This is all I'm really saying.
Yup, this is probably the scenario. Give up something small in the summer or get something small now? Not sure which is better and honestly don't really care either way. Also not sure if it changes what they end up doing with Pearson.
I don't think it really would've changed much to do with the Pearson situation. I think that caught them off guard. Doesn't seem like they were expecting to have him "healthy" and trying to make a run at a comeback at all. Which obviously created a significant problem on the eve of the season opening.
They pivoted really well to turning him into a really solid backup goaltender that they desperately needed anyway.
After Pearson's nice start, he's somewhat predictably fallen off pretty hard of late anyway. I just don't think he's a guy that they would've wanted to keep, given the various circumstances. So even moving Beauvillier out instead...i think speaks to that. They got a much better option in moving Pearson, which cost them less than Beauvillier likely would have...and got something they really needed back in return.
This last off season..If all it cost the Canucks to shift out Beauvillier (and his $4M caphit) was a 3rd …..That would have been siezed on and done in a NY minute.
Hence, suggesting
at least a 3rd. Entirely plausible they were asking even more. More salary, but less term than the Dickinson deal. How that pans out in the reality of this summer's cap landscape...it was pretty clearly going to cost more, or at least offer a less beneficial return than what they ultimately did with Pearson, getting DeSmith back. They took the better deal overall.
I'm not sure they would've jumped at a spending a 3rd to move him in the summer. I think there was potentially even a little bit of a disconnect about just how negative an asset Beauvillier was...between management and Ricky Tock. But seeing the way Tocchet was inclined to use (or
not use) Beauvillier this season, i think made it clear he was a guy who needed to go. He's also just been pretty useless filler this year, without one of his little hot streaks.
But Pearson was not just an unwanted cap burden, but a huge potential liability because of his uncertain health situation and long layoff not playing at all. Not to mention, an obvious distraction with his frustration with the way the whole thing was handled. So that was always going to be the priority to ship out...once it became clear that he wasn't just going to be confined to Robidas Island.