Prior to earning it's 2020 postseason invitation, the Vancouver Canucks had not qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2015. The Canucks defeated the Minnseota Wild in the qualifying round, then earned their first Stanley Cup playoff series win since 2011 when they shocked the reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in six games.
The last time the Canucks won a playoff series was when they defeated the San Jose Sharks in the final-four series in 2011. Vancouver went on to lose to the Boston Bruins that year in the Stanley Cup final.
Ask any Canucks fan how she/he feels about the seven game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and you won't hear much griping nor complaining.
Canucks fans have been inspired and heartened the outstanding play of young stars Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Tyler Toffoli, and Thatcher Demko who all will benefit from having played three rounds of meaningful playoff hockey games.
The future is certainly bright for the Canucks.
The Canucks continue to be mentioned in hot rotation in NHL trade circles. The constant chatter continues amp up the closer we get to the beginning of NHL free agency on October 9.
Brock Boeser continues to be the object of desire for many NHL clubs.
The Golden Knights were able to fight for and win their ice in and around the home plate area agaisnt the Canucks.
Boeser, the 23-year-old Minnesota native, has been linked to the Minnesota Wild who have Matt Dumba to exchange for the sniping Canucks forward. This trade makes sense.
If you believe what Canucks GM Jim Benning says, Boeser is not on the trade block. In today's NHL, 99% of players are in play for trades.
Benning will not have a choice but to continue to take calls and listen to proposals from his NHL GM peers.
Benning has three unrestricted free agent that he does not want to lose in Jacob Markstrom, Tyler Toffoli and Chris Tanev. Benning also must re-sign rock star RFA Elis Pettersson as well as restricted free agents Troy Stecher, Jake Virtanen, Tyler Motte, and Zach McEwen.
Why trade Boeser?
Tyler Toffoli will replace Boeser in the starting lineup.
Toffoli, can meet or exceed Boeser's offensive production. Toffoli scored 6 goals and 4 assists in 10 playoff games in 2020.
Benning clearly paid a lot to acquire Toffoli in a trade in February 2020. Benning traded four pieces to Los Angeles for Tyler Toffoli: Tim Schaller, Tyler Madden, 2020 2nd round pick (VAN - #51) and 2022 conditional 4th round pick* (*Conditions: Pick is transferred if Tyler Toffoli re-signs with the Canucks).
Smart NHL GMs don't trade four pieces for summer rental. Don't kid yourself. Toffoli was acquired to eventually replace Boeser.
Also, Boeser carries a $5.875 million average annual value for the next years.
Trading Boeser would fetch a top-four right shot defenseman, an position of deficit for the Canucks in the 2020 postseason. It makes a lot of sense from a standpoint of need. In a flat salary cap world, generaal managers like Benning will not be able to retain all of their star players and roster assets.
In 17 playoff games, Boeser scored 4 goals and 7 assists while averaging 18:54 TOI. In 197 career regular season games, Boeser has scored 75 goals and 86 assists for 161 points.
I mentioned Minnesota's Matt Dumba because he is cost-controlled at $6M AAV for the next three seasons. Dumba, 26, is a seven year veteran who can dominate at both ends of the ice. Dumba plays in all situations and can manufacture goals at even strength and on the power play where he has 64 career points.
Don't sleep on Buffalo.
For the past couple of seasons, the Canucks have also considered making a trade for Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. The feisty Finn plays a heavy, antagonistic Western Conference brand of hockey. The 26 year old Ristolainen has seven years of NHL service with the Sabres and can play in all situations against the best players on the opposing team. Ristolainen can give the Canucks a right shot D stalwart that can much 24:00 TOI per game and add 40 points or more per season. Ristiolainen has 104 career points on the power play.
Ristolainen is has a $5.4M AAV for the next two seasons.
The Sabres are loaded at right defense with Ristolainen, Henri Jokiharju, Brandon Montour, Colin Miller. Rookie Will Borgen (St. Cloud State) is likely going to make the Sabres roster in 2020-21 after starring for the Rochester Americans the past two seasons.
What the Sabres need more of is primary scoring and top six forward talent.
Money in, money out.
Sabres GM Kevyn Adams can wisely flip some of his strength for a solution to his 5v5 and power play scoring. Adams can add Boeser's contract without expanding his own salary cap limit of $70-ish million for 2020-21. Sabres captain Jack Eichel certainly wouldn't mind setting up the American sniping right wing Brock Boeser.
**
Congratulations to the 2019-20 NHL All-Rookie Team:
Quinn Hughes
Cale Makar
Dominik Kubalik
Victor Olofsson
Nick Suzuki
Elvis Merzlikins
Voting was conducted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association after the conclusion of the regular season. Following is a summary of each NHL All-Rookie Team member’s outstanding campaign:
GOALIE
Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets
Merzlikins, a third-round pick (76th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft, led rookies and ranked among the top five goaltenders in the entire NHL in shutouts (tied 2nd; 5), GAA (5th; 2.35) and SV% (5th; .923) in 33 contests. He went 13-9-8 overall, highlighted by an eight-game winning streak from January 11 – February 7 during which he recorded all five of his shutouts (1.00 GAA, .967 SV%). In doing so, Merzlikins became the sixth NHL goaltender (rookie or veteran) to earn five shutouts in a span of eight or fewer appearances since 1929-30 (when forward passing was permitted inside all three zones) – a feat last achieved by Brian Boucher, who blanked five straight opponents from December 31, 2003 – January 9, 2004 (w/ PHX). The 26-year-old Riga, Latvia, native is Columbus’ first All-Rookie Team representative since teammate Zach Werenski in 2016-17 and the second Blue Jackets goaltender to make the list, following Steve Mason in 2008-09.
