The number of contracts aren't a problem. Cassels, Cederhom, Virtanen, McCann & most likely Horvat won't count against the 50 cap. The Canucks can sign 3 or 4 more players.
Add to that you could trade contracts away for next to nothing if you really need to.
After this season, we have Matthias, Dorsett, Richardson, and Sestito all being UFA. Unlikely that all of them return and quite possibly all of them won't be back. I mean sooner or later, you expect some of our prospects to take a few roster spot. Pretty sure someone will take Richardson and Sestito's spot. The other 2 is questionable and i guess it depends on their play this season.
Then there's Jeffrey, O'Reilly, Biega, Sanguinetti as UFA from Utica (or likely Utica). If we have prospects coming up (which we will have a few), then again not all of them will be resigned. Even our RFAs, not all of them will likely be back. Friesen is probably as good as gone. Defazio/Lain probably fill a similar role so probably only 1 of them will be back. Mallet probably won't be back.
There's also Zalewski, Tommernes, Keninis, Grenier, Archibald, Andersson, and Cannata... all of them likely to be back but if they have a bad year, they might not. Note i didn't include Vey, Eriksson, or Corrado since there's little chance we won't resign them.
Basically we are in pretty good contract shape to offer Valk a contract. The question is rather or not we will. I'm hoping we take a flyer on him since we don't have a lot to lose.