Are the Canucks Actually in Cap Hell?

[CanucksJay]

With the recent team's success, I looked ahead to next season to see how much cap we need to shed once Kuz and Miller's contract kicks in (additional 7.3m) along with activating Mik from LTIR (4.75) and re-signing Kravstov (1m?)

 

We would then have 15 forwards under contract at a cap hit of 48.2m

Ofcourse we would waive/send to Abby 2 players making 762k each (1.524) which means we'd have 13 forwards @ 46.7m (without losing /trading anyone and signing Krav to 1m)

 

On defence, with OEL coming back off LTIR, we'd be at 5 defensemen @ 26. 3m (Hughes, Hronek, OEL, Myers, Brisbois) 

And need to sign/re-sign 2 of Dermott, Bear, Burroughs Juulsen, Wolanin . 

 

Goalie we have Demko (5m) and need a backup

 

So to summarize

 

We're set at forwards (13 players @ 46.7m)

Defense (5 signed  @ 26.3m)

Goalie (1 signed @ 5m)

 

Thats 78m total. 

 

Cap is 83.5 next year

We have 5.5 to spend on 2 d men and 1 back up goalie. 

 

We have options folks. 

 

On goalie,

 

we can sign a league min guy to warm the bench and then bring up Silovs every time we need backup to play. 

 

On defense

We can stay status quo and sign 2 bottom pairing D

 

or

 

We can trade Myers after bonus is paid and free up 6m more (11.5m cap space) and spend on someone like Gavrikov  and re-sign 2 bottom pairing d men like Burroughs and Wolanin to round out the defense

 

Forwards we're pretty set but could trade a guy like Garland to free up 5m and call up Hogz to do the same job. 

 

Anyway, things don't seem as dire as people seemed to suggest after the Hronek trade. 

 

I'm starting to believe in this management team after my initial knee jerk hissy fit. 

Questionable moves were Boeser, Miller, Mikheyev, Kuz (re-signing) 

 

Miller looks now to be a good deal at 8m (physical 2c putting up a PT / game while winning draws and playing good 2 way hockey) 

Kuz is worth every penny

Mik was amazing for us while playing with 1 leg

Boeser is finally playing like a 70-75 PT player. 

 

Can we at this point say that management has been dead wrong about anything? 

 

Even the Tocchet hire. 

 

 

 

[HKSR]

No, we're not in cap hell at all.  What we are in though is cap limitation.  We could certainly use more flexibility, and that's why JR/PA are looking to unload cap and buyout certain guys.

[CanucksJay]

Just now, HKSR said:

No, we're not in cap hell at all.  What we are in though is cap limitation.  We could certainly use more flexibility, and that's why JR/PA are looking to unload cap and buyout certain guys.

I was surprised because I thought it was a given that we HAD to shed cap but we actually don't. 

We have 5.5m to spend on 2 bottom pairing D and a backup goalie. 

 

The emergence of Miller  @ 2C has been an incredibly important win for us. Imagine we had to replace losing Bo with a 2C while paying Miller 8m on the wing?

We are not missing Bo at all and the team actually looks better with Beau and Hronek 

[Ghostsof1915]

If we can move either Garland or Boeser (Possibly both?). Trade Myers after his bonus.

We will be in better shape. Just don't go out and pick up UFA's, unless it's NCAA UFA's that don't cost much.

Get some cap room, and keep it. It gives the team way more options and flexibility.

[HKSR]

4 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

If we can move either Garland or Boeser (Possibly both?). Trade Myers after his bonus.

We will be in better shape. Just don't go out and pick up UFA's, unless it's NCAA UFA's that don't cost much.

Get some cap room, and keep it. It gives the team way more options and flexibility.

Agreed.  Free up some cap space.  For the most part, roll with what we have.  Then try and take advantage of teams in cap crunches at the TDL next year to acquire talent for cheap.  The year after next is when I hope we really see a dramatic jump in overall team performance.

