Canucks Could Look To Convince Kraken to Select Braden Holtby

The Vancouver Canucks have a lot of work to do this offseason. While the contracts for restricted free agents Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes will take priority, one of the ways the team will be able to get those players signed and then round out their roster with better depth to compete next season is by shedding salary. Goaltender Braden Holtby will be in that group of players the team might try to move, but the Canucks are hoping another team does them a favor before having to bite the bullet themselves.

Thomas Drance of The Athletic writes that reallocating salary-cap space will be critical to the organization’s success next season. He writes:

A buyout of a contract (or two) is unavoidable this summer, reluctant as Canucks ownership is historically to use that particular device. Bundling a future asset to get off of an additional contract, or even clearing Micheal Ferland’s deal in a trade with a cash-strapped team — those are options that have to be strongly considered too.

Among the names like team might look at for a buyout are Jake Virtanen, Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel and Holtby. But, the Canucks are hoping Holtby is gone by the time making a decision about a buyout comes. Holtby makes $4.3 million next season and if the Seattle Kraken select him in the NHL Expansion Draft, it solves a few problems for Vancouver.