Player Discussion Brandon Sutter. Defensive Center. One More Year Remaining at $4.375 AAV (w/ M-NTC).

[CambieKev]

It doesn't look like we have a Brandon Sutter discussion thread yet. He was quite strong on the defensive side of the puck for the Canucks during the playoffs. The cap hit remains the biggest drawback, but he only has one more year remaining on his current deal.

He was second on the team in takeaways per 60 during the playoffs behind only Tyler Motte, and he's quite an active back checker.

In an ideal situation, I think he'd be a good 4C for the Canucks if they choose to re-sign him to a more reasonable contract. He was miscast as an offensive player.

Here's footage from his performance in Game 5 vs Vegas (Sep. 1, 2020):



I've also written a piece for CA:

Article: Brandon Sutter was among the Canucks’ best playoff back-checkers, but his cap hit remains a hindrance - Sep. 20, 2020

Click to read more...

 

[Fatass]

If we don’t sign Marky Sutter will get traded for a goalie of similar cap cost and contract term. Like Dubnyk. One year at 4.3

 

[GetFocht]

This should be the easiest contract to trade for Canucks given he can produce, is a RH center, and can help a rebuilding team with leadership.

 

[wonton15]

He doesn't pass the eye test for me, no matter what his stats say. Always looks like he's labouring and doesn't put effort into anything he does. So soft for a "big" guy.

Maybe it's just my Sutter hate but watching him skate around like he's lugging 200 pounds on his back infuriates me. He does have like spurts where he makes good offensive plays out of nowhere and can PK

 

[Zippgunn]

He doesn't pass the eye test for me, no matter what his stats say. Always looks like he's labouring and doesn't put effort into anything he does. So soft for a "big" guy.

Maybe it's just my Sutter hate but watching him skate around like he's lugging 200 pounds on his back infuriates me. He does have like spurts where he makes good offensive plays out of nowhere and can PK

...I think it IS your "Sutter hate". At least, unlike most posters here, you are honest...

 

[M2Beezy]

He doesn't pass the eye test for me, no matter what his stats say. Always looks like he's labouring and doesn't put effort into anything he does. So soft for a "big" guy.

Maybe it's just my Sutter hate but watching him skate around like he's lugging 200 pounds on his back infuriates me. He does have like spurts where he makes good offensive plays out of nowhere and can PK

This how I feel too. Id be very happy if we trade him without retaining or taking a awful contract back but this is unlikely imo

I dont think hed be worth $1 mill per season tbh. Just doesnt fit with what are team should be trying to build

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

other than maybe three or four games in this year's playoffs he's been maybe my least favourite non-bald canuck ever

a normal player shouldn't be as soft on the puck or ineffective on clears as he is, but someone named sutter? how is that even possible? was his mother made of lightly scented air?

 

[Canucks1096]

Sutter led the Canucks in 5 on 5 points in the stl series with 4 and one of the better penalty killers in the playoffs. People saying he was horrible in the playoffs are out to lunch.

Regular season and playoffs combined. Sutter 5 on 5 ppg was actually higher than Gaudette.

Some people get confuse about the difference between a bad contract vs a bad player. He definitely has a bad contract but he is not a bad player.

If Benning willing to keep 50% of the salary. He should be able trade him without giving an asset. But then again calculating the player that replaces Sutter. You won't be saving much cap space.

 

[Diversification]

Who is his replacement if we trade him? Gaudette? Like it or not, he’s our 3C who absorbs tough defensive deployment to spell Horvat and EP.

 

[mathonwy]

It doesn't look like we have a Brandon Sutter discussion thread yet. He was quite strong on the defensive side of the puck for the Canucks during the playoffs. The cap hit remains the biggest drawback, but he only has one more year remaining on his current deal.

He was second on the team in takeaways per 60 during the playoffs behind only Tyler Motte, and he's quite an active back checker.

In an ideal situation, I think he'd be a good 4C for the Canucks if they choose to re-sign him to a more reasonable contract. He was miscast as an offensive player.

Here's footage from his performance in Game 5 vs Vegas (Sep. 1, 2020):



I've also written a piece for CA:

Article: Brandon Sutter was among the Canucks’ best playoff back-checkers, but his cap hit remains a hindrance - Sep. 20, 2020

Brandon Sutter was a truly a foundational player for us in this playoffs and there's no doubt in my mind we wouldn't have been able to get as far as we did without his leadership and grit.

He would make a great addition to any team that has any serious cup aspirations.

 

[Peen]

Sutter led the Canucks in 5 on 5 points in the blue series with 4 and one of the better penalty killers in the playoffs. People saying he was horrible in the playoffs are out to lunch.

Regular season and playoffs combined. Sutter 5 on 5 ppg was actually higher than Gaudette.

Some people get confuse about the difference between a bad contract vs a bad player. He definitely has a bad contract but he is not a bad player.

If Benning willing to keep 50% of the salary. He should be able trade him without giving an asset. But then again calculating the player that replaces Sutter. You won't be saving much cap space.

Pretty sure the consensus on this board is that Sutter was good in the playoffs and the only bottom six guy good 5v5.

There's also a consensus that aligns with the views of canucksarmy that it's worth keeping his overpaid contract over the one's of Beagle, Eriksson, Baertschi, Roussel, Myers etc.

