If they were to select the option where they bought out either one, or both, they'd need some cost-efficient contract. Since Tocchet's arrived, defensemen have gone back and forth between Abbotsford and Vancouver, which showed us the importance of depth and cost-efficient players.
Guillaume Brisebois, and Christian Wolanin to name only these two have emerged as players capable of getting it done for a fraction of the cost of Myers and OEL. Another name that we haven't heard as much due to his young age has been having a killer sequence down in Abbotsford: the Canucks' 2018 2nd Round Draft pick, Jett Woo.
The mobile two-way defenseman now counts 20 points in 65 games, but in the latest bit, since most of the Abby Canucks defense has been in the NHL, Woo has taken his game to the next level. He counts 7 points through his last 10 and even better, 5 in his last 5, including that beauty of an O.T. Winner:
The 22-year-old is precisely what the Canucks need on their back end, a 6'00 and 205-pound right-handed defender, who will be a restricted free agent by the end of the season. Woo is currently in his second full professional season and with the way he's progressed, he could be causing a surprise when he comes to training camp next year.
The effects of buying out 4 years of OEL would be enormous, however, if they were able to replace him efficient players on league minimum salaries that managed to get the job done. The Canucks would find themselves with a lot more money to play with moving forward.
