(upbeat music) - Canoc Central Friday. It is a post trade deadline edition of the program. Dan Ricio and Satyarsha in the Kintec Studio. Canoc Central is for Enzine Pacific Vancouver's premier Chrysler Dodge Ram and Jeep Superstore on second avenue between Cami and Maine or at EnzinePacificCrisler.ca. Our trade deadline coverage today is brought to you by AJ's Pizza. On East Broadway and Mount Pleasant, try AJ's traditional New York pizza or sink into their famous Detroit pizza, only at AJ's Pizza. Order online at ajs.pizza. It's a good pizza. - Very good pizza. - Got us fueled up and ready for the show today. - Yeah, it's been a long day already. - Yep, had a pepperoni slice, had another one with some hot peppers and a final one with some prosciut. Some nice prosciut on it. It was good, it was good. - Yeah, it's delicious. - That's not what people wanna hear, do they? - No, no, they wanna hear about the trade deadline or the lack of activity by the Canucks at the trade deadline. Good or bad and all the discussions that have been ensuing here the past few hours. - Yeah, so what did the Canucks do on deadline day? - Zip, zilch, nada, diddly squat. They didn't do anything. - Nope, they made a lot of phone calls, but they didn't do anything. - No, and honestly, I mentioned this yesterday that I would be stunned if the Canucks didn't at least do a couple of things, add a forward and a depth defensement. Jim Rutherford himself had said, we don't think it'll be too hard to add some depth. If we have to, you get a depth defensement, I don't think it will be too difficult. So expectation was there and yes, I'm officially stunned. They weren't able to pull deals off, considering how good they've been at consummating trades. Their clear desire to make trades. And that's not necessarily a criticism because at the end of the day, there's nothing wrong with not overpaying for players in deals. They were clearly in on Tofoli. They were clearly in on Gensal. Now Tofoli's the one you can look at and say what else could the Canucks have done? But I think the big thing to keep in mind for Vancouver as well, because they had no cap space, they had to get a third party to retain. And it seemed like the cost of getting a third party retained in the last few hours of the deadline, went up a notch, an extra premium for it. - Well, it was generally a fourth round pick through most of this trade season and you believe that maybe that went up? - That's kind of what I've heard. And we'll ask, Alveen, we had a chat with him, we asked him a little way, we're gonna play this coming up in a second here, but we asked him about this. Do you feel like you're getting quoted some higher prices? And I do think that third party to retain quoting bigger prices too. So I'm surprised the Canucks weren't able ultimately to make deals, but at the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with having restraint and not giving into overpaying, right? And this is not a front office that's been scared to make deals. They've made a lot of it. They made the Lindholm trade, they made the Lafferty trade, they made this a door off trade. You can look at those as, they made them at the deadline, it's a different conversation, right? - It would be like going to the coffee shop and the guy in front of me is like, "Hey, I want an espresso." It's like, "Okay, $2." And then you're the next one in line, "I'll have an espresso." "Okay, $3." He's like, "What? "Wait, what happened? "What just happened here? "I don't want this coffee anymore." It's the principle of it. - That's the price right now though, you know? - Well, we're shortage now, so it's now $3, bro. All that aside, we did speak to Patrick Alveen. We tweeted it out earlier. There is a little bit of news that we did get from Patrick in our discussion, mentioning that they have discussed contract with their new, prized, restricted free agent, that being Philip Ronik after Elias Petterson got signed. So let's get to it. Here is Patrick Alveen, a little bit earlier this afternoon. Thanks for doing this, Patrick. How are you? - Thanks, guys. I'm pretty good, thanks. - Are you ready to put the phone down for a couple hours or what? (laughs) - A couple, I could use a couple hours off the phone area. - You're right. - Yeah, it's been a pretty wild season for you guys. I know you made a lot of trades. I mean, every time it seems like we talk, we kind of joke about how many trades you have been making while everybody else has been quiet around the league. And today it's the opposite. You were the quiet one and everybody else was getting busy. What happened today? - Yeah, nobody wanted to let me in. (laughs) I was knocking on the door, but nobody wanted to let me in. So, yeah, unfortunately we were not able to facilitate anything here today. But that being said, the price tag and the assets that we're asking for wasn't really a fit for us. And also with some of the cap complications being an LTR as well. - You know, and you just kind of mentioned, you guys couldn't get something done. You were trying, obviously, knocking on that door. Did you guys feel like the prices were being asked, were hired? Did you feel like maybe the fact that you guys have been aggressive teams were almost putting you in a tougher spot? - Some definitely did. - Definitely, I think so. And I think for us, we were fairly specific in our needs and when our staff valued some of those players, higher than others and when some of them were gone, it didn't really make sense for us. - Did you think