[Proposal] DON'T Buyout David Booth

[CatsPajamas]

TL;DR

David Booth stays unless...

-Management wants to sign Ryan Callahan/Jarome Iginla for more than 6.2 million

-Management wants to sign Ryan Callahan/Jarome Iginla for less than 6.2 million and other free agents

…because the Canucks wouldn't be able to fill the cap space buying him out would free up.

He isn't scoring, he gets paid 4.25 million to score, he's got a year left on his deal, and the Canucks have one of their two consequence free buyouts remaining. For a team spending to the salary max, buying out David Booth is an obvious move. The thing is, the Canucks probably won't be spending to the cap roof, probably not even close.

Daniel Sedin (7) - Henrik Sedin (7) - Alex Burrows (4.5)
David Booth (4.25) - Ryan Kesler (5) - Jannik Hansen (2.5)
Chris Higgins (2.5) - Shawn Matthias (1.75) - Nicklas Jensen (0.863333)
Tom Sestito (0.75) - Brad Richardson (1.15) - __________ (0.00)
__________ (0.00), __________ (0.00)

Alex Edler (5) - Kevin Bieksa (4.6)
Jason Garison (4.6) - Frank Corrado (0.591111)
Dan Hamhuis (4.5) - __________ (0.00)
Ryan Stanton (0.55

Eddie Lack (1.15)
Jacob Markstrom (1.2)

*couple assumptions here: Jensen and Corrado make the team.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
>>>>>*not my preference for line combinations, salary based.<<<<<

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Salary Cap [71]
Cap Space [10.845556]

Notable Canuck's UFAs:
-Mike Santorelli
-Andrew Alberts

Notable Canuck's RFAs:
-Chris Tanev
-Zack Kassian
-Jordan Schroeder
-Darren Archibald
-Zac Dalpe
-Yannick Weber

Clearly, the Canucks won't be able to fill that space via in-house assets. Combined, Chris Tanev and Zack Kassian aren't going to get anymore than 6 million per year. Zack Kassian isn't getting more than a minor contract without the Canuck's achieving the impossible, making the playoffs, and him having a Byron Bickell like performance. The rest of the RFAs won't even be getting a million. Mike Santorelli is a blurry area, doubt he'll be getting anymore than a million from the Canucks, whether he stays or goes relies on how much he wants to play in Vancouver. It's hard to see Andrew Alberts remaining a Canuck, and even if he does, he most definitely is not getting a raise.

So just for you to get an idea, here is the line up with my rough idea of the kind of contracts the Canucks will sign.

Signings that will be on the roster:
Chris Tanev (3.2 million per X 2 years)
Zack Kassian (1.2 million per X 2 years)
Jordan Schroeder (0.7 million per X 1 year)
Zac Dalpe (0.7 million per X 1 year)

Daniel Sedin (7) - Henrik Sedin (7) - Alex Burrows (4.5)
David Booth (4.25) - Ryan Kesler (5) - Jannik Hansen (2.5)
Chris Higgins (2.5) - Shawn Matthias (1.75) - Zack Kassian (1.2)
Tom Sestito (0.75) - Brad Richardson (1.15) - Nicklas Jensen (0.863333)
Jordan Schroeder (0.7), Zac Dalpe (0.7)

Alex Edler (5) - Kevin Bieksa (4.6)
Jason Garison (4.6) - Chris Tanev (3.2)
Dan Hamhuis (4.5) - Frank Corrado (0.591111)
Ryan Stanton (0.55)

Eddie Lack (1.15)
Jacob Markstrom (1.2)

Cap Space [5.045556]

With that team the Canucks have 5.745556 to sign players off the free agent market. Given the teams lack of prospect depth, they won't be making any RFA signings. UFA wise, there isn't a lot of options. And on top of that, unless the Canucks make an extremely unlikely playoff appearance, none of them are going to want to sign with Vancouver. This season was an absolute disaster, it's the epitome of a fishbowl market, and one of our star players was treated very poorly by management.

