Canucks: Sprong trade as much about burgeoning youth as anything

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Jonathan Lekkerimaki’s NHL debut remains a what-if.

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The prized Vancouver Canucks prospect might have been called up to the big leagues after the team traded veteran winger Daniel Sprong and Brock Boeser hit the injured list. But he’s dealing with a minor injury, Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin revealed to reporters after his team’s morning skate at Rogers Arena Saturday.

“He tweaked something yesterday, so he’s not playing in Abbotsford today. But, definitely, he’s definitely in the mix here, and we’re very pleased with his progress,” Allvin said.

Boeser is out with what the team is calling an “upper-body injury” — but which everyone suspects is a concussion, at the very least — leaving a hole in the top six.

Sprong was signed to be a potential option in such a role, but in the team’s estimation, he was unable to separate himself from younger players. He just couldn’t make himself indispensable in comparison with the likes of Lekkerimaki’s potential, Nils Hoglander’s development and the preferred fourth-line fits offered by Nils Aman and Arshdeep Bains.

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“I don’t think it’s fair to him to play fourth line, 10 minutes (per night). It’s hard, because he’s a skilled guy,” Head coach Rick Tocchet said of Sprong, who he’s known for years, going back to their time together with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

So although he might have been a short-term fix in Boeser’s absence, Allvin and Tocchet saw more long-term potential in elevating the likes of Hoglander, Aman and Bains. And yes, down the road, Lekkerimaki.

Hoglander, for instance, got bumped back up the lineup because of Boeser’s injury and was slated to skate with Elias Pettersson for Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. Bains and Aman were immediately inserted on to the fourth line, with Aatu Raty — another youngster who is pushing for NHL minutes — as their centre.

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“I think there’s several players in Abbotsford and within our organization that are progressing really well,” Allvin said.

The development of the team’s prospects left the third-year GM feeling comfortable enough with the youthful options at hand that he could move on from Sprong.

“We said all along that we wanted to create internal competition,” Allvin said.

Teams talk a lot about building internal competition — Allvin’s predecessor, Jim Benning, did all the time — but just saying it doesn’t make it reality. In the Canucks’ case, though, the claims are legitimate, especially if you’re looking to fill out the bottom end of the roster.

Bains and Aman have both filled the same fourth-line spot that Sprong has — and both are slightly cheaper.

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Having young players on cheap contracts who are able to contribute, whether they’re fourth liners like Bains and Aman, or they’re top-end potential scorers like Lekkerimaki, is essential to building a proper Stanley Cup contender.

Allvin is focused on accruing cap space, so extracting value from these young players is essential. It’s become clear that Allvin would like to add a high-priced defenceman to the roster at some point this season.

Optimizing cap space also brings us back to Boeser — not to his injury (Tocchet said Boeser is out indefinitely) but to his own contract situation. Boeser was off to a flying start this season, on the back of a truly great season last year. He’s a free agent next summer and if he keeps scoring like he has over the past 13 months, he’ll be due a big raise. Which means the Canucks are going to have to face a hard decision.

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The more young cost-controlled players can contribute down the lineup, the fewer free agents the team has to sign. Players on entry-level deals are easier on budget planning.

If, somehow, Lekkerimaki steps into the lineup in the coming weeks and shows he can be a top-six contributor, that could change the Canucks’ dynamic with Boeser as well. But that’s as extreme a what-if as you can find.

For now, the Canucks just want to see Boeser recover quickly. They know they’ve got young players ready to contribute at the bottom of the lineup, but there’s no chance they’re competing for a Stanley Cup this season without Boeser back at full health.

And the bottom line on Lekkerimaki is simple: He’s going to be a fun addition to the roster, whenever that may be.

ICE CHIPS — Allvin flipped Sprong to the Seattle Kraken Friday for future considerations, which are understood to be dependent on Sprong’s performance from here on with the Kraken. Future considerations trades can involve a swap of future picks, concurrent AHL deals or even nothing at all. … The Los Angeles Kings’ Tanner Jeannot was suspended for three games Friday because of his high, dirty hit on Boeser in Thursday’s game at Crypto.com Arena.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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