Team: 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks

Initial Creation Date: Jan. 28, 2023

Published: Jan. 28, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Carolina Trade - If the Canes are offering Kotkaniemi and the ask is Necas, Jarvis is a solid compromise. I think the comp for Horvat is Landeskog (I don't believe for a minute there is a team willing to pay him 9 Mil per). Sooner or later, the Canes have to get outside their comfort zone and take a shot; the Cup only favours the bold. Horvat is the perfect fit there.

Buffalo Trade - Word is the Sabres want to stay the course this year, but there might also be a desire to give the current group some help to reward their play. This is a low event way to do that without moving too far off the long term plan. There is still a good player in Brock, he just needs a fresh start, and while the goal total might be low this year, he's still on a career pace for points.

Edmonton - This year's 1st round pick isn't going to help McDavid win the Stanley Cup. This pick has to be in play; the Oilers could probably get Gavrikov for Bourgault and either Foegele or Ryan (to make the money work). Do both those deals and the Oilers are a clear favourite in the West.

Nashville Trade - it's just going to elicit the same old "Myers is crap" arguments, and I don't care.

Overall, it's a bit of a risk for Vancouver not holding out for a centre in the Horvat deal, and gambling that you'll get a shot at Yager. But outside of Bedard, he fits the bill in Vancouver. He has enough skill for the top 6 and plays a complete 200 foot game.

And no, I'm not afraid of an OEL buyout. So you pay him 4.8 mil in years 3 and 4, so what? The trade off is the cap flexibility, which should carry a lot of weight for this team at this point.

And I'm extending Pettersson for 8 years at $11.5M AAV.

Still work to be done to get them into the top 8 in the league, but it's a start that fits the retool blueprint. And it should be enough to satiate the "rebuild" mob for now.

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