Big name UFA wingers:

Ryan Callahan

Thomas Vanek

Marion Gaborik

Jarome Iginla

Jaromir Jagr (Devils or retire)

Mike Cammalleri

Daniel Alfredsson (Red Wings or retire)

Ales Hemsky

Brian Gionta

Dany Heatley

The Kesler situation is weird. If you believe what management, and players, and agents, and "insiders," are telling us then deductively the conclusion has to be that Ryan Kesler made it known that he would be WILLING to waive his no trade clause. Adding to that, with the mass reporting that Canucks were actively pursuing a Kesler trade, management must have made the decision that Kesler is more valuable to the team traded for a quality return than on the team. The other scenario: Everyone is lying, Louis Jean's report of Kesler requesting a trade is accurate, and the Canucks are stuck trading him, UNLESS they can convince him to stay by giving him a talented winger to play with. In that case, what are the options?

In short, there are none. Most of the UFA options are either one of or a combination of the following: Really old, injury prone, not very good anymore, aren't likely to mesh well with Tortorella. Thomas Vanek isn't the playmaker that most claim Kesler needs, but he is an elite player. The problem with Vanek is that he is already in a Canadian fishbowl market that has plenty of cap space to offer him the massive contract that he'll be looking for, so if he doesn't sign with Montreal, why would he sign in Vancouver? The only other viable forward being Jarome Iginla, and management would have to make an exception if they were to sign him. He is 36 years old and on the decline. As well, and similar to Vanek, he isn't the playmaking type. But Jarome Iginla is still one of the best power forwards in the league, and an outstanding leader. After the effect Mats Sundin had on Ryan Kesler, and the Sedins, management must be thinking that Jarome Iginla could have a similar effect on Zack Kassian and Nicklas Jensen.

Unfortunately Vancouver isn't a destination team anymore. Iginla has made it very clear that his priority is winning a cup, and from a standings stand point, Vancouver is a lot further away from a cup than a lot of other teams. What the Canucks do have going for them, is that Iginla has made an offseason home in the interior of British Columbia, and he knows how good our top players really can be. If the Canucks were to offer him a multiple year deal, which they have the room for, he might accept. It would definitely be better than the Bruins offer, as they might not have the cap space to sign him to another year at 6 million as they have to re-sign Torey Krug and Reilly Smith, and a multi year deal is out of the question with David Krejci and Johnny Boychuk becoming UFAs in 2015. A three year deal would get it, but three years down the road who knows where the Canucks and especially Jarome Iginla will be. 6 million would put the Canucks slightly over the cap but the minor adjustments necessary to free up the space that would be needed leaves keeping Booth, still the logical move. Two years or three years, it's a risky move, and one that would require the Canucks to divert from their long term strategy. Overall it's more of a pipe dream than a possible reality.

Ryan Callahan has to be in the Canucks sights. A great player and one that has a favourable history with John Tortorella. He wants a lot but the Canucks have the room to give him a lot. Although Mike Gillis era management has yet to overpay on a signing, and what Callahan is asking for is definitely an overpayment. Of all the possibly available players, from the Canuck's stand point, Ryan Callahan he is bar none the most enticing. In order to sign Ryan Callahan to change Kesler's mind or otherwise David Booth must be bought out.

Big name UFA centres:

David Legwand

Paul Statsny

If they sign a centre, it's because they traded Ryan Kesler and didn't get a young top six centre in return. David Legwand and Paul Statsny are options but will be looking for long term deals that could potentially interfere with the progression of the Canuck's future top six centres: Bo Horvat, Brendan Gaunce, Cole Cassels, and anyone drafted or received in the Kesler trade. Paul Statsny is far more interesting than David Legwand, as he is a far superior player, but are either superior to the freedom that allowing Jordan Schroeder, Zac Dalpe, maybe Mike Santorelli, and the Kesler return compete for the 2nd line centre job brings?

