It has never been more obvious...

We're going to break down everything you need to know on Pedersen, what this means for the team moving forward, and exactly why the Vancouver Canucks need to make a decision sooner rather than later. We're going to break down all this and so much more. In this episode, you're not going to want to miss it, but before we get into it, I just want to give a huge shout out to everyone watching this video. Once again, this support means absolutely everything, and we're on the road to 10,000 subscribers. So to the almost 59% of you guys watching this right now, make sure to hit that phrase subscribe when it means the absolute world, and I'll keep you up to date on everything to do around the Canucks. Now, more reports came out from Thomas Trance. The entire article will be linked down below. Go check it out. During his mailbag, he spoke on quite a bit around the Canucks and including Pedersen. Now, the first thing we've seen from Thomas Trance was speaking on Pedersen and the probability of him returning. On Pedersen, I think you're probably looking at something similar to the Darnell Nurse trade as a best case scenario. In that trade, Edmonton was able to clear the balance of Nurse's contract, and there's massive value in that. The Oilers also received a young defender at the tail end of his entry-level contract, who isn't tracking to be much more than a depth contributor going forward, but still has some level of possibility upside. Now, of course, looking at Fedders, Shaqir Mukhamadullin, a bigger defenseman that had some injury concerns and was shipped to Edmonton before being signed to an extension. But listen, we don't care what's happening in Edmonton. We actually hope they fail quite a bit. But looking at this report coming through, that the best case scenario is the Vancouver Canucks to get a cap dump on Pedersen's, of course, $11.6 million. I continuously lean into the fact, and fans, let me know down in the comments, because I know a lot of people feel strongly and disagree with what I say. But with Pedersen's $11.6 million, the cap roll continues to grow. We'd have seen Leo Carlsen of the Anaheim Ducks sign $18 million due to an offer sheet and get matched by Pat Verbeek and the Ducks. Looking at $11.6 million, yes, it's not a small amount for a forward that has been struggling for some time within this Canucks organization. Once a 100-point player continued to drop, finishing last season with 51 points with decent metrics when you're looking across the board, the shooting percentage down quite a bit once again. But when looking at Pedersen and the fact that we know what he is capable of, the 89-point season where it was, if not his best defensive season, a plus 20, which is a team-stat, of course. But playing under 20 minutes following season, playing just over 20, 102 points, a plus 16, including 39 goals, we know Pedersen is capable of multiple things. I mean, back-to-back years, yes, 66 points in two years in a row. Disturbed, he has dropped to 15 goals over the past two seasons, but once a 30-goal score almost every single season, minus the fact of playing 26 games and only putting up 21 points, we know what Pedersen is capable of. And in my honest truth, and listen, of course, I'm not an NHL GM, I'm out here with an experience of playing NHL video games, playing general manager, but almost 30 years of my life watching the NHL selling low on a guy that has the potential and the skillset to get exactly what the open market every team would be drooling over, moving on from him this early feels like a complete fumble if management goes that route. Now Thomas Trent continues on. I believe the Canucks' preference is to trade Pedersen if the opportunity presents itself. It's a complicated deal, however, given the off-ice baggage attached to the player, the money and term remaining on his contract, and the full no-move clause and his struggles to perform at the level of a middle-six center. Over the past 30 months, I understand that the Canucks might want to move on from a fresh lead, bring in new players to this organization, and continue to fill it out with very young guys. Of course, looking at the center position, there's going to be a lot of players taking the next step to look to get more ice time. Otu-Ratu, a prime example. For some reason, in Adam Foote's doghouse, Otu-Ratu continues to progress and still a very young center. Yes, 66 games played last year, only 14 points, but playing the lowest amount of ice time we have seen from him in his career, 7.5 minutes. Prior to that, 10.5 minutes in his rookie season, 18. With more ice time, Otu-Ratu is on track to have an incredible season. Otu-Ratu is one of the best in the league, not only for a young player, but top 31, so every team has one centerman that is better on the draw than Otu-Ratu, and his progression shows the Canucks need to not only get him into the lineup, but continue to find him spots. Now, of course, Marco Rossi stepping into the organization as part of the Quinn Hughes trade. We know 35 points in 50 games on a 75-point pace win in the second half of the season coming back from injury. Otu-Ratu, of course, would step into that first-line center position for the Canucks if Pedersen was moved out, a young centerman, 24 years old. Coming off 35 points in 50 games, the year previous to it, 60 points in 82 games, we know Otu-Ratu had some injury struggles to start his career, but back-to-back years with 82 games played, of course, only 50 last year. Players get injured, and sometimes you can't help it, but of course, you need to find spots for not only these guys, where it seems like Pedersen, your first-line center, Marco Rossi at the second, but then you have Braden Koops joining the organization, a young centerman that you just used the 15th overall pick two drafts ago to land to join the Canucks organization, a dominant year with the Seattle Thunderbirds, before jumping to Prince Edward to continue on where we've seen with the Prince Albert Raiders, 40 points in 28 games, 23 in 20 games. In the playoffs, the Canucks are going to have to find spots for all these guys to continue joining the organization, and of course, you have Caleb Mahalter, just past draft, selected third overall, that is heading to the NCAA, so you will not have him next season, unless he breaks through with camp, but this is a team that, of course, has decisions to make, but selling low on Pedersen in a world where, of course, the cap roll continues to jump, you still have 17 million next season, 50 million the year after that, almost 100 million, 75 million, of course, in current cap space, yes, the Canucks have some guys they need to sign, you have to make a decision with Brendan Gallagher, do you bring back the veteran for another year, Drew O'Connor, is he flipped or signed to an extension, Paul Cotter's probably moved on a deadline, Jonathan Lechmacki, Liam Olgren, and Otteratu, all are a phase going into next offseason. On defense, Luke Chitton probably gets another year if he wants to stay, Zee Boyum needs his big extension, DPD another as well, but with the Canucks right now, and the giant cap they have with 17 million, moving on from Pedersen, and $11.6 million, just to clear that cap, doesn't make sense for the Canucks, yes, if you can add assets, and Pedersen's value was an all-time high, and you could add an A-level prospect, a first-round pick, a young roster player, and something else, yes, if you want to go in that direction at that point, then sure, yes, move on from Pedersen, but moving on from the centerman that's at his lowest right now, does not make sense for the Canucks, in a world where they don't need cap space, they're looking for veterans to play with their young players, joining the team, fans, let me know your thoughts down below, again, not trying to disagree with Thomas Giants, because he's reporting what he's hearing, but it does seem like the Canucks are looking at maybe a small return, a cap dump, if you're moving on from Pedersen, and if the organization truly wants to move on, I think you need to do this in the season, as teams, of course, will get a smaller cap for the remainder of the year at trade deadline, and Pedersen's value getting raised helps the Canucks in the future, let me know your thoughts on everything down below, because I love reading through each and every comment, and listen, if you made it this far, again, we're trying to reach our goal of 10,000 subscribers, so make sure to hit that free subscribe, but it means the absolute world, and I've been your host, Markiplier, I hope you guys enjoyed this, take care Canucks fans, we'll see you in the next one.