It's less than two days since the Shane Doan Free Agency Tour hit Vancouver, and there's no way of knowing where the Canucks stand relative to the New York Rangers, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the suitors that Doan has yet to meet with.
However, the fact that the Canucks are even talking to Doan could be an indication of what they're expecting in a trade for All-Star goaltender Roberto Luongo.
As things currently stand, the Canucks have a little less than $2.5 million in room under the salary cap. That wouldn't be enough to sign Doan, who is expected to command in excess of $6 million per year on the open market. To be able to bring in Doan, the Canucks will have to trade Luongo and his $5.3 million salary cap hit, a move that's expected to take place anyway before the start of the 2012-13 season.
Removing Luongo from the Canucks' roster would leave Vancouver with approximately $7.8 million under the cap. That money would have to cover Doan and a goaltender to back up Cory Schneider, which means that if Doan is to be a Canuck, the package Vancouver receives for Luongo may tilt more towards prospects.
Of course, Vancouver already has a full roster for 2012-13, so there may be a bit more money available because of the two-way contract that would shift to the AHL in a Doan-to-Vancouver scenario. But the point remains that removing Luongo from the Vancouver roster leaves the Canucks with no more than $8.5 million under the cap before any other players come back. If Doan signs in Vancouver, the Canucks will be left with little room to maneuver, so prospects who don't count against the cap will be key.
According to a comment on Twitter from George Richards of the Miami Herald (@GeorgeRichards), the Florida Panthers prospect Vancouver has designs on is Nick Bjugstad from the University of Minnesota. Bjugstad, a first-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, scored 25 goals and assisted on 17 more in 40 games last season for a Golden Gophers team that advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four.
Previous speculation on the Canucks' trade demands for Luongo have suggested that Vancouver would do well to get back a backup goaltender, a prospect, and another NHL player. If Doan's arrival in Vancouver becomes a serious possibility, look for the package to shift to a backup goalie and two prospects.
