Jeff Paterson on the #Canucks going for it in free agency with a “win now” approach

Jeff Paterson on the #Canucks going for it in free agency with a “win now” approach

we’re on joined Now by rank wide Vancouver Jeff Patterson our conu reporter as we head into what we anticipate will be a very very busy week for the hockey club Jeff how are you I’m good I’m excited yeah I mean end of the hockey season but uh what a wild week ahead for the Vancouver Canucks there’s a lot to do here in a relatively short period of time and that includes the draft where they’re going to be bystanders we think for the most part but still that’s going to take their attention when they’ve got this long Todo list so lots to get after here in the next seven days I envisioned Patrick goine just walking around like swinging like a like a watch on a chain and just trying to wheel and deal like he’s got nothing to do he does not doesn’t have to go up on stage so he’s just gonna be wheeling and dealing isn’t he isn’t that right Jeff I don’t know he he could use that first round to be negotiating contracts with agents and players because he doesn’t have to worry about uh making a first round selection as it stands right now and you know I think the Philip ponic extension sort of end did any speculation of the conu you know playing a a card to get back into the first round I I think they’re going to be bystanders here uh for round one at the very least and then they don’t have a second rounder either so going to be playing the waiting game for sure beyond that what Patrick calvine is able to accomplish in Vegas or before he gets to Vegas you know I guess these next few days will tell us do you think Nikita sorof gets resigned this week well as I said to you last week you know this parting it hasn’t taken in play certainly nobody has thrown down and and walked out entirely and so uh as long as that possibility exists I think there’s a good chance that something gets done now since you and I you guys and I last did this you know the whole idea of Il M of absolutely being in play and Dan milstein having agency now to try to facilitate a deal I think that indicates to you just how much the Vancouver cans want to free up additional cap space to make a few things happen in internally uh you know M deal can still take place at some point Beyond free agency but it won’t give them uh whatever cap space they able to free up uh to make some things happen here in the short term so I I think they’re motivated uh they’d love to move off Mev again and I know it’s been discussed a lot in the market you know is it a sweetener is it retention like what’s the best path forward here and I’m not sure that there’s a great answer for the Vancouver conects but uh if they can swing some sort of deal there yeah I’m not closing the door on Nikita zor off resigning with the Vancouver Canucks pedia says the second round pick Jeff would you part with a second round pick to shed the mcf salary if I could do it for the third rounder that they had this year I would just punt on this year’s draft you’ve already parted with the first and second like honestly I would just say see you next year uh whatever next year’s draft looks like but I don’t think a third rounder does it so then it brings you back to you know how much draft Capital do you have at a time where you don’t have a whole lot in the system you know these are these crunchy decisions that this front office has to make and I guess yeah I’m at the point now where like they’re in win now mode we know the state of the contracts of that dmco for two more years and Quin Hughes for three you know that kind of feels like the window here and you kind of have to just roll with it you put yourself in this position uh you’ve come off a nice season you know it does feel like now is the time for the vancou Canucks and if it’s a second rounder I think you kind of hold your nose and and make that deal and obviously it’s not this year’s second rounder so again it’s just kind of punting the the prospect issue down the road a little bit but uh if it’s all about winning in the here and now then yeah I mean you’re sort of too far down that road now I think to to turn back they show some restraint too remember all that talk about flipping Lindholm at the deadline to try to turn him into gensel and you know that probably would have cost a draft pick as well in the End by not completely going crazy at the trade deadline you know they’ve got the draft Capital that they might have spent there to spend Now to create that cap space and maybe turn that cap space into J canel and ultimately get him in the end as well um are they in win now mode like is is it all chips in for this coming season or do you think that’s still a couple of Seasons away which would ironically put them into that fatter o territory obviously no I I think with what they did this year with 50 wins and 109 points and winning the regular season Division and getting the fan base engaged and back on board uh I think there’s some pressure