Mike Gillis On the Trade

What the Canucks get: The next James Neal(notes), if Booth lives up to the promise of his potential and is reinvigorated by the change in scenery. Also, he hunts bears with a bow and arrow. Welcome to British Columbia, sir.

That from Puck Daddy

GMMG just wants to repeat as GM of the year.

Selfish, selfish guy

with rumours of Phoenix wanting Tanev??? hmmm… think it’s all bs, honestly

So we get a first line scoring winger from our farm team (Florida Panthers), who has led his team in goals scored two of the past three years (the exception is the year he had his concussion – and even then at the time of his injury he was leading), has speed to burn, and will be unquestionably hungry to have the chance to play with a friend from the past (Kesler) and on a team who’s sole goal this year is to take home the Stanley Cup. And we get our own third round pick back from them to take on a veteran in Steve Reinprecht who can help mentor our guys in the minors and step in to the lineup should the injury bug hit us in the playoffs again. For those of you who have intimated that Booth is extremely disappointed to be leaving Florida, please remember that he had a limited NTC on his contract, and ultimately chose to come HERE.

In exchange, we unload a poor contract in Sturm and a veteran in Samuelsson who are both on the decline. Sturm was a signing by Gillis in the offseason, but give Mike Gillis credit in realizing his mistake and correcting it before too long into the season. I love Samuelsson but after two career seasons of 50+ points, his trade value has never been higher and you could see that this was going to be a season of sharp decline for him with his abdominal issues.

While this trade certainly has value for the Florida Panthers – they get to unload salary and barring their unlikely contention for the playoffs, will be active in trading the two veterans for picks/prospects. Should Samuelsson regain his form, he will definitely prove valuable at the trade deadline for them. For the Canucks, basically as long as Booth doesn’t prove to be a huge defensive liability, 50+ pts should not be out of the question playing on a line with Ryan Kesler and on the 2nd unit PP.

The key to this trade though, is getting back the third round pick in this year’s draft. I think for Gillis that this piece was non-negotiable. Getting their third round pick back not only sets them up for more options on the trade front, but allows them to put an offer sheet out for any young restricted free agent. Think Kyle Turris in Phoenix for example. This essentially helps to devalue an opposing teams leverage in dealing any young free agent who is in a contract holdout. With their own third round pick back, the Canucks are free to make any offer sheet available from $1.0 mil to $1.5 mil (compensation – third round pick), or from $3.1 mil to $4.7 mil (compensation – first & third round pick). The second scenario is more likely, but I think what’s even more likely is that you see a deal shortly for another player in the coming days, as rumours on Twitter may exemplify.

Booth apparently broke down in tears when informed that he was traded to Vancouver in exchange for veteran wingers Mikael Samuelsson and Marco Sturm. Booth left a message for his teammates on the dry erase board in the locker room.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/flapanthers/2011/10/david-booth-goes-from-mr-sunshine-to-mr-drizzle-florida-panthers-send-popular-booth-to-canucks.html