Vancouver Canucks 30 Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 http://www.vancouversun.com/touch/story.html?id=8612717&tab=PHOT VANCOUVER — Even with defenceman Keith Ballard off the books, the Vancouver Canucks face a salary-cap conundrum that figures to prevent the team from making any kind of splash in the free agent pool. Ballard's compliance buyout, which will be completed on Thursday, frees up $4.2 million of cap space for the Canucks. But that only leaves Vancouver with $7.497 million of cap space with seven roster spots left to fill to complete its 23-man roster. So barring a trade of a veteran core player — and most of them have no-movement clauses — the Canucks figure to be simply trying to fill out their roster with players making $1 million or less. When you factor defenceman Chris Tanev into the equation, the Canucks' cap crunch becomes even more severe. Tanev is a restricted free agent and is pencilled in to be the team's No. 5 defenceman. He figures to more than double last season's salary of $900,000. For the sake of argument, let's say Tanev signs a new deal for $2 million a season and winger Dale Weise, another RFA the team is close to signing, gets $750,000. That would leave the Canucks with about $5 million to spend on five players. Free agency officially begins Friday, although teams were free to contact players as of Wednesday, but the Canucks figure for the most part to be bystanders left to pick up the scraps. They simply won't have the money to compete for any of the big free-agent names like Jarome Iginla, David Clarkson, Ryane Clowe and Nathan Horton. Right now, the Canucks have nine forwards, five defencemen and two goaltenders signed for next season. Once Weise and Tanev are signed, the team will still need to find three forwards and two defencemen to fill out its roster. All indications are that the Canucks won’t re-sign centre Max Lapierre, winger Mason Raymond or defenceman Andrew Alberts, who are all unrestricted free agents. It seems likely the Canucks will fill some of those roster holes with young players already in their system. General manager Mike Gillis has talked about getting more young players into his lineup and it's not entirely by choice. It's a necessity as he needs players on entry-level deals in order to squeeze in under the $64.3-million salary cap. The Canucks’ most pressing need appears to be at centre. If Lapierre does not return, that leaves the Canucks with Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler as their only centres. They could elect to give Jordan Schroeder a chance to be the team's third-line centre, but would still need a fourth-line centre to skate between Weise and Tom Sestito on the fourth line. Kellan Lain, a 6-6, 220-pound free agent signed this past spring out of Lake Superior University, figures to get a look at training camp as one of Gillis's stated goals is also to get bigger. The Canucks are high on Lain's feistiness and like the fact he is a left-hand shot who is good in the faceoff circle, something they have needed since Manny Malhotra was removed from the lineup. Fellow prospects Nicklas Jensen, Brendan Gaunce and even the team's two first-round picks from Sunday's draft, Bo Horvat and Hunter Shinkaruk, will be given long looks at camp. Rookie defenceman Frank Corrado, who impressed late last season, figures to make the team and his $600,000 salary is already counted in the above figures. But the question has to be asked: how can the Canucks possibly be better next season if they go the youth route and don't add at least one impact player, preferably a forward with some grit and skill? It seems a given that with Cory Schneider gone and a potentially unhappy Roberto Luongo asked to carry the load, their goaltending won't be as deep as it has been. The Canucks simply must get better in other areas to make up for that. Gillis may be forced to go the trade route to truly improve his team, but all those no-trade clauses could make many of his veterans almost as tough to deal as Luongo. The Canucks listened to offers for defenceman Alex Edler before the draft, but his no-trade clause has now kicked in and he becomes more difficult to deal. So far, Gillis's promised re-set of the team has amounted to a new head coach and trading away his No. 1 goalie. He still has much work to do and not much money to make it happen. It should make for an interesting summer. bziemer@vancouversun.com Twitter.com/bradziemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IIlIlIIllIlIIIlIl Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 It's going to be hard losing Lappy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Where's Wellwood Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Lappy is the only one of those three I'll miss. I don't see how we can't play Schroeder as one of our centres. He has the most NHL experience of our prospects and is still cheap. Edit: Just remember Schroeder is an RFA. Well, we can assume he'll still be cheap since he hasn't done much to deserve much of a pay raise and I doubt any other teams have their sights set on him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crom! Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 A part of me is devastated to hear that Lappy won't be back but another part is hopeful that we can start building back up our rapport with the refs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pears Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I said this in another thread but I'll say it again: We currently have $7,497,222 in cap space. Trade Booth as a cap dump to a team with a good amount of cap space and we'll have $11,747,222, add in Tanev's $2 million and Weise's $750K as suggested and sign Lappy for $1.5 million a year and we're left with the exact same amount we currently have. Plenty of room to sign a guy like Horton, Iginla, or Clowe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ftmN Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I think the reality of trading booth will be low granted his last season, may as well cross that off the list of possibilities. You haven't read anything to support that trade possibility..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoolander Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I said this in another thread but I'll say it again: We currently have $7,497,222 in cap space. Trade Booth as a cap dump to a team with a good amount of cap space and we'll have $11,747,222, add in Tanev's $2 million and Weise's $750K as suggested and sign Lappy for $1.5 million a year and we're left with the exact same amount we currently have. Plenty of room to sign a guy like Horton, Iginla, or Clowe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookie Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Honestly I'm more bothered losing Alberts than Lapierre. It's very easy to take for granted having a depth 7th defenseman that can go weeks without playing and then step in and hold his own after a mid-road trip injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iinatcc Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Booth ruined the team Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossi Vaananen Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I still want to see a shakeup, though it will be sad to see Lappy go. I think we should keep Alberts, he doesn't make much, and for what he brings he's a moneyball pick for that LD 3rd pairing. I'm absolutely thrilled that we're losing Raymond. You can't have a guy in your top 6 that brings nothing beyond a point every 3 games. He has no intangibles and is really only good at skating in one direction and then falling down. Excited to see which of our young guys will inevitably take his spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortorella's Rant Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Letting Lappy go is plain retarded. Less center depth and ta-ta to our most physical forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gradin123 Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I think the reality of trading booth will be low granted his last season, may as well cross that off the list of possibilities. You haven't read anything to support that trade possibility..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucklax Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I said this in another thread but I'll say it again: We currently have $7,497,222 in cap space. Trade Booth as a cap dump to a team with a good amount of cap space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 This team is going with youth. Guys like Lain, Gaunce, and Schroeder will get their chance to show what they've got. Yea it sucks that Lappy is leaving, but this team needs to fill more important holes, and frankly Lapierre's constant yapping is one of the reasons we're hated by the refs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pibroch Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Good, it's time to let some prospects step up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strawberries Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 no one wants booth, we can't trade that yucky contract Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstar Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I said this in another thread but I'll say it again: We currently have $7,497,222 in cap space. Trade Booth as a cap dump to a team with a good amount of cap space and we'll have $11,747,222, add in Tanev's $2 million and Weise's $750K as suggested and sign Lappy for $1.5 million a year and we're left with the exact same amount we currently have. Plenty of room to sign a guy like Horton, Iginla, or Clowe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J529 Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Since Gillis isn't going to be active in FA, how is he going to be "bold", guess that means trade route. They need to sign Parros. He won't cost alot. Don't care what anyone says, we need toughness and he brings it. Frack Sestito or whoever else they think addresses toughness area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Hard Truth Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Raymond and Lapierre gone....hallalujah!! Thank christ. I would take AHLberts back if he came back nastier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashian Kassian Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Sucks Lappy is likely gone but oh well, I think Lain is ready for that role and it would be nice to finally have some prospects on the club. Right now I guess this is what we are looking at: Daniel - Henrik - Burrows Booth - Kesler - Kassian Higgins - Schroeder - Hansen Sestito - Lain - Weise Hamhuis - Garrison Edler - Bieksa Corrado - Tanev Luongo Lack/Ericsson *Note, part of the lineup (D-pairs & wingers) is interchangeable. Just throwing this out as an estimate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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