Carolina Hurricanes: The case for acquiring Thomas Vanek
The trade winds continue to swirl around the Carolina Hurricanes, as the team looks to add to its firepower with a proven goal scorer. Today, we make the case for GM Don Waddell acquiring the Detroit Red Wings’ veteran winger, Thomas Vanek.
While the Carolina Hurricanes have improved their scoring in recent games, they cannot afford to rest on their laurels. If the team is to have any chance of making the playoffs, or to even dream of progressing past the first round, GM Don Waddell will need to acquire more scoring options for the team. In recent weeks we have discussed the option to acquire Wayne Simmonds or the LA Kings’ Russian mercenary Ilya Kovalchuk – today, it’s the evergreen Austrian sniper, Thomas Vanek.
What would Thomas Vanek bring to the Carolina Hurricanes?
Thomas Vanek is a goal scorer, and has been for a long time. He has featured in 27 games this season, scoring just four times for the offensively-challenged Red Wings but adding ten assists, for a total of fourteen points. Vanek’s team mate Gustav Nyquist likes what he brings to the Red Wings:
"He creates lot of chances for our team, he’s dangerous when he’s out there. He’s a good pro, so smart in the offensive zone. It’s nice to see him get rewarded."
Vanek has remained a threat on the power play, with five of his points this season coming with the man advantage, but he is a defensive liability, as shown by his -11 rating and Corsi For % of just 41.9%, despite starting 67% of his shifts in the offensive zone. But his offensive skillset is undeniable, as Helene St James of the Detroit Free Press tells us:
"Vanek is a crafty forward, a winger with a creative knack best exploited when he has linemates who can read his intentions."
Over the course of his career, Vanek has racked up 361 goals and 406 assists, for 767 points in 992 career games. He’s a two-time 40-goal scorer, and put up 56 points last season between Vancouver and Columbus. In terms of pedigree, few potential acquisitions Don Waddell could make would come with such a CV.
How would Thomas Vanek fit in?
Over the course of the last two seasons, Vanek has seen time across the top three lines in Vancouver, Columbus and Detroit. Realistically, he’s now a middle six forward, as he can’t be relied upon to play heavy minutes due to his defensive frailties. However, if deployed with similar offensive zone starts as he’s experienced this season in Detroit, and given opportunities on the power play, Vanek could be an effective contributor with the Carolina Hurricanes and help boost scoring.
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Vanek could play on a line with Jordan Staal and Justin Williams, giving him some defensive cover, but would likely be best employed with a skilled passer like Lucas Wallmark. His mentorship would also be invaluable, as his role in helping Brock Boeser in his rookie season with Vancouver helped make Boeser the player he is today – if he could play a similar part with Andrei Svechnikov, whose shot is nearly as good as Boeser’s, then the long-term benefits would be enormous. A line of Vanek-Wallmark-Svechnikov could be a potent second line.
What would Thomas Vanek cost?
The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Vanek at last season’s trade deadline for the meager price of Tyler Motte and Jussi Jokinen. With Detroit not looking likely to make the playoffs, and in the midst of their rebuild, Vanek would likely be had just as cheaply as last season. His $3m 1-year deal means salary is not an issue, and for the price of a 3rd or 4th round draft pick, the Canes could add some valuable scoring.
Next. Rod Brind'Amour is finally finding his feet. dark
The acquisition of Vanek would provide the team with yet more scoring potential – the question for Canes fans is whether the price is worth paying, and whether Rod Brind’Amour could get the best out of the mercurial forward. Vanek would be the very definition of a low-risk, high-reward acquisition – and could be the missing piece for this team. If he agreed to waive his NTC – which for playoff hockey, you’d assume he would – the Canes could have a good addition on their hands.