I think that is an interesting point on Boeser. You could pay up now and hope he fills in or go to 2 yrs. $5m kind of thing like you suggested and wait to see and time his extension with EP's. It would be nice to see him perform in a fully healthy season before committing term and $.

For everything else here is what I would do.
For Edler: 2 yrs @ $6.5m or 3 yrs @ $5.5m with NMC protection for two years and NTC for the final year so the Canucks don't waste a protection slot. I doubt Seattle would take him at his age and with his durability in question. Going 6 years, even at $2.5m, is suicide because he is only going to get worse, not better.

Hughes: I would delay his start time as long as possible to keep him under 10 games so he is exempt from the expansion draft. The Canucks are likely going to miss the playoffs and Hughes is expected to join the team by mid March. Assuming he signs around March 13th, I would give a week of practice before playing him so that he is not eligible. He will still get his 1 year of ELC burned off.

I agree Goldy gets a 1 year show me deal. But Hutton I think commands $4m+ over 3-4 years or is traded. He has been really good with Stecher and we're seeing him play some of his best hockey lately. He also has arbitration rights and isn't likely going to settle for a 1 year deal.

Canucks should go 3 yrs $1.5-$2.5m with Demko similar to deals that Gibson and Vasilevskiy got. If he doesn't overtake Markstrom he is on a favourable contract as a backup or moveable asset. If he overtakes Markstrom the Canucks have a super cheap No. 1 netminder for a couple seasons. He has very little leverage other than to ask for a trade but the Canucks don't have to trade him. He's played 2 career games and needs to prove himself.

I think they have to decide between Pearson/Baertschi/Leivo and move one of them and move Sutter and Eriksson if possible. They can handle 1 more year of Eriksson if necessary, but Sutter has to be traded.

I can't the Islanders making that deal for Dobson. I could see them trading one of their current blueliners (not named Boychuk, Leddy or Pulock) for Tanev but not Dobson.

I would prefer shorter term for Edler. he's going to be bottom pairing in a couple years

So we are basically on the same page with everything. the idea on Brock was Just that, he hasn't plaid a full season yet and has hit slumps in the latter parts of both seasons, so it's hard to tell if it is him jumping out ahead of the other team's inability to get a read on and contain him, or if he is getting into his own head. the fact that EP has sort of hit the same wall, even though he's still quietly putting up points, suggests it could be the former and not the latter for both.

Hughes will get a start this year if he decides to do it, and the Canucks will happily burn a year of his ELC if it means they have a real puck-mover on the back end. I think with the emergence of Hutty and Stetcher this year, coupled with Hughes being able to transition right away, will take a LOT of pressure off Edler to be "THE guy." I think all 3-4 players factor into the Edler contract situation. Honestly, at 2.5*6yr, I'd be happy with Edler in the 5-6-7th man slots as he winds down his career and in the 3-4 slot over the next couple of seasons. As we have seen recently, there are a lot worse defensemen out there making more than even an Edler at 60% of what he is now. He's great in the room by all accounts, is a leader and mentor to the younger players. Insulating him with sheltered minutes like they are/were giving Pouliot/Guddy, I think the Canucks could do a lot worse in the final 4 years of a 6yr deal at 2.5. And at 2.5, the Canucks will probably be able to eat half a season of him as a healthy scratch to force him into retirement or buy him out.
As far as Hutty goes, he's improved a lot, but it's still only one season since he was almost dropped from the NHL. While he has Arb rights, he might also be willing to take a 1yr contract if he can prove he's a 6+mil over 4-6yrs sort of guy vs a 4-year @3-5mil guy. How management approaches/spins the situation could dictate reality.

Goldy deserves a 1yr to prove himself after a serious summer of training and reflection.
I like that deal for Demko.

Pearson/Baertschi/Leivo are all the same player basically at this point, i'd even lump Motte, Granny, Schaller and Spooner in that group. Leivo probably has the most upside, is the youngest next to Motte and isn't going to command more than 1.5 over the next 3-4seasons if we lock him up now. Baer has the highest trade value, while Spooner and Pearson probably have the least. I think we could get a decent retrun on Baer at the draft, maybe a 3rd or 4th. I'm not sure what Motte, Granny and Schaller would even return, maybe a 6-7th? I think we could sit on Pearson for another year, maybe get his value up by parking him with Bo and hope they can get some chemistry going. I'd keep Pearson and Leivo and trade the rest for some fresh jockstraps or whatever they return and make space for some younger players.

Sutter has to go, but he's worth nothing. he is always broken and he has all the offensive upside of a potatoe in a tomb. When he's not broken, he is still good on the draw and defensively, but he'd need a team or a dedicated line that plays a grind-you-down style to be effective in today's NHL. Yotes?

Eriksson... At this point, I'm happy to keep him. I hate his contract, but so does everyone else. Until he submits his NTC lists in 20/21, there is nothing we can do. However, I think he will have decent trade value in 20/21+ on a 30-50% retained salary deal. Maybe they could even get him to waive his NTC next year at the deadline if there is an offer from a contender. I'm sure he knows he's getting dealt the moment he submits that NTC list in 20/21.

Dobson, hey you can hope.
My point was we need to package up some players and aggressively go after a high-quality defensive prospect on a team that is looking to make a push and has cap space.


Sure but at 2.5. would you take 60% Edler over Pouliot at 1.1? or a Guddy at 4? or a Sbisa at 3.25? or MDZ at 3?
As i said before, at 2.5*6yr, I'd be happy with Edler in the 5-6-7th man slots as he winds down his career and in the 3-4 slot over the next couple of seasons. Do you really think he is above Hutty or Stetcher in the depth chart for next year? As we have seen recently, there are a lot worse defensemen out therethan even an Edler at 60% of what he is now, making more than what I'm suggesting. He's great in the room by all accounts, is a leader and mentor to the younger players. Insulating him with a sheltered 12-15 minutes/game like they are/were giving Pouliot/Guddy, I think the Canucks could do a lot worse in the final 4 years of a 6yr deal at 2.5. And at 2.5, the Canucks will probably be able to eat half a season of him as a healthy scratch to force him into retirement oreven just buy him out.