Donnie & Dhali: Farhan Lalji when asked if there are going to be any major roster changes coming for the Vancouver Canucks.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Rick Dhaliwal: “So the big thing from Allvin we took, Farhan, no buyouts. So how do you clear cap space? That’s the big one for me. If they’re not going to buy out anybody, then how are you going to clear cap space?
Cause they’ve been trying for 15 months to get rid of some bad contracts. They don’t do it. So how are they going to do this summer?
Lalji: “I think that’s a great question and I think for the most part Canucks fans should expect the band to be back together. I think there’s a hope that Filip Hronek, and maybe a better version of Brock Boeser. All of that kind of stuff cause they don’t have the room.
We know they’re not going to spend on a backup goaltender, and they shouldn’t in my opinion, cause if they are going to spend, there’s other places.
It was clear the one area he said he wanted to address was third line center. So they need to get that done. And really, I think if you’re going to buy anybody out, I don’t think a trade of a Boeser or a Garland is necessarily off the table, but I think it’s going to have to be a hockey trade. I don’t think they’re going to add sweeteners to move those contracts. That strong need to do that isn’t going to be there as much based on how those players finished.
Tyler Myers situation interests me cause we got that $5 million payment coming up later on in the summer and once that happens, that contract gets moveable. Is that the decision you wind up making, and it’s an easier decision? There’s no long-term pain. Yes, the owners have to write the check for a player that’s not going to play for them, but it does clear cap space.
The injured players, Pearson, Poolman, Dermott, let’s see how they factor into all of it. Between that and Myers, and maybe a couple of expiring deals they walk away from if they can get to that point where they can still maybe invest $3 million in a third-line center. That’s a good thing.
The challenge becomes with all of these is things, is I think every team wants that second-line center that they can put in as a third-line center. That guy wants to get paid like a second-line center. So, can they get enough quality at that spot?
But, it was clear that’s the one area. We didn’t hear a lot of talk about defensemen. And he didn’t bring up a lot of the moving money where in previous press conferences, that’s been front and center. Moving money. Fix the D. Now we didn’t hear much from them, other than us asking it. He didn’t emphasize it, it’s just more about that third-line center.
So other than that, band is going to be back together fans.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
