NHL News
Canucks Say No To Second Buyout Window
The Vancouver Canucks have a second buyout window they can use to solve some of their salary cap issues. Why not use it?
According to recent reports, it doesn’t sound like the Vancouver Canucks will be using their second buyout window as some media had originally expected they might. The team has a second window open after signing Jake Virtanen, but they don’t intend to use it, according to Elliotte Friedman. That said, Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province took a closer look and spoke to Canucks GM Jim Benning about the option and why or why not it would make sense.
Related: Canucks Stuck Between Rock & Hard Place with Loui Eriksson’s Contract
Specifically, Kuzma got information from Benning about forward Brandon Sutter. It’s clearly Loui Eriksson’s deal is essentially buyout proof, and Sutter’s isn’t. The Canucks could move on him since he has one-year left at $4.375 million.
A buyout involving Suter would save the Canucks $2.333 million next season but Benning thinks losing Sutter could hurt the team. He’s not keen on that idea, even as the organization sits over the cap as of this writing.
Benning explained:
“We have to be careful that we take everything into consideration before we start buying people out. He kills penalties and plays a match-up role and losing him would be a big void in the room.”
He added instead, he said he’d rater send guys down and risk losing them on waivers. He noted: “I’m OK with having extra guys that we might send down. In a flat-cap world, I don’t think there’s any risk of anybody getting picked up (waivers) and if they do, good for them. Those are things that are on the table.”
Canucks Will Need to Get Creative
So, as it is, between Friedman’s report and Kuzma getting direct access to Benning saying the team isn’t thinking about another buyout, Vancouver will have to look at other ways to solve their cap issues.
LTIR and other means may become available but expect the team to try and look at moving out salary without paying guys who aren’t playing on their team or in their system.
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