The Vancouver Canucks have been extremely involved in the trade market this season.
Since the beginning of September, there have been eleven trades involving NHL players; the Canucks have been involved in six of them — more than half.
The sixth trade happened Friday, as the Canucks sent forward Jack Studnicka to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenceman Nick Cicek and a 2024 sixth-round pick.
This might be considered just a swap of AHL players but Studnicka came into Canucks training camp this year eager to prove that he belonged in the NHL. After his disastrous 2022-23 season, Studnicka threw himself headlong into his offseason training — he was actually part of the group that accidentally earned the Canucks a $50,000 fine for violating the NHL's offseason training policy.
The offseason training seemed to pay off, as Studnicka had an excellent preseason performance and seemed certain to make the opening night roster until the Canucks acquired Sam Lafferty from the Toronto Maple Leafs, resulting in Studnicka getting sent to the AHL.
Even still, Studnicka got the call-up to the Canucks two games into the season under emergency conditions thanks to his dirt-cheap contract that actually has a cap hit below the NHL's league minimum as it was signed before the salary cap went up. He played five games for the Canucks, scoring one goal, before Teddy Blueger's return from injury sent Studnicka to waivers and the Abbotsford Canucks.
In those five games, Studnicka looked like an NHL player and he should get an opportunity to further prove that with the Sharks.
Unfortunately, this means Studnicka is unlikely to go see Taylor Swift when she comes to Vancouver. Maybe he'll get a chance to see her elsewhere on her tour.
The trade accomplishes a few things for the Canucks. First and foremost, it adds some defensive depth to the Canucks.
Nick Cicek went undrafted but earned an entry-level contract with the Sharks after a strong season on their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. The 6'3" left-shot defenceman played 16 NHL games for the Sharks last season, recording four assists, and the outlook on his potential was that he might have a future as a bottom-pairing defenceman in the NHL.
The 23-year-old Cicek didn't make the cut for the Sharks this season, however, as he was passed by other defencemen in the system. Still, there's the possibility that Cicek, with his size, skating, and defensive game, becomes an NHL option for the Canucks down the road.
For now, acquiring Cicek adds a much-needed defenceman to Abbotsford, who have seen injuries to Akito Hirose and Filip Johansson. Cicek should ease the strain on veterans like Matt Irwin and Christian Wolanin in Abbotsford, at the very least.
Another benefit really only affects one Canucks fan: the owner.
While Studnicka's contract was dirt-cheap at the NHL level, it was a lot more expensive at the AHL level because it was a one-way contract. Studnicka was making $775,000 per year in Abbotsford, which is a lot for the AHL.
Cicek, on the other hand, is still on his two-way, entry-level contract, with an AHL salary of $80,000 per year. That's some significant cash savings for the Canucks pocketbooks, even if his $835,000 cap hit at the NHL level is a bit higher than Studnicka's.
The Canucks also added a sixth-round pick in the trade, making up for some of the draft capital they've lost in other deals. The chances of finding an NHL player with a sixth-round pick are low but adding more lottery tickets at the draft increases those odds.