Big name UFA defenceman:

Dan Boyle

Kimmo Timonen

Andrei Markov

Trading a defenceman isn't an option for the Canucks. Jason Garison, Dan Hamhuis, Kevin Bieksa, and ALEX EDLER, all have NTCs and will not be willing to waive them. Dan Hamhuis and Jason Garison are character guys playing for their home province teams and Kevin Bieksa and Alex Edler have made it clear they will not waive their NTCs. Chris Tanev has made major improvements this season and shows no signs of levelling off. This leaves one slot for a defenceman. There are no UFA defenceman talented enough, and not old as frack enough, to take a spot away from the young guys. It's not an option.

Big name UFA goaltenders:

Jonas Hiller

Jaroslav Halak

Ryan Miller

Martin Brodeur

They were sort of willing to give Eddie Lack the starting job. You could say that they were forced into it, and to a degree that is true. Whether or not the Canucks are going to give him the job next season, we'll have to wait and see. Ryan Miller is surely to be signed by St. Louis. Will Anaheim choose to resign Jonas Hiller or go with talented young guys Frederik Andersen (who has been excellent this season), John Gibson, and Igor Bobkov? Jaroslav Halak had his best years with Rollie Melanson, but will Melanson resign with Canucks? Martin Brodeur is not the goalie he used to be, very far from it, but going back to the "Sundin effect," he could help take Eddie Lack's game to the next level. He wants to be a starter, and although I doubt he can outplay Eddie Lack, it's at the very least a possibility, which is a lot better than what most other teams will be able to offer him.

So from the Canucks position the UFA market is lacking. It'd be surprising to see the Canucks make a significant signing that isn't a goalie or Ryan Callahan. Which again, leaves keeping Booth as the logical option, as there would be nothing to fill the cap space that buying him out would free up. The Canucks could look to a trade to acquire a winger for Kesler. What tradable assets do they posses? They've made it clear they won't be moving anymore youth, and of course there can be an exception, but an exception will only be made if the deal is ridiculously in favour of the Canucks. That isn't happening. This leaves players currently on the roster for tradable assets, something that the Canucks don't have much of due to NTCs. As is the case with the UFA market, the Canucks have very little options via trade, except the trade market offers even less. The Canucks will not be receiving anything even close to an elite player through trade.

TL;DR

David Booth stays unless...

-Management wants to sign Ryan Callahan/Jarome Iginla for more than 6.2 million

-Management wants to sign Ryan Callahan/Jarome Iginla for less than 6.2 million and other free agents

…because the Canucks wouldn't be able to fill the cap space buying him out would free up.

And you know what, it won't upset me. So far, David Booth's second half has been alright. The only reason it hasn't been good is because he isn't scoring, but not unlike Burrows he is getting plenty of chances. I don't believe a David Booth turn around is out of of the question, and actually, his playing as of late makes it seem almost inevitable. He is the kind of capable scorer with size and speed that the Canucks need to compete in the stupidly big Pacific division.

EDIT: Something I didn't address is the possibility of buying out David Booth and spending that cap space on a consistent bottom six forward. Everyone wants long term deals, and with the rise in cap, high priced deals. It's a very complex scenario.

[BanTSN]

If we don't use a compliance buyout on Booth we'll just end up using a regular buyout on him later.

Didn't pan out here. Good-Bye.

[CatsPajamas]

If we don't use a compliance buyout on Booth we'll just end up using a regular buyout on him later.

Didn't pan out here. Good-Bye.

His contract ends after next season.

[Ghostsof1915]

I'm sorry you're saying to pay $4.25 million for a player who has done:

29 points in 2011-12

3 points in 2012-13 (Yes he was injured most of the year)

On pace for 16 points 2013-14

If Mason Raymond wasn't worth it at $2.5 Million and 20 points on average. Why are we giving ice time and a high cap hit to Booth?

Get rid of him as soon as possible. I'd rather gamble and see one of the Canucks younger players step into his spot.

Booth and Edler are $9 million+ dollar boat anchors.

You're moaning about not enough cap space but you want to waste cap space on a guy that clearly injuries have de-railed his career?? Great logic.

And you want to sign Callahan. A guy who will be asking around $6-7 million per season.

A guy who is almost as injury prone as Booth, who hasn't scored more than 40 points since 2011-12?

