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

[MS]

Which one was the good year?

17-18 he did a really solid job on the third line. Not worth his salary, but he was a good player for the team that year when put in the right role.

The two years before that he was a liability as the team tried to turn him into a scoring-line player and he sunk everyone around him, the two years since he's been a fringe bottom-6 guy as his motor has broken after multiple abdominal injuries.

 

[4Twenty]

17-18 he did a really solid job on the third line. Not worth his salary, but he was a good player for the team that year when put in the right role.

The two years before that he was a liability as the team tried to turn him into a scoring-line player and he sunk everyone around him, the two years since he's been a fringe bottom-6 guy as his motor has broken after multiple abdominal injuries.

My post as a joke but even that year he needed a 9 in 10 heater in garbage time to have a respectable total.

 

[Get North]

Having a good start to the year, he's more than capable holding down the 3rd line center spot if he keeps this up. You can tell MacEwen is improving his defensive skills and checking abilities playing beside another tall right handed player. Both of these guys can rip the puck and gas out defenders along the wall. Gaudette sort of fits on that line. Motte could take this line to another level, but he's driving the 4th line and valuable there.

 

[likash]

If he gets 15 goals this year i can see Jimbo giving him 4,25x4 deal. I mean you can't let a "foundational" player go away.

Joking aside if he was making 3mil/year nobody would have a problem with him.

 

[Luck 6]

I wonder if we re-sign him. I’d prefer to move on, but how upset would you be if he was signed for 2 years at 2.5mil?

 

[Fatass]

Regardless of our standing, when the TDL comes around if there is a draft pick out there for Sutter - move him.

 

[likash]

I wonder if we re-sign him. I’d prefer to move on, but how upset would you be if he was signed for 2 years at 2.5mil?

If this prevents Jimbo from giving his special 4x3 to another "Beagle", i'd keep Sutter at 2x2,5 with no regrets.
I'm more worried about Pearson's next contract. Let's hope Jimbo sticks to scouting and someone else handles contract negotiations.

 

[VanJack]

Sutter could be worth the risk of re-signing, if it's a 'team friendly deal'. The problem with Sutter wasn't the player or the person, who despite all the injuries, was popular with his teammates and could hold down a depth forward position when he was 100 percent healthy.

The problem all along was the contract....when Jimbo declared him to be a 'foundational player' and signed him to that four year, $4.3m 'deal'.

 

[Rumsfeld]

Joking aside if he was making 3mil/year nobody would have a problem with him.

I would definitely still have a problem with Sutter at 3 million a season.

 

[CanuckleBerry]

Thinking out loud here. The supposed locker room impact of losing both Markstrom and Tanev highlights how from a fan's perspective it's difficult to see how valuable certain players really are to the team makeup. At the very least, the start of the season made me think about that a little more. We of course are not privy to that inner team view, but if I were a GM I would be careful with whom I was just casting off. Supposedly Sutter is well liked, so if I were able to assess that impact as significant enough, I probably would offer Sutter... something. Short term, 2m+ maybe. If he can stay healthy, he's a more than capable 4th line centre on a competitive team. The bottom six needs to be reconstructed over the next two years, but eventually ridding the roster of Rousell and Beagle might be enough.

 

[4Twenty]

6 seasons is more than enough time to say no more to Sutter.

They’ll already have $12million in cap space committed to Eriksson, Beagle, and Roussel.

He’ll be 32 in two weeks. Hasn’t been able to stay healthy during his prime. I struggle to see that changing as he ages.

Better/younger longer term players will be available for less imo.

If they cleared that $12m plus up top maybe you gives year $1.5m but any more is a waste of precious cap space that truly matters if this team wants to up a level or two.

 

[4Twenty]

Thinking out loud here. The supposed locker room impact of losing both Markstrom and Tanev highlights how from a fan's perspective it's difficult to see how valuable certain players really are to the team makeup. At the very least, the start of the season made me think about that a little more. We of course are not privy to that inner team view, but if I were a GM I would be careful with whom I was just casting off. Supposedly Sutter is well liked, so if I were able to assess that impact as significant enough, I probably would offer Sutter... something. Short term, 2m+ maybe. If he can stay healthy, he's a more than capable 4th line centre on a competitive team. The bottom six needs to be reconstructed over the next two years, but eventually ridding the roster of Rousell and Beagle might be enough.

Everyone should’ve recognized both the quality of player and person in Marky and Tanev.

Sutter is a lesser quality player and a lesser quality teammate (never seen the castoffs to Calgary throw their teammates under the bus...I’ve heard it from Sutter.

60% of the teams wins and 75% of Sutter’s production is against a glorified AHL team.

Pump the brakes.

 

[Paulinbc]

Love the guy. He may not have high end talent, but he's a hard worker and gives it all every night. He's exactly what I picture when I think of what I want the Canucks to be (although Hog is starting to take his place), and he's super helpful in shaping our stars of the future.

Overpaid for what he is, but I would not mind re-signing him for short term.