[Mando27]

7 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

If we can move either Garland or Boeser (Possibly both?). Trade Myers after his bonus.

We will be in better shape. Just don't go out and pick up UFA's, unless it's NCAA UFA's that don't cost much.

Get some cap room, and keep it. It gives the team way more options and flexibility.

Yea I can see them moving both Garland and Boeser. I don't buy that Boeser is unmovable, could see a team taking on chance on him. Guy just needs a change of scenery.

[Canuck You]

I'm just happy we have Kuz signed for al teast another 2 , Now lock up Pete long term, Fix the D and a healthy Demko will make me happy. Good times ahead.

[Alflives]

Good OP. Spot on. New management has a lot of Gillis’ successes coming.

Buyout OEL. Trade Myers, Garland (full dumperoos) and Boeser (1 mil retention)

That clears close to 24 mil off the cap for next season. 
Lots of money to bring in guys to improve our D and forwards. 

[GB5]

50 minutes ago, CanucksJay said:

we can sign a league min guy to warm the bench and then bring up Silovs every time we need backup to play. 

Canucks need a legitimate NHL backup which will likely run the 1-2 million range, That is, someone who can handle a starting workload if called upon to do so.

 

Also to improve on the status quo they need an upgraded 3C and #2LHD to bump OEL to #3LHD or keep Bear as RHD

 

I think you may have missed the cap coming in when Mikhayev returns next year and when/if Pearson returns.

 

My math for this is;

goalie = 1.5 million

LHD or Bear = 1.5 million

3C = 1.5 - 2.5 million

Pearson = 3.2 million

 

Total = minimum +/- 7.7 million if they want to improve the status quo

 

Good chance Pearson doesn't return so there is some wiggle room there for sure for next year and Myers coming off the books for 2024 or sooner will provide more money to extend Petey

 

[Strawbone]

More like cap heck. I think they'll be OK.

 

Alvin seemed pretty upbeat in his last presser when he was asked about cap space for next season, indicating they had options in place for this off-season. I think this management group might just be a competent bunch.

[ruilin96]

If we can convince OEL to sit on the LTIR for the rest of his contract, we would be in a much better position going forward.

[Alflives]

3 minutes ago, ruilin96 said:

If we can convince OEL to sit on the LTIR for the rest of his contract, we would be in a much better position going forward.

Yup. Send OEL to Robidau Island. 

[Chronic.Canuck]

Thanks for crunching the numbers. I agree we're not in nearly as much trouble as everyone makes out.

 

I think we will see Filip Johansson make a serious push for a RD roster spot which will help out. Cap wise that will look the same as any other bottom pairing D as he has one year of ELC remaining.

 

I also like the extra step in Aman's game lately and think he could step up into that 3C role, maybe as soon as next year.

[VegasCanuck]

No, we're actually not that bad, we need to make a couple of trades, there's a lot that still believe that we need to move Boeser, I really don't think we do, he's been playing much better under new coaching etc. I think he's still having some issues with his hand, but he seems to be shooting better again.

 

We're at roughly 78.5 million right now with 16 players who should play next year, and 2 who should continue on LTIR, Pearson and Poolman

 

Add in either Silovs or Martin, takes us to roughly 79.2 with 17 active players on a cap expected to be at least 83.5 million, leaves us with 4.3 million.

 

Move Myers out after his 5 million signing bonus is paid (I don't believe we will have to retain) and replace him with Filip Johansson for a net increase of cap space of approximately 5.1 million in Cap space. That brings us down to 74.1, 10.4 million in space.

 

Resign Burroughs, 775k NHL, 550k AHL,  Juulsen 775k NHL, 300k AHL, Wolanin, I would give a 1 year, (show me) one way contract at 750k He's plus 6 since he arrived here and has contributed offensively, 3 assists in 11 games.