it was going to be as difficult to do this the last couple of days? Do you think that maybe we were gonna be able to at least make a depth addition on the blue line or something? - Well, I think it just had shown the whole year or the last couple of years, it's hard enough to make a trade anytime earlier. And the risk of waiting to work just the day of the deadline. And then the adjustment for the player, you don't really know if that's gonna work well or not. So I think that's where I've learned a lot from Jim Rothford to be ahead of things. And I think that's where we were able to facilitate trades during the year with the Lafferty, Sedora, and Lindolm. And we improved our team and that's why we were sitting here today with eight and nine points. - And you have made trades the course of the year as we touched on earlier, Lafferty and Zadoraov. And you already made the big move with Lindolm. You have spent some future assets and future capital already. Was that a consideration, especially when, for what you just said, price has started to get a little bit too expensive for you. - Yeah, yeah. And also the quality or the kind of role of the players that are available to you. - You were able to sign Alia's Pedersen last week with the long-term extension that the team went on a three-game win streak. How much of the happenings of this past week and some of the success of your younger players, whether it's with the team right now or an Abbotsford factored into not wanting to pay those expensive prices as well? - Definitely factor in that. And just to see the team or team going through adversity and finding a way to get out of it and finding a way to play to our identity and our staples again and being successful on the road in the last three games, only giving up three goals. I'm very pleased and happy to see how the team came together and find a way out of it. And now it's just continue to focus on the next game. We all know that the next game is the hardest one. - I definitely think it helped the group of the signing of the Lias from his teammates knowing that he's committed to stay here and for Lias to just focus in on playing hockey. And I thought he played extremely well here in the games against LA and Vegas. - And you mentioned during the press conference that you were involved and most players available. And you mentioned there weren't a lot of guys were real needle movers. And then really there were two forwards. I know you can't talk about them specifically. We know who the two forwards were. Once those guys go off the market, did you kind of look at your team and wonder if you're better off relying on the guys you have as opposed to spending on a player that may be of the same caliber of some of the guys you already have? - Yeah, and I think that's what you always waiting in on the chemistry in the dressing room, the chemistry on the line. And I like our players, they earned to be on the team. They played hard for the Vancouver Canucks and they set us up for a good stretch on there. - You know, there was a lot of players on the rental market that moved today. Was there any sort of look at some players that still maybe had some term remaining on their contract? - Yeah, there wasn't discussions. And those player acquisitions might be more of a summer deals. I think teams still want to make a person and be in the playoffs and have a chance to win the cup. So for me, I always trying to connect with GMs here and see what the plans are. And some of them might not be, you know, be able to facilitate during the regular season that you still keep in touch and see if there are a possibility to make a move in the off season. - Well, and as far as where you guys find yourselves in terms of the prospects and the assets you guys have accumulated, you guys have done a good job since you've arrived, signing some college free agents, of course, bringing free agents like R.C.D. Baines into your organization, you built out the asset pool, but does perhaps some of your discussions here over the past week or so kind of also shed light on, you guys needing to still grow that asset pool a bit more in order to make some more deals down the road? - Yeah, I think part of this is to the next step of getting some of those younger players into or line up with, you know, with entry level contracts, but also credit to our scouting staff, you know, that the ask of younger players that we might, you know, I think you over, maybe you overrate your own players, but there was actually, I was actually pleased that then proud of my scouting staff to see the demand of the ask for younger players that we have drafted over the last couple of years, that other teams acknowledge too. - It's the uncomfortable one to ask, but you know, there was, and it is silly season, I get that, but Elias Lindholm, his name ended up in the rumor mill through the course of this week. What exactly happened there? - Yeah, I feel really bad for Elias, that I felt that was very disrespectful. I, the reason we got to Elias Lindholm is that we believe that he is a good hockey player, a good 200-foot hockey player. We all know that it's gonna be some adjustment for a player coming in. He's been playing really well for us. He has improved our face off. He has improved our PK and our intention when we traded for him was that he was gonna be here long term. So all the noise and all the rumors, I felt I didn't feel good about it. - Do you think for him too now, you know, now that he's been here a few weeks, the deadline's