You can have Buch half retained for Willander and Garland.

Look at the rental winger market this season. Pittsburgh didn’t get a guaranteed 1st for Guentzel. Toffoli only returned a 2nd and a 3rd

You aren’t getting a Willander level prospect + a good winger for Buch as a rental

Cool. Then we'll keep him. And as good as Garland is, he's still on a big contract for a guy you only play 14 minutes a night.

Garland has genuinely been one of our best forwards this season, even though his point total is down. He’s been an elite play driver and has been very good defensively as well. Among Canucks this season he’s 4th in GF%, 1st in SF%, 1st in FF%, 2nd in CF% (1st among forwards), and 1st in xGF%

So even though the points aren’t there this season he’s been well worth his contract. If we move a forward that’s making money it’ll be Mikheyev, not Garland

Why would the Blues want Mikheyev?

I’m not saying that the Blues would want Mikheyev, I’m saying that if the Canucks trade a forward to move out money/make money match in a trade it would be Mikheyev

TK is getting extended in July. But if ya wanna pry him out the deal is going to start with a first round pick + top prospect. Then add more lesser value parts.

You don't need to sell me on Garland. I've been a fan of his for years. But here's no escaping that his ice time persistently dropped during his time in Vancouver. From 18 minutes in Arizona to 16 1/2 minutes his first Canucks season all the way down now to 14 minutes. I'm not sure the coaches quite agree with us on Garland. My thinking was, with Buch half retained (and theoretically extended at Vancouver's terms), you'd actually gain 3.75M in cap space for next season.

But like I said, the Blues will be happy to keep and perhaps extend Buch. It's still going to take nice goodies to pry him out. I was just trying to answer OP's query.

I think Guentzel is getting one more year at that AAV and curious to see what Toffoli gets.

For Garland's ice time it's more the fact Boeser meshes better with Miller and him and Pettersson are similar styles that don't mesh well together so getting 3rd line minutes and 2nd unit (for most of the year) pp time and a lot of the time the 1st unit is on for 1:45 until their is a whistle so get 15 seconds of PP time. And he isn't a PKer otherwise he'd get 16-18 minutes.

It will take a good package to get Buch, but it won’t include Willander if the Canucks are the team acquiring him

Then they won't be, but I think we all already knew that. They blew their wad on Lindholm. With the 24 1st and Brzzzy gone, there's no other direction to go on a lead piece but Willander. Whom they presumably will not trade. But like I said, the AGM guy asked, so I answered.

However you slice it, they're paying him like he plays 18-19 for two more years. The Canucks have only about $25M next season to sign 10 players. Half the D are UFAs, Hronek needs an extension and half your Cs will also go free. For them to add a player like Buch, they would need cap help. And by adding Buch to the same depth chart that Garland sits on, Garland is simply a luxury item. Who would presumably get even less than 14 minutes. For 5 million bucks per. It would make no sense to try and keep him.

Heh. Yeeeeah, that is not how this works.

Vancouver would rather keep the true duos that are/have formed of the top 3 lines more then likely as
Miller/Boeser, Petey/Höglander, and Joshua/Garland are one of the reasons we are fighting for Presidents trophy not picking in the draft lottery this year.


As for salary Garlands 5m is not hurting Vancouver has Podkolzin who is looking fine as a top 9 player and should be cheap to re-sign. Joshua is one we really don't want to lose but might if someone offers him 3m+. Blueger would be nice to come back but if he prices him out Suter wouldn't be a bad replacement on the 3rd line and Aman while offensively struggling is great defensively as a 4th line center. Bains looks close and could start where Hoglander did last year on the 4th line. In theory Cole and Myers could comeback on cheap 1 year deals (1-1.5m) Hronek will get paid and if it's too much can deal him to another team for a solid return as he is only an RFA. Zadorov might get a raise but I think he security over cash so might be able to keep his salary down without dealing anyone Vancouver can bring back the D they want and possibly sign a good vet RHS D (ie. Tanev) if they want to split Hronek and Hughes.

But they got 2 second round prospects (one of whom is shooting up rankings), a fourth round prospect, a conditional 2nd, a 5th and Bunting. That’s a pretty good haul for a few months of hockey

Yeah, I suppose they opted to try reloading with Bunting instead taking higher end futures. Don't think it was a great idea, but it's quite a bit as a retool semi hockey trade return.