The Canucks have clarified that they intended to add a centerman and clear cap space for the future. The idea of adding a bad contract to acquire assets has been circling around, and a recent trade proposal has been trending, precisely in that line of thought.
The Predators are expected to strike big on the draft floor since they'll host the 2023 Amateur Draft. The newest member of their management group, Barry Trotz, has also laid out his surgery plans for the Predators, and that's why this scenario could be a golden opportunity for the Canucks:
Ryan Johansen, a big format and skilled centerman, has two years remaining on his current contract with an $8M AAV. If the Preds were to retain 10%, his actual cap hit would only be $7.161M, and that is why the Canucks get paid the 1st and the 3rd. Johansen, a former 60-point scorer, will soon turn 31 years old and desperately needs a change of scenery after managing a shallow 28 points in 55 games.
A veteran of 842 regular seasons NHL games, could he be the team's solution until the prospects down the pipeline are ready to take over? The Canucks are already getting prepared to give away Garland for free, it's literally being paid to pick him up, and who knows, if he performs well, perhaps it'd be a great flipping asset at the deadline?