on this Management Group now they were brought in to win to win championships it wasn’t to continue to try to build up things and accumulate pieces it was all about delivering that one prize that has never been delivered to Vancouver in more than 50 years of existence now and that’s the Stanley Cup and so I mean we all know that there is a core in place uh that part’s undeniable it’s now going about supporting that core and they did a nice job last year in free agency but you know this is the challenge for this Management Group is to replicate what they were able to accomplish on July 1 last year there’s no guarantees that you can do it year in and year out or year after year and to get a number of guys on short-term contracts that came in and played key supporting roles now they’ve got to try and do it again but they do have the coach of the year and that’s going to be a selling point they’ve got a player like Quinn Hughes who’s likely to win the nor this week and you know that’s a selling point so like I think it’s a destination again um and so they’ve got money to spend that’s the other thing that we haven’t seen the conu Management Group in a handful of years have money to play with and the last group that had money to play with didn’t spend it wisely so I think this front office has build up you know Goodwill benefit of the doubt on the part of the fan base but they are going to try to have to pull rabbits out of a hat here for a second straight July 1st and no I I think they’re in win win now mode AB absolutely again two more years with that rempco at 5 million bucks Quinn Hughes on one of the best value contracts as it turns out in the National Hockey League um you know if those guys stick around and resign their numbers are going through the roof and that’s going to take away any wriggle room that the Vancouver KS have even as the cap escalates here so uh these are challenges these are decisions that uh this front office is you know facing here in the next week or so not the extensions on Demco and Hughes but just how to support this group and ultimately it’s not about running it back with last year’s team which was very good but it’s about getting better and I think you have to keep in mind too guys the the parameters of what the kucks are up against in you know whether the Oilers win the Stanley Cup they’re coming back with another they’re the Oilers they got McDavid and dry Sidle next year uh that team’s going to be a challenge the Vegas golden knights last year Stanley Cup champs they’re not going to take lightly to getting punted in the first round you know that they’re always going to be aggressive the specific division is going to be difficult and that’s just the landscape of the life the Vancouver Canucks are in right now so win now mode yes but certainly uh there are challenges that will face the Canucks next season our first chance to talk to you since the Philip ronic resigning and of course a very cheater uh press availability Jeff what did you make of the events of last week with Philip ronic I like the contract I didn’t love it but the way the system is set up he knew he was going to cash in as a 26-year-old right shot guy with arbitration rights coming off a 48 Point Season he was going to get a massive raise and now there was always the chatter in the market about 8 mil I’m not sure I ever fully bought into that the fact that he didn’t get 8 mil but finishes at 7.25 I don’t know if that represents a a victory for the Vancouver canox it’s just somewhere close to market value for a player of that type who had those arbitration rights so um you know I wrote about it at conu army I think part of the equation here is he proved to be a really good almost perfect partner for Quinn Hughes and there is massive value in that that Quinn Hughes on his own we’ve seen is a incredible hockey player but Hughes helped heric and heroni helped Hughes get to 92 points in that Norris that he’s probably goingon to get his hands on uh moving forward here so I I I think that there’s real value in that for the Vancouver Canucks you keep your captain happy you keep his wingman there with him there’s no reason to think that those two can’t continue to be dominant uh as a pairing you know only two pairings in the National Hockey played more than Quinn Hughes and Philip ponic uh together last season so they were used a lot in all situations they Rose above they outscored opponents by close to 30 when they were on the ice at five on five you know and we’re seeing this around the National Hockey League whether it’s Mar and Taves in Colorado right now with Bard neol the way that they have played you know you build up this sort of Super Pair and really try to make hay when they’re on the ice and then you hope that the rest of the group behind them on the defensive depth chart can hold the own at the very least and that’s kind of where the Canucks are right here right now so I was happy to see heric uh hey had some jokes on Zoom with the media as well uh yeah why wouldn’t he be happy