with the Isles in 2015-16 and has produced no fewer than 51 in the past three seasons. During that time, he has accumulated a respectable 184 points. His age, 28, also makes him a potential long-term fit.
Troy Brouwer, a versatile 30-year-old winger who scored 18 goals for St. Louis last season en route to posting 39 points, might be a darkhorse candidate to sign with the Canucks. A Vancouver native, he would provide a strong physical presence and leadership while being popular in the community. He also tends to stand out in the playoffs. 

Lightning losing leverage on Stamkos

With the draft set to begin Friday, the Tampa Bay Lightning could be missing the boat on a large return for pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos.
It appears increasingly unlikely that Bolts GM Steve Yzerman will be able to re-sign the superstar captain, who could fetch as much as US$12 per season on the free agent market. But the Lightning have yet to swing a trade that would give a club the exclusive right to negotiate with Stamkos until July 1. Several teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, are likely willing to trade assets for such a chance, and the draft serves as a deadline for increasing the ante.
If Yzerman does not trade him before the draft, the return to Tampa Bay is likely to be less, because clubs would have a shorter period in which to negotiate with Stamkos.
The most likely scenario for Stamkos to shift teams before July 1 could  involve a sign-and-trade deal whereby a club works out a contract with him before determining trade components with the Lightning. Rules allowing players to talk to prospective new teams before July 1 also create the possibility of other sign-and-trade deals. But, in most cases, they are not likely to occur. Stamkos would be an obvious exception, if he agrees to such a move.

Torts quote of the day

This year's draft has not been held yet, but you can already bet on one quote to come from Columbus coach John Tortorella. No matter who the Blue Jackets take, Torts will say :"He's going to block shots."
The old-school coach has a weird fixation on shot-blocking that, one might argue, contributed to an injury to Daniel Sedin in 2013-14. Hence, Finnish winger Jesse Puljujarvi, the most likely Columbus pick at No. 3 overall, had better be prepared to block shots like he never has before -- and, perhaps, wear Kevlar socks to protect the backs of his legs.
Puljujarvi is a seemingly good fit with the Jackets, because GM Jarmo Kekalainen is a fellow Finn and, theoretically, should help the teen feel comfortable adjusting to the pros. It always helps to have a compatriot when you're far from home, especially in the case of the soft-spoken Puljujarvi, who hails from a small town in Finland and faces an adjustment to on-ice and off-ice life in the U.S. Having said that, it will be interesting to see whether Puljujarvi sticks with Columbus in 2016-17, because Tortorella has a preference for deploying veterans. Some might call it a bias.

Plenty of goalies available

Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving will have plenty of goaltenders to ponder, via trade or free agency, as he addresses his team's most pressing need.
Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury, who lost his starting job to rookie Matt Murray, as the Penguins overcame a slow season start to win the Stanley Cup, is an obvious trade candidate. The same might be said for either, or both, of high-paid Dallas goaltenders Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. Detroit veteran Jimmy Howard is another possibility, but he and all of the above candidates have expensive contracts. Several low-priced free agent net minders could also peak Treliving's interest, for both starting and backup duty, instead.
The free agents include: James Reimer (San Jose), who tends to produce good stats despite having endured a porous Toronto defence for several seasons, and Carter Hutton (Nashville), who excelled while replacing an injured Pekka Rinne a couple of seasons ago but has struggled to get out of his shadow since then. Jonas Gustavsson (Boston), who appears to have overcome some health woes, might also be of interest based on plenty of NHL experience. Meanwhile, Anton Khudobin (Anaheim) a third wheel behind league-leading Ducks goaltenders Fredrik Andersen (since traded to the Maple Leafs), and John Gibson, could merit Treleving's attention, along with Jhonas Enroth (Los Angeles).
With the expansion draft a year away and GMs seeking a return on assets instead, several other trade-worthy goaltenders could also be in play this weekend. For instance, Ottawa might be inclined to part with Craig Anderson or Andrew (the Hamburglar) Hammond rather than lose one for nothing to Las Vegas. And, Jonathan Bernier could also move from Toronto after losing his No. 1 job to Andersen.
So Treliving will be in a good negotiating position.

 

Whitecaps prodigy Davies evokes contrasting comments from coaches

Paul Dalgleish was full of praise, but Carl Robinson was not.
The subject was 15-year-old midfielder Alphonso Davies, who made his first-team professional debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Amway Canadian Championship semifinal series against the Ottawa Fury.
Davies stood out in the second leg last Wednesday (June 8) as the Whitecaps posted a 3-0 win to take the series 3-2 on aggregate. The Edmonton product put a shot off the post, made some nice runs and served up a couple of nifty passes as the Caps atoned for a humiliating 2-0 loss in Ottawa in the first leg. 
Not bad for someone who usually plays in the developmental USL circuit.
"He’s a real exciting talent," said Dalglesih. "He’s brilliant, for 15 years of age to do that. At 15, I couldn’t even look people in the eye. And he’s going out and taking men on, and looking absolutely magnificent. Listen, the Vancouver Whitecaps is a great organization. They produce top young players, as you can see with the results of their academy and the Whitecaps FC 2 team this year."
Dalgleish had no trouble singing such praises even though he was bitterly disappointed with the loss. And, then he kept going.
"He’s the shining light," added Dalgleish. "He’s the cherry on top of the cake. I think everybody in Canada  must be excited at the prospect of him playing for the national team for years and years, because with the ability he’s got he should go on to do big things, not only for Vancouver but for the national team as well.”Based on the reaction of approximately 18,000 fans at B.C. Place Stadium, Whitecaps and Canadian men's national team fans will will be excited to see more of Davies in the future. But Robinson, the Whitecaps coach, is not in a hurry to suit him up with his Major League Soccer squad on a regular basis. 
First, of all, the MLS collective bargaining agreement will prevent him from doing so, because Davies can only play a limited number of games at the top level. (Although one never truly knows with the murky and convoluted MLS contract legalities and roster rules.)
Also, it is debatable whether Davies, who looks similar to Kekuta Manneh at times, but runs less fluidly, likely because he is still growing, could handle regular play in MLS. The circuit is highly physical and Davies was knocked around by Fury players who toil in the second-tier North American Soccer League.
But, ultimately, Robinson is proceeding cautiously with his young talent.
“He did okay (against Ottawa)," Robinson understated. "Listen, I’m a big advocate of young players as you all know, and I don’t like it sometimes when players get built up. And, I say to you media guys that I know very well: The reason that I don’t like it is because when you build them up, you knock them down. I don’t want that."
In other words, Robinson does not want Davies to let early success go to his head, because young players will often make mistakes, which can effect their confidence over the long term if not managed correctly. Accordingly, the Whitecaps did not make Davies available to the media after clinching a chance to defend their 2015 Canadian title, against Toronto FC.
"It’s important that he keeps his feet on the ground," said Robinson. "He’s a young kid, he’s got natural ability, we know that. He’s one of a number of younger kids we’ve got (in the organization) that we think have got incredible potential. But it’s potential. There’s so many players that have potential that don’t fulfill it. I wanted to give (Davies) a chance because I thought that he was ready, and he didn’t look out of place."
But with Robinson calling the shots, Davies faces a long battle before he can gain a regular place with the Whitecaps in MLS.