Team: 2020-21 Vancouver Canucks

Initial Creation Date: May 26, 2020

Published: May 26, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

If there's no CBO and a flat cap, the Canucks will have very little cap room after their RFA's are signed. They could just sign Markstrom and try to hobble through the year with bargain-basement Dmen on their 3rd pairing, but I think that would be a disaster when the inevitable injuries start piling up.

The alternative is to sign another reasonably priced top 4 Dman (I always come back to DeMelo in my posts), and sign or trade for another lower-priced goalie that can split starts with Demko. I know the Jackets don't really have a reason to deal Korpisalo after just extending him for 2 years, but what would be enticing enough for them to do it? A pick, player, prospect, or combo? Merzlikins is obviously their guy and has a decent cap hit for two years, so it seems feasible they could land an established backup on a two-year deal if they dealt Korpi.

The Canucks could easily sign one of the veteran UFA backups available too, but I feel like Korpisalo has a better chance of offering a higher amount of quality starts and is still young enough that he could be the guy they stick with longer term if he plays really well this year. If Demko outplays him then it's his job to lose and they'd likely expose Korpisalo to Seattle.