he just cashed in at 58 million bucks and and you know his future is certain now for the next almost decade so he seemed like he was in a pretty good mood relaxed and uh you know he talked about needing to get stronger so that he can be the same player in the second half in the playoffs that he was in the first half last season should the Canucks go out and find a number three defenseman a true one like is Nikita do zorov even a number three defenseman because uh behind the that top two pair Carson sus is not a number three um and you know there are a few defenseman available should that be a priority is is the door off at number three in your mind I think the way they utilized him in the playoffs he kind of turned out to be that guy but on a depth chart right now I’ve got Quin Hughes and Carson Susi on my left side and and then you’re probably trying to slot somebody in under those two now when we just talked about Hughes and heroni as incredible as they are Susi and Myers together gave the conu what they were looking for in the playoffs and that is you know these long rangy guys that did an incredible job of keeping opponents Steph McDavid and dry cidal to the outside for the most part but the underlyings were not kind to those two guys like they got buried they took on a ton of water ultimately they didn’t drown but they don’t move the puck out of Their Own Zone zone They defend way too much and so yeah in a perfect world you’d have somebody that’s able to move the puck a little better than either one of those guys so that you’re not spending as much time in your own end but those players come at a cost and again it’s where do you want to allocate uh the cap resources that you’ve got here we know that this team needs scoring it needs help up front that still has to be to me the primary goal here of this week moving through the draft and into free agency and again I just don’t think that they’ve got the trade to make a massive trade for a a score so I think you are looking at free agency with all the smoke around Jake gensel there’s every reason to believe that the Canucks are going to swing for the fences there but hey gel’s gonna have options he’s gonna get his money wherever he goes there’s no absolutely certain lock that Jake gensel decides that Vancouver is where he wants to play and I’m fascinated to see guys if gensel decides to pick somewhere other than Vancouver you know what is Plan B and how does this Management Group execute that to again go and find an upgrade that can come in here and hit the ground running scoring goals for the Vancouver KS next season are you resigned to losing Dakota Joshua I think so unless they can move off mckv in the entirety of that contract uh I just it’s been remarkably quiet around Dakota Joshua I know that there have been stories written and I think they’re kind of of the ilk of you know um here’s a guy that you know Detroit should go after or Toronto should go after like I’m not sure that we’ve heard a ton of absolute locks to other franchises but I think we will hear in the next week is you know used to have the the speed dating period where teams could actually talk to players that’s not there anymore but I I think we’ll start to as the hockey World Des ends in Vegas I think the rumor mill will churn once we get through the Stanley Cup Final I think the rumor mill will churn a little bit but yeah I I I think I am I think that uh there’s going to be one team out there and that’s all it takes that uh you know gets mesmerized by this big body that has soft hands that can score and can also kill pedes I mean he’s a useful piece no question about it but I do think that he’s going to be a perfect case of overpayment on July 1 and you know that’s where the Canucks have to be wary and and when Patrick Aline signaled on that exit day about finding the next Dakota Joshua I think he I took him at face value I think they recognized that they were able through you know a group six channel to find a player that was undervalued elsewhere really hadn’t hit yet and they think that with their scouting and look their Pro scouting’s been really good here for the last couple years I think they feel that they can unor that type of player it may not be a carbon copy of Dakota Joshua but yeah I quite frankly I just think based on what he’s going to be able to command that there will be a team out there that thinks uh you know he’s worth whatever it is that he’s going to get but it’s going to be too rich for the Vancouver con not just a value contract though you think it it means physical big guy you know kills penalties like that that model not just a value contract yeah and look the ks aren’t the biggest team in the world we know how much Rick toet loves Wallwork in board battles like it’s going to be a blow if they lose toota Joshua I mean Rick toet saw something in Joshua when he took over he was able to get the best out of him down the stretch that first half season that he was behind the bench and then last year I mean absolutely would have been