In this edition of the Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors, the organization traded Tanner Pearson to the Montreal Canadiens. Also, the organization plans on keeping veteran defenceman Tyler Myers. Additionally, Tucker Poolman will not take part in training camp.
Canucks Trade Pearson to Canadiens
The Canucks traded Pearson and a 2025 third-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday for goalie Casey DeSmith. The team activated Pearson off of long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on Monday, putting them $1,709,167 over the cap. As a result, the team would have had a roster with only 20 or 21 players to start the season. Instead, they create cap space and offload a veteran winger.
The Canucks accomplished a few things with this trade. First, they had a surplus of wingers and needed to move one. Pearson likely would have been cut in camp if he stayed with the Canucks, but will now have an opportunity to play with Montreal. Meanwhile, they add depth in goal with DeSmith. Although Spencer Martin and Artur Silovs could have fought for the backup spot, DeSmith has experience at the NHL level. He’s started 115 NHL games, with a 58-44-15 record, posting a career .912 save percentage, a 2.81 goals against average, and nine shutouts with the Pittsburgh Penguins. As for the third-round pick, the Canucks had to add in a sweetener due to the difference between the two players cap hits.
The Canucks now have $300,000 in cap space and can ice a full 23-player roster. Young players like Nils Hoglander and Vasily Podkolzin have a better chance of cracking the main roster instead of being sent down to the American Hockey League, where they both spent time last season.
Canucks Keeping Myers
Before trading Pearson, there was a chance the Canucks would trade Myers to create cap space. However, the organization plans to keep him (from ‘Canucks GM Patrik Allvin 1-on-1: On Elias Pettersson, Tyler Myers and camp competition,’ The Athletic, September 20, 2023).
“Regarding Tyler Myers, we have no intention of moving him,” general manager Patrik Allvin said. “He was good for us, especially after Sergei Gonchar and Adam Foote came in. He had a really strong World Championship, and I was happy for him that he won the gold there. I know he’s excited to be back here, and working with Foote and training camp will dictate our opening night roster.”
Related: Canucks Training Camp Important for a Good Start to 2023-24
The Canucks paid Myers his signing bonus last Friday, which means other teams that would trade for him would only have to pay him $1 million of real money on the season. Therefore, a few more teams could still be interested and try trading for him during the regular season. Myers is in the final year of his deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent. While he’s on the Canucks roster, he’ll likely slot in on the third d-pairing, playing fewer minutes than normal, which could lead to better play from him.
Poolman Missing Trainig Camp
The Canucks announced Poolman will miss training camp on Tuesday. The defenceman is dealing with neurological complications from migraines, which have kept him out of action since he joined the Canucks in the 2021-22 season. He’s played in 43 games over the past two seasons with the club.
“Regrettably, Tucker will not be able to take part in training camp this year as he continues to try and get better,” Allvin said. “We will continue to support and work with him in his recovery. This is a very unfortunate situation and we feel for Tucker and all that he has gone through in dealing with his issues. Not being able to play the game because of circumstances beyond your control is never easy, and we hope Tucker returns to health soon.”
2023 Young Stars Tournament Standouts
The 2023 Young Stars tournament ended on Monday, and a few Vancouver prospects stood out. The Canucks had 27 players participate in the tournament.
Related: Meet the New Canucks: Casey DeSmith
The player that impressed most was Adian McDonough. The forward scored three goals, showing his impressive shot and ability to create scoring chances for himself. If he continues to impress in training camp, there’s a chance he could make the opening-day roster after showing he possesses NHL-level ability. Akito Hirose also stood out as he picked up a goal and four assists in the three games. He will be fighting for a spot on the third defence pairing at training camp and has a good chance of winning it.
Canucks third best prospect Aatu Raty also showed off his hands and IQ during the tournament, assisting on a few goals. Arashdeep Bains also stood out for his improvement in his skating, which helped create scoring chances for him and his teammates. Meanwhile, 2023 Draft pick Hunter Brzustewicz and 2022 Draft pick Kirill Kudryavstev. Right-shot defenceman and the Canucks third-round pick Brzustewicz showed off his offensive skillset, while the seventh-rounder in Kudryavstev played well defensively. The two prospects showed the organization has young blueliners who provide promise on both ends of the ice.
The Canucks are rebuilding their prospect pool and have a done good job so far. Although they don’t possess any franchise-altering prospects, they have a good group to help support the stars they have on the main roster in the future.
Sportsnet Announces 2023-24 Canucks Broadcast Team
Sportsnet announced the Canucks 2023-24 broadcast team on Tuesday. John Shorthouse signed a new contract recently and returns as the play-by-play commentator. Long-time colour commentator John Garrett retired at the end of last season, and Sportsnet has replaced him with two new additions to the team. Dave Tomlinson will be the full-time game analyst, while Ray Ferraro will join the broadcast as a game analyst for select games. Tomlinson served as the colour commentator for the Seattle Kraken’s radio broadcast last season, while Ferraro still serves as colour commentator on national broadcasts for ESPN and ABC, which is likely why he isn’t a full-time broadcaster for Sportsnet.