In this edition of the Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors, the asking price for Martin Necas might be too much for Vancouver. Also, Ian Cole will be a free agent this offseason. Additionally, an update to the Canucks coaching staff.
Asking Price for Necas
The Canucks are interested in trading for Carolina Hurricanes winger Necas, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the club is asking for a lot for the winger. He added the Hurricanes want one or two of the Canucks top prospects and that the deal will be harder for Vancouver to do now compared to the talks the two sides had during the regular season. During the regular season, the Canucks offered Elias Pettersson for Necas and more before signing the Swedish forward to an extension.
The Canucks have other options to trade for in the offseason. Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers is reportedly open to leaving the club and is a player the Canucks should target. Otherwise, they could wait until free agency and not give up too many assets for a top-six winger. Players such as Jake Guentzel, Sam Reinhart and Tyler Toffoli are potential targets for the club.
Cole Will Be a Free Agent
The Canucks won’t re-sign defenceman Cole before July 1 and he will hit free agency. The club needed him to accept a deal below $3 million, but the two sides couldn’t find common ground. Cole provided the Canucks with veteran leadership as a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
He played well in the first-round matchup against the Nashville Predators but struggled against the Edmonton Oilers. Cole collided with Evander Kane in Game 2 and cut his ankle, which required stitches. He signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Canucks. The 35-year-old is nearing the end of his career. He’s played 14 years in the NHL.
Related: 4 Top-Six Wingers the Canucks Should Target in a Trade
With Cole on the way out, the Canucks have $3 million to spend this offseason. They have multiple free agents and need as much cap space as they can to bring back some of their key pieces from last year while improving their roster.
Canucks Coaching Update
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced changes to the organization’s coaching staff. They promoted Yogi Svejkovsky to assistant coach, while Henrik and Daniel Sedin will be more involved in the day-to-day activities in both Vancouver and Abbotsford. The Canucks mutually parted ways with Mike Yeo, who joined the Ottawa Senators as an assistant coach. The team searched for a replacement and found the best option within their organization in Svejkovsky.
“The ability to promote from within will help us in the transition, as Yogi has a great understanding of our systems and the way we want to play,” Allvin said. “Including the Sedins more in our day-to-day coaching duties will be hugely beneficial to our group both on and off the ice. Both Daniel and Henrik bring a very unique perspective and competitive mindset to our staff.”
Svejkovsky has been a skills coach for the Canucks for the past two seasons, helping develop players in Vancouver and Abbotsford and will take over the team’s power play. Head coach Rick Tocchet discussed all three individuals.
“Since I arrived in Vancouver, I have been very impressed with Yogi’s work ethic and willingness to do anything and everything to help us become a better team,” Tocchet said. “Daniel and Henrik have also had a seat at the table and I have leaned on them more and more as the year went on. Their knowledge and ability to teach the game is a huge plus and they fit in extremely well with our group.”
The Canucks have made multiple coaching hires this offseason as they hired Manny Malhotra as the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks, replacing Jeremy Colliton. Malhotra was an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs before making the move. He also played for the club for three seasons.
