The Vancouver Canucks are blowing it up. Pierre LeBrun reported Tuesday night that Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Jake DeBrusk are all available, with teams already Calling.
LeBrun was direct about it: teams he spoke to over the last few days confirmed all three are on the table.
That is the entire top of the Canucks’ roster. Gone, or at least available to go.
The numbers tell the story of why ownership got here. Vancouver finished 25-49-8, ranked last overall in the league, and gave up 316 goals against on the season.
Pettersson finished with 51 points in 74 games, a number that carries a $11.6 million cap hit. His last 10 games produced just 6 points, and he went minus-7 in that stretch.
No squad would ignore the issue created by the difference between that output and that cap figure.
League sources say the Canucks’ owners are eager to escape from large deals.
A different story from @sekeresandprice made it even more obvious: the owners want to save money, cut costs, and get out of agreements. That is not a planned reconstruction. With a budget, that’s a fire sale.
Boeser had a $7.25 million cap penalty and finished the season with a -48 score. Forty-eight. It is practically hard to justify that number to the management when the entire squad was rated last in the league.
DeBrusk’s situation is a little unique. He had 23 goals and was minus-3 in his final 10 games. At $5.5 million, he’s the most movable piece.
But here’s the real question: who actually wants Pettersson at $11.6 million after a 51-point season on the worst team in the NHL?
The market will answer that fast. If the Canucks need a team to absorb that contract, they may have to attach picks or a piece to make it work.
Head coach Manny Malhotra took this job days ago. What exactly he’s coaching next fall is now wide open.
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