coming past, how much do you think that's going to help him perhaps settle in even more now down the stretch? - Yeah, I definitely think it will help. He got his family in here to Vancouver. We've been mostly on the road, so he's hardly been in the city here. So I definitely think here being at home over the next stretch of games that he will just settle in and be more comfortable and enjoy it. And hopefully his family will enjoy the sitter going cooler as well. So I definitely, he's gonna be a big part of us if we're gonna have success here down the stretch. - But when you made the acquisition for Lindholm was the vision or theory to have him play on one of the top six lines, maybe next to Elias Pedersen. And now Rick Tockett, maybe sees it a different way? - I think we have the opportunity to have different match ups. But I think, again, looking around the league, I think we have, if not the best, the second best center in place here with JT Pedersen, Lindholm and Teddy Bluger. And we all know when you have match ups and you're building around your center position, then you could, the coach, the coach have more possibilities of moving players around. And I think you've seen in different part of games that Lindholm has played wing with either Miller or Pete in there. So definitely give Tock some more options. - And we saw a lot of teams in the Western Conference and even some teams in the East, of course, load up. We saw what Carolina did. But looking at Vegas to add too much hurdle and Hanifin, you see Colorado be aggressive. When you see contenders, teams that, you know, hopefully you're fighting within the postseason to go deep with, when you see them do those sort of things, does it create urgency? Does it create a desire to try to answer back? Or how do you handle when you see the other contenders there, you know, stepping it up the way they did? - Yeah, I think it's a fine balance. I mean, you gotta be aware of the teams you're competing against and you're playing against what they're doing and how they line up looks like. But again, our focus has been on our group, areas of improvement. And again, we're sitting here with 89 points and we have a good team in place here. So it's not like we're desperate and it was a good feeling that we have trust in the group we have. - Patrick Alveen, our guest here on Canucks Central. There was a lot of discussion about Phil Castle. You did not sign Phil Castle today. What was the decision-making there? - Well, we have a lot of respect for Phil. It's been a great player in the league through you stand the caps. He has decided to come back to the National Hockey League and play. He's worked at it and we're not being an LTR, having some injury. The limiter roster option and the cap option. So unfortunately, as of today, it was not a fit to sign Phil Castle to extend this NHL career here. - When you look at what the team has done this year, we talked about Elias Pedersen, he signed a long-term contract. You talk about this team playing the way it has. How much faith do you have in this group and how much confidence do you think these guys have on one another this year? - I have a lot of faith in this group and the coaching staff. And I know that the dressing room is very tight and the players enjoy being around each other. And if you're gonna have success, that's something you need. I think that's where we feeling very comfortable with the lineup we have here. And I said, the depth we have done in habits for the players coming up and showing that they're more than capable of playing games in the National Hockey League. - You got Pedersen done. So our view looks at the next big contract you might have to get done and signed. What's the latest with Phil Peronic? Are you going to explore that a little bit further now that the deadline has passed? - Yeah, we like Phillip. He's been a good fit for us and we want to keep him. And again, we have put a contract offer out to him, which we feel it's fair. So hopefully we can get a deal done, but with Phillip to stay here in Vancouver. - Long-term or short-term? (laughing) Next question. - Well, you know, on that front, you know, I'm kind of kidding on this one too, but last time we spoke to you and last time we spoke to Jim Rutherford, you guys talked about we're active, we're trying to do things. And as soon as you guys hung up the phone, like 30 minutes later, trades went down. Was the door off happened? You know, then other moves happened. So are you waiting to bounce some news on us as soon as you finish talking to us again today? (laughing) - Well, we'll see. (laughing) One hour is for today, right? - Yep. - Patrick, we really appreciate the time. No, it's been a busy time, but hey, the good news is you get to spend the next three weeks or so here in Vancouver with the nine game, Homestand. - Oh, that's great, looking forward to it. We have the best, truly the best fans in the league. So hopefully they come out here and then help the team having a good Homestand. Thanks, guys, to have me on there. - There is Patrick Olveen joining us here on Canucks Central. - Yeah, so I mean, so like the last two times they were on, the playing home trade happened, these adorable trade happened. Do you think he dropped the Veronix Group on us out of guilt? 