2x2.5 would be ideal, but I'm confident his numbers will be higher than that.

 

[CanuckleBerry]

@420Canuck And that's fair enough. Make no mistake, if Sutter is gone this offseason/deadline, I am not losing any sleep over it. Most of my dreams for the team involve a clean slate with quite a few open roster spots. But in reality how often does that happen... Thinking realistically it's not going to be that clean. Every time we get a bit of cap space, it seems to get filled, just on principle.

 

[hookshott]

Having a good start to the year, he's more than capable holding down the 3rd line center spot if he keeps this up. You can tell MacEwen is improving his defensive skills and checking abilities playing beside another tall right handed player. Both of these guys can rip the puck and gas out defenders along the wall. Gaudette sort of fits on that line. Motte could take this line to another level, but he's driving the 4th line and valuable there.

How about Bennett, Gaudette and Motte for a third line?

 

[Izzy Goodenough]

How about Bennett, Gaudette and Motte for a third line?

If that is Canucks 3rd line, their chances of winning the Cup are Slim to none and Slim just left town.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Joking aside if he was making 3mil/year nobody would have a problem with him.

part of me wonders whether we'd all be easier on him if his name wasn't sutter

still, with or without the name, we had expectations. he was brought here to be our new kesler, albeit a poor man's version, and as he aged and bo grew, the idea was that he would slide into a mike fisher in nashville role. to go from that to a guy who repeatedly could not even execute a simple zone clear in the playoffs... idk, i guess i think there's a lot to be rightfully negative about just from watching him, no matter how much or little he makes.

 

[F A N]

I wonder if we re-sign him. I’d prefer to move on, but how upset would you be if he was signed for 2 years at 2.5mil?

I would move on. He'll be 32, I can't trust him to be healthy, and his latest injuries affected his skating stride.

 

[Pure West]

He's had a good start to the season which follows what I thought was a pretty good performance in the bubble. He seems to be healthy and motivated to prove that he can stick around in a reasonably important role in the NHL and earn another decent contract. Players like this are the ones that get squeezed in a flat cap though, unless Benning has something to say about it. Veterans who feel like they aren't too far off from their peak performance aren't the types who are eager to take a 75% paycut. If Toffoli or Tanev are cap casualties, surely Sutter will be too.

 

[Izzy Goodenough]

He's had a good start to the season which follows what I thought was a pretty good performance in the bubble. He seems to be healthy and motivated to prove that he can stick around in a reasonably important role in the NHL and earn another decent contract. Players like this are the ones that get squeezed in a flat cap though, unless Benning has something to say about it. Veterans who feel like they aren't too far off from their peak performance aren't the types who are eager to take a 75% paycut. If Toffoli or Tanev are cap casualties, surely Sutter will be too.

The hesitation to trade pending UFAs the Nucks neither have the inclination nor cap space to resign, while they still have nominal value, is one of the contribution factors to why Benning is a lame duck.

Look at the Toffoli deal from the Kings perspective and gaze upon what good GMs do.

Only one team can win the Cup each year and if they think that retaining their pending UFAs puts them in finals, fill your boots with pending UFAs but until then trade them for assets.

 

[hookshott]

How about Bennett, Gaudette and Motte for a third line?

If that is Canucks 3rd line, their chances of winning the Cup are Slim to none and Slim just left town.

Not extremely creative....and how is that third line looking for them right now...Stanley Cup calibre?

 

[Diversification]

The hesitation to trade pending UFAs the Nucks neither have the inclination nor cap space to resign, while they still have nominal value, is one of the contribution factors to why Benning is a lame duck.

Look at the Toffoli deal from the Kings perspective and gaze upon what good GMs do.

Only one team can win the Cup each year and if they think that retaining their pending UFAs puts them in finals, fill your boots with pending UFAs but until then trade them for assets.

I'm not in favor of re-signing him. But if the team is in the running for a playoff spot, I also would not be in favor of dealing him at the deadline just because "only one team can win". LA sold Toffoli because they were a lost cause that year. If we're not in a similar position - and I don't think we will be given the parity in the North outside of the Sens - losing Sutter would gut the team and rob them of another run at the playoffs, which is what our young core needs, moreso than a late 2nd round pick.

 

[Wildcarder]

I'd rather try and acquire a potential 3rd line center through trade (Bennett?) or free agency (Lowry?, Coleman?) before trying to re-sign Sutter. I wouldn't give Sutter more than 2m, but if he comes back at that price for 2 years I would be fine with it.

 

[sting101]

Regardless of our standing, when the TDL comes around if there is a draft pick out there for Sutter - move him.

Not if you're in a playoff hunt and haven't found a 3C. If we can get Bennett then absolutely

If and i do mean a BIG IF he can keep his wheels somewhat on track i would keep him for this year and possibly another at a discounted rate....like 1.5 type money

 

[bossram]

This little run is Benning's best chance to flip Sutter for some semblance of value. He won't do it, but I hope he does.