Trade Deadline Thoughts: A Quick Look at the Canucks’ Cap

With a week left before the NHL’s trade deadline, let’s take a quick snapshot of the Canucks’ salary cap situation.

First, the team sent Evan Oberg back to the Manitoba Moose this morning and recalled Cody Hodgson.

This pretty much says that Dan Hamhuis has been cleared and is good to go against the Habs tomorrow night. It also gives Hodgson an extended audition in the fourth line center spot (more on that later) and allows Tanner Glass to move back to his natural wing position.

If Keith Ballard returns on Thursday as expected, the Canucks will have 22 healthy players (13 forwards, 7 defensemen, 2 goaltenders), 2 injured players (Bieksa and Sweatt) and 2 players on LTIR (Alberts and Edler).

Right now, the Canucks are using $341,870 of their $341,989 maximum daily spending ($318,871 max daily cap plus $23,118 max daily LTIR).

When Ballard returns, the assumption is that Yann Sauve will be sent back to the Moose and the Canucks will have $3,412 in daily spending (or $634,632 in annual salary) available.

If the Canucks aren’t sold on Victor Oreskovich, they could also send him back before Monday. Minus Sauve and Oreskovich, they’ll have $6,503 in daily spending; in this case, they can add $1,209,558 in annual salary at the trade deadline. They can also place Lee Sweatt on LTIR, which would give them another $3,495 in daily spending (or take on another $650,070 in annual salary).

The Canucks can’t take on a lot in salary but it’s something. GM Mike Gillis has been adamant that he won’t tinker too much with his team. That in mind, the small amount of salary the Canucks can take on means they’re limited in the kind of players they can acquire anyway; that said, they do have enough in the kitty, barring any other roster moves, to acquire some depth players.

(All numbers via CapGeek.)