Canucks admit major mistake and look to trade player as cap dump

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Liam McCormick
January 29, 2024 (6:27 PM)

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The Vancouver Canucks have been having an unbelievable season this year, and are currently tied for first place in the entire league - now basically a lock for the playoffs for the first time in years. The management group in Vancouver is thrilled with the success and have already pounced in the trade market to acquire Nikita Zadorov to bolster the blue line - but now it's looking like that may have been a mistake.

According to a report from Elliotte Friedman today on the Jeff Marek show, the Canucks are exploring the trade market for Kuzmenko and Zadorov as cap dumps.

After making the move to acquire Zadorov to play on their third pairing for a sizeable cap hit of $3.75M, the Canucks clearly aren't seeing that as the most valuable use of the cap, and would likely move him in exchange for an add to the forward group.

As for Kuzmenko, he's clearly struggled this season under Rick Tocchet's system, and the relationship between the player and the team has begun to sour. Last season, Kuzmenko scored an incredible 39 goals on an entry level contract for less than a million dollars. Instead of selling high on Kuzmenko and trading him while not in a playoff spot, the Canucks signed him to a two-year contract for $5.5M annually, and now he has just 8 goals. He clearly needs a change of scenery, and again according to Friedman, Chicago could be a fit.

Honestly, it's hilarious to see a team want to move on from a high profile acquisition after just 24 games, but it might be a gutsy and correct move if they can add to their already potent offence and make a run with their extremely hot core forwards.