a 20 goal scorer if he hadn’t broken his hands sticking up for for Conor Garland in you know a fight that turned out to be uh pointless against Chicago all teams you know at the bottom of the barrel but look that’s being a good teammate and Joshua didn’t think twice stepped in in that moment and that’ll gain him respect around the National Hockey League as it did within his own locker room so yeah I mean you’re trying to replace all these pieces but also one of the most physical forwards in the National Hockey League like it’s not going to be uh an easy replacement and that’s why I say like Dakota Joshua like good on him you know he set himself up with the kind of season he had this isn’t a guy that’s been cashing big pay since he was 20 years old he was a late bloomer so uh certainly not going to be Grudge a guy that chases the bag here uh when the opportunity presents itself but yeah I just you know the more I look at the conect situation uh they just they can’t afford to bring everybody back and again I’m not sure that they need to bring everybody back because this is a team ultimately that fell short in the playoffs so it’s about trying to get better here but uh I I just think that Dakota Joshua is a piece that uh they’ve identified that they’re not going to get into a bidding war over I think they’ve made a pitch to him he talked about how much he liked it here in Vancouver and Jim r f in that question an answer with sportset last week basically said at some point it’s on the players that uh you know we’ve gone as far as we can little negotiating through the media basically saying like you know we’re not going to budge off our position here take it or leave it and that’s what this week is is all about hot take Quinn Hughes not winning the Norris this week better for the Vancouver fuels a team wide Grudge all of next season thoughts I don’t think you’re wish but yeah I’m fully expecting that he’s going to be your Norris winner so I would be surprised but uh look I I’m all for chip on the shoulder whatever the whatever the reason is whatever the explanation is uh you know why if these guys need motivating Rick toet talked throughout the year about you know people just didn’t give them a chance and every time people doubted the Vancouver canox all they did was win and you know he wasn’t wrong and if they used that as some fuel hey so be it so wherever they find their motivation but as I sit here talking to you guys I’m gonna be surprised if Quinn Hughes isn’t the Norris Trophy winner this year Rutherford mentioned iMac last week besser is gonna be an inseason thing uh next year do you think that’s wise and do you think there’s a world where besser and ginel can be Vancouver Canucks be on next season I do think it’s wise for a couple of reasons one is and it was unfortunate the way the season ended with the blood clot but for a guy that’s has had injury issues I think he needs to come back and show that this is behind him and that he can pick up where he left off uh I think U you know it’s always a little bit of a a Fool’s game from the club side to be negotiating with guys off a career season that looks like it could be a little bit of an outlier for a guy that had never been to 30 to get to 40 and the other thing is you know they always talk about cap flexibility you can’t just keep stacking massive deals one on top of the other um and there’s again this Management Group trying to find some cap flexibility and some rle room uh but this one’s on them because we all thought at the time that mckv was a little bit of a luxury that they probably didn’t need and couldn’t afford but again it’s a team that couldn’t kill penalties back then I think they saw him as a guy that could come in here and help in that regard the irony has been that he hasn’t done a whole lot of penalty killing really or certainly has been used as a a primary penalty killer uh so I just think a little bit of prudence here bestor got to understand that I mean it’s always a pro it world the danger and the downside I guess from the hockey club’s perspective is if he comes back and picks up where he left left off you know he’s going to be able to command an awful lot goal scorers get paid he’s going to be a 28-year old in February heading to unrestricted free agency uh I I still think though there’s a part of me that even though he got to 40 last year and led the conck with seven in the playoffs that there’s a piece of this Management Group that isn’t completely sold on Brock besser as a long-term solution so he’s at that price point now right so if he holds that I don’t know that he can make himself that much more money after a 40 goal and a nice playoff he’s here um meanwhile I mean in a Twisted bit of logic here I don’t think they’re hoping that he falls off but maybe they hopeing he regresses just a smid so that he they they can point to that as an outlier season and get him on a on a slightly more favorable deal and hey some of that playing time going to be taken up by another acquisition right whether