 

[iceburg]

If we don’t sign Marky Sutter will get traded for a goalie of similar cap cost and contract term. Like Dubnyk. One year at 4.3

This is a good strategy and one that would do a lot to deal with cap issues. I know I don’t get a lot of support for this but I think the same can be done with Eriksson’s contract. With 25% retained, a team gets a bottom six winger at an AAV of $1.5M for two years. Add a prospect like Dipietro and you have the makings of a package to get back a goalie that could tag team with Demko.
This makes good sense for the other team. However, we have been so conditioned to believe that Eriksson’s contract is terrible and immovable, that I believe it clouds rational thought.

 

[Canucks1096]

Pretty sure the consensus on this board is that Sutter was good in the playoffs and the only bottom six guy good 5v5.

There's also a consensus that aligns with the views of canucksarmy that it's worth keeping his overpaid contract over the one's of Beagle, Eriksson, Baertschi, Roussel, Myers etc.

I won't say it's the consensus. I would say it's 50/50. I have people message me directly and telling me how LAZY Sutter is, What a horrible game he played, bad play

 

[Peen]

I won't say it's the consensus. I would say it's 50/50. I have people message me directly and telling me how LAZY Sutter is, What a horrible game he played, bad play

Two things can be true.

There are times where it was noticeable that his coverage is lazy and he fails to cover the man or space properly.

He is also not an above average playmaker so there's a lot of instances of poor choices on offense.

Those are valid criticisms.

We saw the best Sutter we had seen in years. Even when he was a consistent shut down guy, these were his flaws. His lines that he centered were always outscored.

But, despite that, he was good overall.

 

[VanJack]

Who is his replacement if we trade him? Gaudette? Like it or not, he’s our 3C who absorbs tough defensive deployment to spell Horvat and EP.

Who's his replacement? Approximately $4.5m in cap space....enough to bring back two of Markstom, Tanev or Tofoli, instead of just one of those players. At that price a replacement level player as a fourth line center and penalty killer--particularly one on waivers earning the league minimum--would be a leap forward for the Canucks.

Besides, Sutter will never remain healthy for an entire regular season anyway.

 

[rypper]

He might just be the softest forward we have. I can't recall seeing him hit anyone in the playoffs.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

He might just be the softest forward we have. I can't recall seeing him hit anyone in the playoffs.

I can..didnt he nail Fiala into the boards after Fiala interfered with Markstrom?

 

[Diversification]

Who's his replacement? Approximately $4.5m in cap space....enough to bring back two of Markstom, Tanev or Tofoli, instead of just one of those players. At that price a replacement level player as a fourth line center and penalty killer--particularly one on waivers earning the league minimum--would be a leap forward for the Canucks.

Besides, Sutter will never remain healthy for an entire regular season anyway.

trading Sutter leaves a gaping hole at 3c. You may believe he’s a 4c, but on our roster he’s a 3c because Gaudette can’t hack it in that role and neither can Beagle.

The cap space he frees up to bring back Tanev, Marky or Toffoli does nothing to address that hole.

If, on the other hand, your suggesting we spend Sutter’s salary to sign someone like Girgenson, I’m more on board with that.

 

[BB06]

trading Sutter leaves a gaping hole at 3c. You may believe he’s a 4c, but on our roster he’s a 3c because Gaudette can’t hack it in that role and neither can Beagle.

The cap space he frees up to bring back Tanev, Marky or Toffoli does nothing to address that hole.

If, on the other hand, your suggesting we spend Sutter’s salary to sign someone like Girgenson, I’m more on board with that.

Suter was injured for huge chunks of the season. Gaudette held up fine in the 3C role during the regular season. His deficiencies were highlighted more in the playoff than the regular season. I think that’s something you look to address during the deadline.

 

[rypper]

I can..didnt he nail Fiala into the boards after Fiala interfered with Markstrom?

Hey so he did.



Now find a second example!

 

[Hit the post]

Hey so he did.



Now find a second example!

Hey he matches the great power forward Jan Bulis in throwing ONE thundering hit!

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Hey so he did.



Now find a second example!

Just for the hell of it, I thought I would compare Bo Horvats hits in the series compared to Sutter..

Wild series Bo..6...Sutter..6
STL series Bo..7..Sutter ..5
LVGK series Bo..14..Sutter..8

Sutters physique ,obviously is not cut out for hitting..but his hits stats in the playoffs are far from appalling, and hardly mock worthy.

 

[mathonwy]

Hey so he did.



Now find a second example!

I remember this.

Fiala's a bitch.

 

[VanJack]

trading Sutter leaves a gaping hole at 3c. You may believe he’s a 4c, but on our roster he’s a 3c because Gaudette can’t hack it in that role and neither can Beagle.

The cap space he frees up to bring back Tanev, Marky or Toffoli does nothing to address that hole.

If, on the other hand, your suggesting we spend Sutter’s salary to sign someone like Girgenson, I’m more on board with that.

Lol! How many games has Sutter spent on LTIR in the last three seasons? How can a guy 'leave a gaping hole' when he's never healthy enough to be in the lineup?

Like him or not, Gaudette is their third line center and was on pace for 40-point season. And Beagle for better or worse is their fourth line center and penalty killer. Sutter is almost completely redundant.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Lol! How many games has Sutter spent on LTIR in the last three seasons? How can a guy 'leave a gaping hole' when he's never healthy enough to be in the lineup?

Like him or not, Gaudette is their third line center and was on pace for 40-point season. And Beagle for better or worse is their fourth line center and penalty killer. Sutter is almost completely redundant.

Gaudette looked pretty redundant to me in the playoffs..Key move by Green was putting Sutter at 3C in game #2 of Minny series.