DEFENSEMEN
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Hughes, the seventh overall choice in the 2018 NHL Draft, posted 8G,45A for 53 points in 68 games to become the third defenseman in the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44) to top all rookies in scoring (outright or tied), joining Bobby Orr (1966-67 w/ BOS) and Brian Leetch (1988-89 w/ NYR). His 53 points were the most by any rookie blueliner since 1991-92, when Nicklas Lidstrom compiled 11-49—60 in 80 appearances (w/ DET), and three shy of Dale Tallon’s single-season franchise record for a rookie defenseman, set in 10 more games in 1970-71 (14-42—56 in 78 GP). Hughes also led all 2019-20 rookies in assists (45), power-play assists (22) and power-play points (25), while ranking among the top five in average time on ice (2nd; 21:53), total time on ice (2nd; 1,488:09) and shots on goal (5th; 126). The 20-year-old Orlando, Fla., native is Vancouver’s third All-Rookie Team selection in as many seasons, following teammates Brock Boeser in 2017-18 and Elias Pettersson in 2018-19, and the first Canucks defenseman to receive the honor since Mattias Ohlund in 1997-98.
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Makar, the fourth overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft, made waves in his first full NHL season, topping rookies with 0.88 points per game (12G,38A for 50 points in 57 GP). Only three other rookie blueliners in NHL history have averaged as many points per game in a single season (minimum: 50 GP): Leetch (1.04 in 1988-89 w/ NYR), Larry Murphy (0.95 in 1980-81 w/ LAK) and Al MacInnis (0.88 in 1983-84 w/ CGY). The 21-year-old Calgary native also finished among the 2019-20 rookie leaders in game-winning goals (t-1st; 4), assists (2nd; 38), points (2nd; 50), power-play assists (2nd; 15), power-play points (2nd; 19), average time on ice (3rd; 21:01), goals (6th; 12), power-play goals (t-6th; 4), plus/minus (7th; +12), shots on goal (8th; 121) and shooting percentage (8th; 9.9%). Makar – a unanimous selection – is Colorado’s first All-Rookie Team representative since teammate Nathan MacKinnon in 2013-14 and the third Avalanche/Nordiques defenseman to make the list, following Bruce Bell in 1984-85 and John-Michael Liles in 2003-04.
FORWARDS
Dominik Kubalik, Chicago Blackhawks
Kubalik, a seventh-round pick (191st overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2013 NHL Draft, led all rookies with 30 goals in 68 games (30-16—46), making him the fifth rookie in Blackhawks history to reach the 30-goal milestone after Steve Larmer (43 in 1982-83), Darryl Sutter (40 in 1980-81), Eric Daze (30 in 1995‑96) and Artemi Panarin (30 in 2015-16). The 25-year-old Plzen, Czech Republic, native became the first Czech-born player in NHL history to pace rookies in goals as well as the third to reach the 30‑goal plateau, joining Petr Klima (32 in 1985-86) and Petr Prucha (30 in 2005-06). Kubalik, who topped all 2019-20 rookies and ranked seventh in the entire NHL with a 19.1 shooting percentage, also placed among the top 10 freshmen in shots on goal (1st; 157), points (3rd; 46), power-play goals (t‑6th; 4), game-winning goals (t‑6th; 3), assists (t-9th; 16) and power-play points (t-10th; 8). He is Chicago’s fourth All-Rookie Team honoree in the past decade, joining Corey Crawford (2010-11), Brandon Saad (2012-13) and Panarin (2015-16).
Victor Olofsson, Buffalo Sabres
Olofsson, who entered the season with two goals in six games (both on the man-advantage), became the first player in NHL history to score each of his first eight career goals via the power play (March 28 – Oct. 16, 2019: 8-4—12 in 13 GP). He ultimately topped rookies and shared 11th place in the entire NHL with 11 power-play goals in 2019-20 (54 GP) – the most by a Sabres rookie since 2005-06 (Thomas Vanek: 11 in 81 GP). Olofsson, a seventh-round selection (181st overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft, also placed among the top five rookies in game-winning goals (t-1st; 4), goals (t-2nd; 20), power-play points (3rd; 17), shooting percentage (3rd; 15.7%), points (4th; 42), shots on goal (4th; 127) and assists (5th; 22). The 25-year-old Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, native – who scored his first even-strength goal during the 2019 NHL Global Series in Stockholm (Nov. 9 at TBL) – is Buffalo’s second All-Rookie Team selection in as many seasons, following Rasmus Dahlin in 2018-19, and the first Sabres forward to make the list since Jack Eichel in 2015-16.
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens
Suzuki, the 13th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft (by the Vegas Golden Knights), led rookie forwards in total time on ice (1,135:16) and even-strength time on ice (960:02) in 71 appearances. He finished sixth among all rookies with 41 points – the most by a Canadiens freshman since 2003-04, when Michael Ryder collected 63 in 81 contests. Suzuki also ranked among the top five rookies in shots on goal (2nd; 138), power-play goals (3rd; 6), assists (4th; 28), power-play points (4th; 14), goals (5th; 13) and power-play assists (5th; 8). The 21-year-old London, Ont., native is Montreal’s first All-Rookie Team honoree since teammate Brendan Gallagher in 2012-13 and the seventh Canadiens forward to make the list since it was introduced in 1982-83. The others: Mats Naslund (1982-83), Kjell Dahlin (1985-86), Gilbert Dionne (1991-92), Oleg Petrov (1993-94), Ryder (2003-04) and Gallagher (2012-13).
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