Canucks Hutton could be on the move … A trade or unrestricted free agency
Sportsnet 650: Irfaan Gaffar on Vancouver Canucks RFA defenseman Ben Hutton: “I’m hearing that the Hutton camp is expecting a trade. Whether that it happens today but it looks like that’s the route the #Canucks are hoping to go for. I don’t think they can go into a situation where they let him walk for nothing.”
Rick Dhaliwal: Sounding like the Canucks won’t be qualifying Hutton. The Canucks could worried about losing the arbitration case if it got that far. The walk away number would be $4.4 million in arbitration, and he could get $4.2 or $4.3 million.
Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province: There are several reports that Hutton won’t be qualified.
They could trade him or just walk away and allow him to become a UFA.
Hutton averaged over 22 minutes a game last year and took on big minutes when Alex Edler and Chris Tanev were injured. Going to arbitration could be costly. He’s coming off a two-year deal at a $2.8 million cap hit.
The Canucks and their No. 10 pick at the draft
James Cybulski: Had heard on the weekend that the Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks had talked about the swapping of the No. 3 and No. 10 picks. The Canucks were interested in Bowen Byram. The Blackhawks wanted the Canucks to take Brent Seabrook‘s contract – five years at $6.875 per.
J.D. Burke: From understanding there is no truth rumor that the Canucks and Blackhawks talked about swapping draft pick and involving Seabrook.
J.D. Burke: The Canucks did talk to the Colorado Avalanche about No.4 and the Detroit Red Wings about No. 6.
The Canucks also had a trade in place that if Vasili Podkolzin wasn’t around at No. 10, they would have moved back.