Thank God you're not our GM.

[CatsPajamas]

I'm sorry you're saying to pay $4.25 million for a player who has done:

29 points in 2011-12

3 points in 2012-13 (Yes he was injured most of the year)

On pace for 16 points 2013-14

If Mason Raymond wasn't worth it at $2.5 Million and 20 points on average. Why are we giving ice time and a high cap hit to Booth?

Get rid of him as soon as possible. I'd rather gamble and see on of the Canucks younger players step into his spot.

Booth and Edler are $9 million+ dollar boat anchors.

If young guys out play him then bench him. Still better than 4.25 million in unused cap.

[Ghostsof1915]

If young guys out play him then bench him. Still better than 4.25 million in unused cap.

$4.25 million can be very useful if other teams stumble and start trading players.

[CatsPajamas]

I'm sorry you're saying to pay $4.25 million for a player who has done:

29 points in 2011-12

3 points in 2012-13 (Yes he was injured most of the year)

On pace for 16 points 2013-14

If Mason Raymond wasn't worth it at $2.5 Million and 20 points on average. Why are we giving ice time and a high cap hit to Booth?

Get rid of him as soon as possible. I'd rather gamble and see one of the Canucks younger players step into his spot.

Booth and Edler are $9 million+ dollar boat anchors.

You're moaning about not enough cap space but you want to waste cap space on a guy that clearly injuries have de-railed his career?? Great logic.

And you want to sign Callahan. A guy who will be asking around $6-7 million per season.

A guy who is almost as injury prone as Booth, who hasn't scored more than 40 points since 2011-12?

Thank God you're not our GM.

1) I'm not, nor did I, moan about not enough cap space. My entire point revolves around having a excess of cap space.

2) Both Callahan and Booth entered the league in 2006. Since then, including the playoffs, Callahan has missed 71 games while Booth has missed 143. Since 2012 Callahan has missed 23 games while Booth has missed 69. Out of a total of 64 possible playoff games Callahan has played in 59 of them.

3) Ryan Callahan not scoring more than 40 points since 11-12 isn't a very telling statistic. Last season (12-13) was a half season. In 12-13 Ryan Callahan was on a 0.69ppg pace, which in an 82 game season would have earned him 57 points. This is actually Callahan's first season being below a scoring pace of 0.69ppg since 09-10. His pace in last three seasons was 0.80 (10-11), 0.71 (11-12), and 0.69 (12-13). This season he is scoring at a 0.56pp pace, but that could change. Probably important to note that his production has been consistently declining, definitely something to consider.

$4.25 million can be very useful if other teams stumble and start trading players.

True, but the Canucks don't have any assets even close to being worth a valuable asset in return. Of course they have a few blue chippers but those are not guys the Canucks will give up given the lack of them. Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen have decent value but both Higgins and Hansen will have limited NTCs that will make it very difficult to orchestrate a trade involving both of them. Also, well, "moneyball." I'd be very hesitant to give up both Higgins and Hansen on their cheap contracts when they're effective players who produce and I'd expect the Canuck's management to feel the same.

[Angry Goose]

I hear what you're saying, but cap flexibility isn't a bad thing at all, especially if MG & co want to make a move at some point during the season.

Not sure if you mentioned it in your OP, but compliance buy outs are done after this summer. And I do think MG will spend to the cap as that is the norm for a team like the Canucks who will definitely be gunning for the playoffs next year.

[CatsPajamas]

I hear what you're saying, but cap flexibility isn't a bad thing at all, especially if MG & co want to make a move at some point during the season.

Not sure if you mentioned it in your OP, but compliance buy outs are done after this summer. And I do think MG will spend to the cap as that is the norm for a team like the Canucks who will definitely be gunning for the playoffs next year.

If they buyout Booth, the Canucks will have to go ape crap in the UFA market if they want to reach the cap. Even more so if (more like when) they trade Kesler.

and cap flexibility is great, if there is something to fill it with. There isn't, and probably won't be.