it’s Jake gens or somebody else there’s going to be another person out there scoring goals and you can’t all score you know three goals in in a game so um it’s it’s a it’s an interesting spot here for the ks that they are almost gambling that he has a 30 goal campaign not a 40 right the thing is if he gets to 40 again and we won’t know that till the end of next season but that would be two 40 goal Seasons well guess what Jake gensel has two 40 goal season and his you know the numbers being thrown around or somewhere in the N9 n.5 million do range so uh if you could be a two-time 40 goal scorer I think you can command uh more certainly than Brock besser but like you know you just think from the organization standpoint they’ve come through uh a cycle here where a year ago they couldn’t give them away and it was a problematic contract and so I think that you know they’re hedging against rushing into anything here with this player right here right now again when I look at some pitfalls though if he has success um you know they need both gel and besser like if this team is going to get better and truly be a contender I mean that’s what they need they need two legitimate snipers like those two guys and so if Brock B comes back and has a ton of success like you can’t trade him I mean if he’s having a ton of success pretty good chance that the team is having success can you move off that kind of player midseason if you’re in win now mode and think that you’re a contender so you know it’s complicated it it just it seems like it’s always complicated around Brock as much as we all like the person and sort of pull for uh you know this guy coming through all the the personal adversity that he has it just always feels a little bit complicated around Brock besser and I’m not sure that that’s going to change uh as he moves into the final year of his contract lastly Jeff on tonight’s big game is it the biggest in NHL history yeah I’m having trouble with that I’ve seen that an awful lot maybe it’s because there’s been so much time between games that uh people are allowing their minds to wander and and trying to build this up it’s game seven of the Stanley Cup like I don’t care um who it is the canox and the Bruins in 2011 the bre blues and the Bruins a couple years ago Penguins and the Red Wings like it doesn’t get a whole lot better in this sport than game seven of the Stanley Cup so you know trying to pit one against the other I get all the story lines here the comeback has been impressive and incredible uh and almost unprecedented and what 75 years uh McDavid and his legacy dry settle to a lesser degree and this whole Canadian thing like there are some deep deep storylines I totally get that but I keep coming back to the idea that venue matters and South Florida is an exactly the sexiest iconic venue when we’re talking about the greatest games and really the matchup between Edmonton and Florida through no Faults of their own like I look at 94 the Rangers game seven win at Madison Square Garden with Messier and RoR and leech and original six team and you know I think those story lines are every bit as Rich if not richer uh ending a 54e drought as the Rangers did unfortunately at the expense of the Vancouver KX so um look biggest game in three decades sure like I have no issues with that um just with all that’s at stake but I don’t know I have a little bit of trouble getting to the biggest game ever let me if you were not a Canuck reporter would you set that 94 game does that yeah I again I think venue matters like look if if the Soviets beat Columbus on New Year’s Eve in 1975 I don’t think we’d look at that game the same way we do as you know the Montreal Canadians the Montreal form if the Anaheim Ducks had chased the Soviets out of their building on a Tuesday night you know it was the Spectrum it was the Broad Street Bullies it was the Phil like that all matters that’s all the context that’s part of the lore of these games and so um I I to me Madison Square just it’s one of the great stages in the sport and what is it amarant I’m not even sure what it’s gone it’s gone through so many like hey it’s the biggest game in the history of the NHL where’s it being played I don’t know I can’t remember the name of the rink sunrise on a map I don’t know yeah yeah um anyways uh we will all watch with interest Jeff thank you for the time and big week ahead we’ll be calling on you sounds good guys thanks hey everybody if you’re enjoying what you’re seeing here then follow along with Saron price on YouTube I promise more content coming they call it the kids call it subscribe on YouTube well how about liking it do that as well smash it right now

Jeff Paterson from @rinkwidevancouver & @Canucks_Army stops by with his expectations for the week to come, and whether the Canucks will make any splashes around the draft. Plus, Jeff addresses the question marks on forward and defence, and tells us when he thinks the Canucks are officially into “win now” mode.

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