With the NHL Trade Deadline rapidly approaching, it’s time to assess the playoff hopeful’s resources and compare them to the Vancouver Canucks. Cap space, draft picks over the next three drafts, prospects, young NHL players, players who could be on the block, and players who could be used for salary-matching purposes are all accounted for.

Cap Space and Deadline Cap Space

The following is listed by most deadline cap space. Cap space fluctuates on a day-to-day basis based on various transactions. These are close approximations of what is available to each team.

1) Columbus Blue Jackets:
Cap Space: $80.69m

2) Team: Calgary Flames
Cap Space: $76.41m

3) Team: Detroit Red Wings
Cap Space: $12.66m

4) Team: Winnipeg Jets
Cap Space: $11.58m

5) Team: Vancouver Canucks
Cap Space: $10.55m

6) Team: Minnesota Wild
Cap Space: $7.52m (LTIR)

7) Team: Florida Panthers
Cap Space: $5.30m (LTIR)

8) Team: Dallas Stars
Cap Space: $4.60m (LTIR)

9) Team: Edmonton Oilers
Cap Space: $4.59m (LTIR)

10) Team: New Jersey Devils
Cap Space: $4.56m (LTIR)

11) Team: Los Angeles Kings
Cap Space: $4.21m

12) Team: Washington Capitals
Cap Space: $3.65m (LTIR)

13) Team: Boston Bruins
Cap Space: $3.33m

14) Team: Colorado Avalanche
Cap Space: $3.29m (LTIR)

15) Team: Vegas Golden Knights
Cap Space: $2.26m

16) Team: Ottawa Senators
Cap Space: $0.85m (LTIR)

17) Team: Carolina Hurricanes
Cap $0.50m (LTIR)

18) Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Cap Space: $0.01m

The Canucks rank fifth amongst teams vying for the playoffs in cap space; both now and over the next several days. Having this much space creates interesting opportunities like acquiring a reclamation project for minimal acquisition cost, brokering a trade, and picking up an asset.

It should be noted that the Canucks only have one retention slot remaining. If the Canucks entertain trading Brock Boeser, they may retain in order to maximize the return; broker a deal or maximize Boeser’s trade value, the Canucks can only choose one.

Draft Picks

Calgary Flames

Columbus Blue Jackets

Detroit Red Wings

New Jersey Devils

Ottawa Senators

Los Angeles Kings

Washington Capitals

Tampa Bay Lightning

Winnipeg Jets

Boston Bruins

Carolina Hurricanes

Edmonton Oilers

Vancouver Canucks

Vegas Golden Knights

Toronto Maple Leafs

Dallas Stars

Florida Panthers

Colorado Avalanche

Minnesota Wild

While the Canucks rank near the bottom of these teams in terms of upper-end draft pick quality and quantity, they are the demarcation point between having assets and left wanting. It is a nice boon that they own all three of their first-round picks for the next three drafts.

Having traded away their second and third round picks in previous deals, the Canucks now don’t have the asset value there to comfortably play in the non-premium trade market.

Prospects

The following top 10 prospects are from Elite Prospects rankings at the beginning of the season with an exception to the Canucks – CanucksArmy’s own Dave Hall provided their top 10.

Blue Jackets – 7th

Wild – 8th

Flames – 9th

Hurricanes – 12th

Capitals – 13th

Stars – 14th

Red Wings – 15th

Avalanche – 17th

Maple Leafs – 20th

Canucks – 21st

Jets – 22nd

Devils – 23rd

Senators – 25th

Kings – 26th

Golden Knights – 27th

Lightning – 29th

Oilers – 30th

Panthers – 31st

Bruins – 32nd

A lot has happened since these rankings and lists were released in October and November, but, for the most part, the first few players in each ranking remain roughly the same. Here, the Canucks are 10th of 19 teams. You would surely think that their top three prospects of Lekkerimaki, Willander, and Pettersson are untouchable. However, the depth behind them is sufficient enough to entice other teams.

Not noted in these rankings is Danila Klimovich, who is having his best professional season. The former second-round pick is on pace for over 25 goals with the Abbotsford Canucks and has made himself relevant again.

Similarly, we did not include Aatu Räty as a prospect or a young player. At nearly a point-per-game in the AHL, he’s also having his best professional season in North America. Given he plays a position of need for the Canucks (centre), it’s less likely he is traded.

Young NHL Players

The following is a list of NHL players under 25 who have significantly impacted the team. Players listed under prospects are omitted.

Blue Jackets

Devils

Wild

Stars

Senators

Hurricanes

Kings

Red Wings

Capitals

Maple Leafs

Panthers

Jets

Flames

Lightning

Bruins

Canucks

Oilers

Golden Knights

Avalanche

The Canucks have a pretty poor selection of young players on their roster. Höglander is cost-controlled for the next three seasons but has only shown glimpses of last season’s form.

Beyond Höglander is playoff hero Silovs. Like Höglander, the goaltender has also struggled when in the NHL. His AHL numbers are in line with his career average. Goaltending is fickle and the Canucks require as much depth as possible with Thatcher Demko’s injury history. Still, it’s possible a team buys into his international and playoff hype.

Trade Block, UFAs, and Salary Matching

Here are each of the team’s players they have on the trade block, their unrestricted free agents and players with neutral to negative value, who might be considered cap dumps as salary matching.

Canucks

Jets

Capitals

Stars

Golden Knights

Maple Leafs

Panthers

Wild

Oilers

Lightning

Hurricanes

Devils

Kings

Avalanche

Red Wings

Flames

Blue Jackets

Senators

Bruins

What the Canucks will do with their UFAs is one of the most intriguing story-lines in the NHL. Given the prices the Avalanche and Predators paid for inferior players, Boeser and Suter should command a greater return than previously thought. However, with the Canucks in the middle of a playoff race and the ever-looming presence of keeping Quinn Hughes engaged to the organization, there are potential incentives in keeping both.

As reported previously, the Canucks have put Soucy on the trade block. While he should hold value, his full no-trade clause makes an off-season deal more likely than one at the trade deadline.

Remarkably, the Canucks don’t really have any onerous contracts. An argument can be made that Soucy’s cap hit is too rich for a third-pairing defender, but he’s not a negative value asset.

With ample cap space this season, the Canucks could take on one of the list salary matching contracts in order to facilitate a trade between other teams. Given the Canucks stated goal is to always compete, it would assuredly be an upcoming UFA.

Final Thoughts

The Canucks’ strongest trade deadline asset is their cap space. Last season, they had no space and were unable to further upgrade the roster. This season, they are teeming with it but are a middling team. At the very least, it will allow the front office to acquire assets through various means. How they utilize this cap space should, at the very least, be fascinating.

It’s also an organization that has never stockpiled draft picks. Frequently using them as currency to get out of bad contracts or to improve depth, this season isn’t much different. They do go into this trade deadline owning their first and second-round pick. If the Canucks end up keeping their second-round pick, it will be the first time they’ve used it since the 2021 NHL draft.

Similar to their draft picks, their prospect pool isn’t deep. However, the defensive prospects have grown tremendously in the last two seasons, with Pettersson, Mancini, Willander, Kudryavtsev, and Mynio all becoming standouts. It would not be surprising if the Canucks use this depth to upgrade another part of the organization.

As for what the Canucks should do with Boeser, Suter, and, to a lesser extent, Forbort, that’s a hotly debated subject. There are excellent arguments from all perspectives. Ideally, with whatever happens, the Canucks are set up for success after March 4th at 12 PM.

Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!

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