I'd be shocked if Drouin gets that big of a contract. Use that money and sign a guy like Domi instead.

But no this team would not compete for a playoff spot. You didn't upgrade any of the things they need upgrading.

They need one more top 4 RD (an upgrade over Myers). A guy like Mayfield is perfect in my mind. And they need some defensive minded bottom 6 guys. And they need a proper #3C. Plus you traded away their legit #2C and downgraded to a fringe guy in Drouin.

The centre line up you listed here is BAD. Petterson, Miller, Domi would be a decent 1-2-3 punch.

The team is worse than this season's group with Miller, so I can't see them making the playoffs.
You're off by a about decimal point on Drouin's salary.....closer to 450,000 than 4.5m.
I don't see the Pens continuing having so many aging players and trading away futures....but if Canucks got that return, good for them.

This is my take on what I think they should do:

https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/4073497

Hextall should be fired immediately if he's dumb enough to make that trade.
Does Allen Walsh have extremely compromising information on you? That's the only way he gets Drouin 4.5 million.

Miller is doing just fine. PPG 2C. Why retain? His contract is the cost of a player that produces that much.

Canucks need a 2nd C in return so I don't see the point

That's actually a pretty fair offer for Miller. If they made it 2.5MM it's definitely a 1st. If it's 1MM then, maybe a 2nd.

Van needs to trade Miller this offseason. His contract is going to be bad in 4 years, when they are aiming to be competitive again.

Canucks retaining for 7 years on a point per game top 6 center would be idiotic. That much retention would cost 2 first round picks +++

I disagree. He's a point per game player at 31. Signed for 8MM a year for 7 more years. When he's 35, he is a 3rd C making 1st C money. When he's 37, he is a 4th C. He has another year after that.
If Van signed him to trade him this offseason for a haul, they did a great job. If they signed him to play out his contract with them, they're fools. Van needs to rebuild. In 4 years, when they're competitive again, 2MM won't be a big deal. 8MM will be.
Trade him soon or regret it later.

He just turned 30 this season. Teams pay for the first part of the contract. Not the end of it. You seriously think they are desperate enough to trade a top line forward putting up a point per game and then retaining to do so? Who will replace Miller? It’s clear the Canucks aren’t rebuilding

I was 1 year off, my bad. Still not a great contract long term.

Van is not rebuilding? Really? Is that why they were calling around to see what they could get for Boeser and/or Miller? The answer was, not enough.

Van has:
Two goalies with very poor numbers (like it or not the jury is still out on Demko)
Terrible defense after Q
A bottom 5 farm system
Two great players under 25
Two good players over 30
A ton of 4th liners


They are an under 500 team who is playing over their heads at the moment. Maybe they don't want to rebuild. Maybe they want to 'retool'. But to say they are "clearly not rebuilding" is either disingenuous or delusional.

They can either start the rebuild now by selling Miller and OEL or they can pay them a collective (nearly) 16MM to be a 3C and 6D in 4 years.

You are correct though that teams pay for the beginning of the contract. That's why the trade above involved a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd along with a C. If someone were trading for the whole contract, VAN would be lucky to get a 2nd.