 

Those moves bring us to 20 players with about 8 million to spend, before we make any other moves

 

Defense of

Hughes / Hronek

OEL / Johannson

Wolanin / Brisebois / Juulsen / Burroughs

 

Sign Kravtsov 900k, 1 year show me deal brings us to 21 players signed with 7.1 million to spend

 

There will be other changes, I do think that we will force something with OEL, unless his injury is something that would prevent us moving him or buying him out.

 

I think that we will try and move Garland, although is play has also been much better with new coaching.

 

So, message that everyone needs is, we have the flexibility to do what we need. IF by some miracle we were to win the draft lottery and wind up with Bedard, that would likely seal Garland's fate and have us move him and negate our need to find a 3C as Bedard would likely assume that duty for his first year in the NHL and Aman would slot in on 4th line.

 

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ADDITIONAL:

 

Totally forgot about Bear and Dermott...figure about 2.25 for Bear and 1.75 for Dermott and slot them into defense. Makes more of an argument for moving OEL through whatever means necessary, especially with the cap expected to jump by 4 million the following year, up to 87.5 million or higher. That would bring us to a 23 player lineup with 3.1 million left.

Edited March 15, 2023 by VegasCanuck

[Chronic.Canuck]

Forgot to add, Poolman's 2.5M will be available through LTIR if management chooses to go that route next season.

[CanucksJay]

42 minutes ago, GB5 said:

Canucks need a legitimate NHL backup which will likely run the 1-2 million range, That is, someone who can handle a starting workload if called upon to do so.

 

Also to improve on the status quo they need an upgraded 3C and #2LHD to bump OEL to #3LHD or keep Bear as RHD

 

I think you may have missed the cap coming in when Mikhayev returns next year and when/if Pearson returns.

 

My math for this is;

goalie = 1.5 million

LHD or Bear = 1.5 million

3C = 1.5 - 2.5 million

Pearson = 3.2 million

 

Total = minimum +/- 7.7 million if they want to improve the status quo

 

Good chance Pearson doesn't return so there is some wiggle room there for sure for next year and Myers coming off the books for 2024 or sooner will provide more money to extend Petey

 

Yes I didn't include Pearson in the 13 man roster. Rumor is he will be on LTIR next season. That's what gives us the wiggle room

[CanucksJay]

Just now, Chronic.Canuck said:

Forgot to add, Poolman's 2.5M will be available through LTIR if management chooses to go that route next season.

He wasnt in my original figures as I put him on LTIR (only counted Hughes Myers OEL Hronek and Brisbois) 

[MeanSeanBean]

Maybe not cap hell, but we're definitely in cap heck.

[CanucksJay]

1 hour ago, Mando27 said:

Yea I can see them moving both Garland and Boeser. I don't buy that Boeser is unmovable, could see a team taking on chance on him. Guy just needs a change of scenery.

If Boeser continues to play like he has recently, we would be gifting a team a 70 PT scorer with decent size and good shot who is signed to a fair cap hit who also happens to be a stand up guy. 

There really should be no need to retain. If we do need to retain, we'd prob rather flip Garland instead. 

The more I think about this, re-signing hogz to 1.2 on a 1 way deal and replacing Garland on the 3rd line is the way to go. That frees up close to 3.7m

So with 9.2 in capspace, Canucks can create more space like trading Myers and end up with 15m in cap space and sign Gavrikov or Severson and still have 9m+ left to sign 2 depth d man and a backup goalie. 

 

Hughes Gavrikov

OEL Hronek 

Brisbois

[CanuckFan1123]

I think there are cap concerns but calling it cap hell is a major overstatement. We won’t have much room to go play in UFA but we have virtually our entire team under contract already with the exception of Dermott, Bear, Burroughs, Wolanin, Juulsen, and Kravtsov. Assuming Martin comes back up next year… I assume Bear stays, Dermott is moved for a pick, and the rest are 1 mil or less to keep. Pearson end Myers are going into their final years and should be easy to unload. The biggest hope is that a cap floor team like Chicago will take back Myers with no retention. Assuming we move one of the rumored Garland or Brock, we end up in a better situation. OEL is our only big question mark at that point.