[canucks155]

If we start rebuilding then keep him because he has 1 year left and we'll have cap. If management is stupid, and don't rebuild, then buyout him out. He only has 1 year left so you never know if some team w/ a drunk gm who might want to add his speed for a cup run. Maybe somebody hires Jay FEASTer to be gm and he takes him...

[CatsPajamas]

If we start rebuilding then keep him because he has 1 year left and we'll have cap. If management is stupid, and don't rebuild, then buyout him out. He only has 1 year left so you never know if some team w/ a drunk gm who might want to add his speed for a cup run. Maybe somebody hires Jay FEASTer to be gm and he takes him...

It isn't possible for the Canucks to rebuild, or IMO possible for them to suck.

Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin have NMCs. Alex Burrows, Alex Edler, Jason Garison, Kevin Bieksa, Dan Hamhuis have NTCs. Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen have limited NTCs. That makes rebuilding impossible. We're stuck with this core whether we like it or not. Adding to it is the only option.

Now IMO even if you traded Hansen and Higgins along with anyone who doesn't have an NTC and replaced them with plugs this team still wouldn't be capable of a bottom five finish.

[CanucksSayEh]

It's 1 more year, if we keep Gillis, I doubt we spend that cap on anything better. Keep him, maybe a healthy offseason is exactly what he needs. Guy is far from our biggest problem. Bad business to buy out players, avoid it unless there is a real plan in place.

[BanTSN]

His contract ends after next season.

Yeah. I meant we're gonna have to buy him out before it ends.

[CatsPajamas]

Yeah. I meant we're gonna have to buy him out before it ends.

You can't do that.

[Phil_314]

If we don't have a chance to get any of the big-name UFA guys to come to town for reasonable contracts I wouldn't mind keeping Booth to play 3rd line minutes, b/c if he defines his role as a 3rd line play-driving guy we could retain him for cheaper (Think Dustin Penner for $2M after becoming UFA at $4.25 and then rebounding in his play). At the very least he drives play the right way, and paired with a play-maker who works down low I think he can be a decent power-forward-type who can score some goals down low. I wouldn't mind seeing Booth and Kassian on the same line, probably with Matthias up the middle, to form a pretty heavy but speedy bunch that would be tough to handle in the corners and around the net. It's these kinds of guys that help teams win in the playoffs when we get back there.

Burr - Hank - Jensen
Higgins - Kes - Kassian
Hansen - Matthias - Booth (speedy, two-way, physical line; Great Dane can set up Boother and Matthias)
Archibald - Richardson - Hansen/ Dalpe

[Pears]

Why are people even arguing this? If you get a chance at having a free, extra $4.25 million of cap space, you take it, because we can improve way more with $9.2 million for free agents as opposed to $5 million I can tell you that. And Booth certainly isn't helping his cause not playing anywhere close to being worth $4.25 million.

[Franz Liszt]

Why are people even arguing this? If you get a chance at having a free, extra $4.25 million of cap space, you take it, because we can improve way more with $9.2 million for free agents as opposed to $5 million I can tell you that. And Booth certainly isn't helping his cause not playing anywhere close to being worth $4.25 million.

[n00bxQb]

This is one of those CDC brain-cell killing specials ...

[CatsPajamas]

Why are people even arguing this? If you get a chance at having a free, extra $4.25 million of cap space, you take it, because we can improve way more with $9.2 million for free agents as opposed to $5 million I can tell you that. And Booth certainly isn't helping his cause not playing anywhere close to being worth $4.25 million.

That makes no sense. It isn't free cap space, you lose David Booth.

And you've missed the entire point of my post. There is very little to spend that money on, and what there is to spend it on, carries a lot of negative aspects. At the very least you have to understand this: if you aren't going to spend the money, then don't buyout David Booth.

[Azzy Mahmood]

David Booth on the second line? Please don't ever make a proposal ever again. Ever.

Booth is a waste of one of our 50 permitted contracts. He is a waste of $4.25m. He should not be anywhere near our team, and I suspect he wouldn't be if not for injuries.

He has to be our second compliance buyout, regardless of the UFA market. He's an average player earning three times as much as he should. Better to give his roster spot to a young player.