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Vancouver Canucks Watch Arbitration Dance, Shouldn't Trade Chris Tanev Now

July 21, 2016, 3:27 PM ET [361 Comments]
Carol Schram
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Of the 25 players who were scheduled for arbitration hearings, nine have now settled with their teams, according to this article from NHL.com.

Mikhail Grigorenko is the latest player to come to terms with his organization, signing a one-year deal worth $1.3 million—which is a tidy raise from the $675,000 he made last season. The 22-year-old managed six goals and 27 points in 74 games in his first season with the Colorado Avalanche.

Expect to see the settlements keep on coming as hearing dates loom. Here's who's still on the docket, listed in the order of the schedule.

Chris Kreider - New York Rangers - July 22
Brayden Schenn - Philadelphia - July 25
Peter Holland - Toronto - July 25
Frank Corrado - Toronto - July 26
Kevin Hayes - New York Rangers - July 27
Jordan Schroeder - Minnesota - July 27
Petr Mrazek - Detroit - July 27 (club-elected)
Danny DeKeyser - Detroit - July 28
Tyson Barrie - Colorado - July 29
Vladislav Namestnikov - Tampa Bay - July 29
Brandon Manning - Philadelphia - August 2
Martin Marincin - Toronto - August 2
Petter Granburg - Nashville - August 3
Calle Jarnkrok - Nashville - August 4
Michael Stone - Arizona - August 4
Mike Hoffman - Ottawa - August 4

Chris Kreider is the next big name on the list. Here's the latest on his situation:




Brayden Schenn and the Flyers are apparently still at an impasse:




As for Tyson Barrie, who has been rumoured for months to be on the trade block, Bleacher Report's Adrian Dater has covered the Avalanche for years and reports today that Barrie won't be leaving Rocky Mountain country.

From Dater:

The Avs, an NHL source told me, aren't sweating the arbitration hearing with Barrie because they know they control his restricted free-agent rights for another three years. Most likely, the Avs will choose the two-year option from the arbitrator and know they can still keep him another season after that. Instead of haggling it out with Meehan all summer, Avs GM Joe Sakic knows he'll have closure on Barrie no more than 48 hours after July 29, for at least two more years. Sometimes it's just easier to let someone else decide.


Here's why an immediate trade is not expected:

The Avs' plan is to get as much service from Barrie as they can under their contractual rights, then reassess down the road. If Barrie has a monster year or two, the Avs figure to make a very nice long-term extension offer.

If Barrie doesn't want it, they would still have the option of trading a player at peak value. Either way, the Avs are in a win-win situation. They'll get at least two prime years of Barrie's play and possibly a sizable return in trade if they can't work out anything long term after that first or second year.


Barrie's B.C. roots make him a tempting target for Canucks fans—he was born in Victoria and played his junior hockey with the Kelowna Rockets. His 38 goals over the last three seasons are also pretty tasty, with nine coming on the power play. He has the big point shot that the Canucks could use, but Philip Larsen has been signed to try to fill that role at a much lower cost. Hopefully he'll live up to expectations.

I'm also interesting in seeing what Chris Tanev brings this fall after working with a specialist to help develop his shot during the offseason. I know I floated the idea of dealing Tanev for Travis Hamonic last season when the Islanders' rearguard was said to be asking for a trade to Western Canada. I think Tanev's terrific, but I also think that Hamonic's a little more well-rounded, especially with respect to his physical game.

In his latest article in the National Post, Jason Botchford suggests that Tanev is better than Adam Larsson, who reeled in Taylor Hall for New Jersey. As we talk about the Canucks' need for a scoring winger, would it have been worthwhile for the Canucks to deal Tanev for Hall?

My mind boggles at that possibility. Hall's a mighty big fish, but losing Tanev—to a division rival, no less—would have left a huge hole on the Vancouver blue line.

Botchford also suggests that Tanev might have been a trade chip offered by Jim Benning in the P.K. Subban sweepstakes. We do know that Benning said he was interested in Subban. I think Botch is only speculating when he floats the idea that the Canucks might have offered Tanev plus the fifth-overall pick. But again, can you imagine?

I think I'd be even more tempted to make this deal than to bring in Hall. I'm a big Subban fan, and he'd augment the Vancouver defense on both sides of the puck—although even then, the Canucks would be sacrificing some of Tanev's defensive reliability.

Tanev's strong play at the World Championship certainly brought him more league-wide attention than he's ever had before. That's a product of his low-key personality as well as it is due to him playing on the West Coast, on a team that has been on the decline ever since he arrived. I think his profile is going to grow next season. I hope he comes in with a new point shot that makes jaws drop.

Tanev's contract does include a modified no-trade clause in its last three seasons. Starting in 2017-18, Tanev can submit a list of eight teams where he does *not* wish to be traded. That's not too restrictive.

I hope the Canucks hang onto him for now. He hasn't peaked yet.
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