Disecting The Canucks Biggest Trade in the Benning Era

The edge of your seat moment for the Vancouver Canucks at this weekends draft happened a day later than expected but as predictable as rainy days in November, it was met with fans having polar opposite views.

The Canucks snagged J.T. Miller from a juggernaut Tampa Bay Lightning team in exchange for the 2019 third round pick, next year's potential 1st from Vancouver were the main pieces going to Tampa Bay.

First reaction from the deal was it is a perfect opportunity to tell your fan base that this team is ready to take the next step and go for the playoffs in 2020 or by the latest 2021. Miller is what we need now because he is 26 and by the time that 1st is ready to make an impact, Miller will be 30 and still should be contributing Top 6 forward production. 

The move, combined with picking Vasili Podkolzin is why this trade makes even more sense. Podkolzin will not be on his entry level deal until October of 2021 and therefore that will mean he won't be an RFA until July 1st 2024. More importantly, this will mean that he will kinda be like our

1st round pick in 2020 because most players that have the talent he does don't need two years. This gives Vancouver the flexibility to roll the dice a bit.

Question: So we really lost a 2019 1st by taking the Russian? Not really. Because Olli Juolevi hasn't played a NHL game yet, he will feel like a more recent draft pick rather than a 2016 draft pick.

Virtanen is playing like a 2016 draft pick because he is taking longer to develop. Both Pettersson and Horvat are playing above there years and because J.T. Miller was a mid round 2011 1st it completely comes full circle in that I don't think we will be needing that 2020 1st and because it's conditioned to if the Canucks make the playoffs or not I'm am certian that we shouldn't be needing our 2021 1st the way that our team is coming together.

Yes, I'm fully aware that there is high risk attached to this deal but the odds that Vancouver is picking #1 in 2021 which would turn into Tampa's #1 overall pick is about 3% and too be  honest, if your not making moves in sports because of a 3% chance it turning out horribly is a bad way to to do your job or live your life.

Going into this weekend I wanted Krebs or Cole Caufield. My biggest concern was that Boeser or Virtanen was going to be traded and I'm thankful that both are still Canucks.

Benning deserves our trust and Miller deserves to be welcomed with open arms.