'Cause he wouldn't disclose anything last time. So if this happens today or tomorrow even over the weekend, he gave us something this time, you know? So thank you, Patrick, we'll take that. - They've tabled an offer that they feel is very fair for Phillip Hronic. - Does Hronic think it's fair? - That's ultimately the question here, right? You know, we've talked a lot about this. Where does Phillip Hronic camp feel like the market is for a right-shot defenseman with his kind of statistical profile, having our brights still being in his, you know, mid 20s. You could easily make the argument like, hey, this is a seven and a half, eight million dollar defenseman with the cap rising and those kinds of things. So I'm very curious how this continues to develop here now that we know the Canucks have at least tabled an offer for Phillip Hronic. - Yeah, and I wonder how aggressive the contract is. I mean, clearly he declined to give us term. - Yeah. - But I think if you're saying it's a fair offer, you're mentioning it on air, the way he mentioned it. Would you assume it's a long-term deal? - I would presume yes, it's a long-term deal. - So let's just for the argument's sake, considering he's still young, he's 26 years old. Let's say it is an eight-year deal, right? The comparables to me that we have to look at for right-handed defenseman to in particular, Mackenzie Wieger and Damon Severson. - Okay, recently signed both of those. - Now, Hironic has outproduced those players this season. - Yeah. - And by the end of it, it'll be by a pretty wide margin in terms of a big year, right? But those guys, 40-point guys, high 40s even, some consistency in the 30-high, 30-plus in everything righty defenseman, good defensively. But maybe number three, that's kind of what they are. And I'd say we all agree, Hironic's more of a number three, next to Hughes looks like a two, but how much of that is Hughes? Like, what is he truly, right? So to me, those guys signed eight-year deals worth 50 million total money. - Yeah. - So 6.25 against the cap. Because Hironic's been better is a, say, $52, $54 million deal. So somewhere, let's say anywhere from 6.25 to 6.75 million. To me, that's the range I would wanna be in for him. Anything beyond that, I'm not comfortable. But would that, over an eight-year deal, be a fair? And I think that would be a fair contract. The question is, how would Hironic's done, how they view themselves, do they feel like they can push for something much bigger, even if it's not in Vancouver? So I think they could push for more. Now, the question would be, do the Canucks feel comfortable going into next season with Hironic, as a pending unrestricted free agent in his final year and playing that out and seeing where it goes? Or would they be like, all right, you're not gonna sign a contract, we've gotta pull the plug and we'll trade you to somewhere that you're more comfortable signing? - I would imagine they make the deal in the off season. - Yeah. - If they would wanna head into the season with that, you know what I mean? They like to get their stuff figured out and have some certainty and your time to move the player will be the off season. - Well, it would be tough to go into the season with essentially your top pair right shot defensemen, a season where you're expecting to contend and then like you're not gonna trade that player at the deadline. - You have to figure it out this off season. And I think they wanna figure it out now. - Right. - It's clear, they wanna figure it out now. And the way I always looked at the total money for cap hit per year for Pedersen and her own it together was can you keep it under, to me, if you can keep it under 20 million, it would be fantastic. Now that Pedersen signed for 11.6 and not 12, right? Can you keep it under 19? And can you keep it closer to 18? You know, 'cause if you add in, say, her own it get you know, 6.5, that would be both those players are coming in at 18.1. - Yeah. - And that to me would be nice to get both those guys. And I think then it would give the Canucks ample cap space to do other things this off season as well. Not to keep everybody, but they could still keep a few guys and perhaps make an addition. They would have some options, right? And I think they would like to have some certainty on his situation heading into the off season. - So right shot guys, if there's not a ton of them that are making more than 7 million bucks a year right now, right? There is an Aaron Eckblad that's making seven and a half. You've got Jared Spurgeon just under eight. Brent Burns is in the category over 8 million. Like it's kind of the top top tier of right shot defense men that are making that kind of dough. And then everybody else is sort of in that 6.5, six and change kind of area, right? Damon Severson, even if you go a little bit further back, contracts like Justin Falk and even Ryan Ellis, guys that were maybe even more so in Philopronic's statistical profile around 40 points, they signed for six and a half. So even with a little bit of cap inflation here, considering years have gone by since those contracts signed. - But also, it's possibly a flat cap for like six years. - You know, maybe with inflation, you're looking around 7 million bucks a year. - Yeah, and to me, I wanna keep it under seven. - That's where I'm at with ironic. - That would be the ideal. But asking for eight, I mean, hey, you always open with a high number when starting a negotiation. Remember that, kids. - Yeah. - We'll keep this conversation going. 6.50, 6.50 on the Del Mar lumber text message inbox. If you got a comment on Philopronic or on the Canucks trade deadline, we got an open segment coming up. We'll discuss all of it and what happened, what didn't happen next on Canucks Central.
