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Since the end of the season, Mike Gillis has made it no secret that the Vancouver Canucks mandate was to get bigger, younger and adapt to the different type of play that was happening in today’s NHL.

As I have laid out throughout the week, Gillis does not have a ton of coin to severely overpay for a Bozak or a Clarkson, but he does have some dough to reload if it is spent wisely.

With that in mind, here are my top five “wish” players for Vancouver and my top five “most likely” players.


The Wish List

1- Matt Halischuk
Why Halischuk hasn’t been talked about more is beyond me. I view the guy as a bit of Ryan Callahan light and think he would thrive under Torts and be a 2-way, 20 goal scoring winger. He may not fit the idea of getting bigger, but he’s big where it counts: inside his chest.

2- Jonathon Blum
Right-handed, check. Excellent passer, check. Mobile, check. Jon Blum is the perfect insurance policy on a Tanev offer sheet. The guy can do everything Tanev can (likely better, IMO) and will very likely sign for a cheaper price. I’m hoping that Gillis goes hard after Blum for somewhere around 900K a season. Worst case he gets a very good No. 7 guy.

3- Tim Brent
Brent is the exact type of guy that Vancouver needs. He can kill penalties, win faceoffs and float between the third and fourth lines. He had 12 goals a season ago, but struggled this season. I think he is a cheaper replacement for Manny and the value he’d bring if Vancouver could land him for around a million would make him one of the steals of UFA day.

4- Thomas McCollum
The Red Wings gave up on him, but I believe there is still a lot of upside with him. He played reasonably well in the AHL and would make things interesting with the competition for the backup gig. Another guy that you likely get for around 700K, that can play 20 games if needed.

5- Colten Teubert
I know I’ll get blasted again for suggestion Teubert – a guy who Edmonton didn’t even want – but I’ve always liked the guy. A lot of the issues that I think he has have been a result of the way he’s been yo-yo’d around. I’m not even sure how many coaches he’s already had in his pro career, but I bet that’s been part of the problem. Get him at a cheap rate and let Torts have a crack at him and I bet his career turns around.


The Likely List


Akim Aliu
Dave Gagner like this kid a lot and he has the size, toughness and youth that Gillis covets. Worst case he ends up being a solid player in Utica , but I have a feeling Gillis takes on Aliu as his yearly reclamation project.

Scott Hannan
Gillis had a front row seat for how well Hannan played against the Canucks in round one. He’s also a guy who’s no nonsense style messes well with Torts and is a B.C. boy to boot. Look for Vancouver to add another B.C. boy to their D.

Boyd Gordon
Gordon is essentially where Manny was a few years back. Gillis will have to overspend on him, but I bet we’re saying how much, for who, in the next couple of days because the guy is a faceoff winning machine.

Andrew Ebbett
He’s been a great little foot soldier for the past couple of years and I think you’ll see Ebbett brought back for another year. He’s a centre and Gillis needs that. As well, Ebbett has never had any attitude issues and he doesn’t seem to mind playing in the AHL and helping the kids out.

Nick Palmieri
He’s 23 years old, 6’3, 220 pounds, has a history with Torts and to top it off he’s from Utica . I think Gillis takes a flyer on a big on a guy that at worst sells tickets in Utica and rewards that team with a homegrown player. He also had three seasons of 24 goals or more in the OHL so there is some skill with his size



Who do you sign today?



Tanev

A lot of people have recently gotten concerned with the possibility of Chris Tanev receiving an offer sheet in the coming days. To be honest, as much as I like Tanev and feel he has upside to be a good NHL defenceman, if that offer goes north of 2 million, se you Chris.

Without a doubt, Chris Tanev is the softest member of a Canucks defence that NEEDS to toughen up. Because of that, I’m okay with losing the guy because let’s face it people, this team needs a tougher defence.

After all, this is a player who has yet to show he can handle the grind of the NHL as he’s been hurt every year I believe. This is a player who is the complete opposite of physical. This is a player who hasn’t really done anything short of proving he’s a third pairing guy.

If a team wants to pay 2 million on hopes and dreams, then I try my best to work out a reasonable trade and move on. There is a ton of defenceman who Gillis can pick up right now as Tanev’s replacement. Plug in a Jon Blum, at around a million and this team doesn’t miss a beat.





Well that's a wrap.

Ian


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