Posted by

Harjeet Johal ,

January 8, 2016 Twitter

@HarJournalist

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VANCOUVER, B.C - The 2016 MLS SuperDraft will take place in Baltimore on Thursday, January 14 and the Vancouver Whitecaps could certainly be a team looking to make a significant splash. One of the biggest needs for the club is filling the vacated right-back position after Steven Beitashour's trade to Toronto FC last month. This particular SuperDraft is considered deep at right-back with many potential starting caliber players ready and waiting to be selected.



Vancouver will entertain offers before deciding if they are to move up from the 16th position. The Chicago Fire hold the 1st overall pick. It is widely expected that Georgetown Hoyas defender Joshua Yaro will be selected first overall. Whitecaps President Bobby Lenarduzzi spoke to the media earlier this week about moving up in the SuperDraft and when he expects trade talk to really ramp up.



"Given that we have some assets that people are interested in we'll consider any offers from clubs around the league. Were just going to sit back and wait right now. We know that it's a draft class this year that appears to have a fair amount of half decent right-backs, (Joshua) Yaro being the consensus top pick. Most of the wheeling and dealing is done when you actually get down there and you see clubs pairing off and obviously discussing their draft picks and their position in the draft and can they enhance on that. Or for that matter, there are deals done that don't include the draft and could just simply be current players on rosters that clubs are looking to move."



The Whitecaps are in a spot where they can sit back and let the trade offers role in. The organization has done a terrific job of growing and generating assets. If some of those assets are perhaps moved in a pre SuperDraft trade that's something Lenarduzzi and the Caps will look at. Moving up to select Yaro would be a fantastic acquisition for Vancouver and he would fill the void at right-back.



To tag along to other reports, source tells me Whitecaps are gunning for Chicago's #1 draft pick in this years SuperDraft. — MLS Transfers (@MLSTransfers) January 8, 2016 "We've chatted about it. We haven't chatted specifically about that. I think we've chatted about the fact that even at 16th, we still could get a player in a position that we feel we need upgrading. The beauty of our situation is, unlike past years when we've gone to the draft I'm not sure we've ever been in a position where clubs are seeking players from our club that we might be interested in moving. As a result of that it gives us a little bit of leverage. I think we'll just suggest to all the suitors that let us know what you can do and we'll see if any of the offers are something that we want to take them up on."



Lenarduzzi wasn't about to tip his hand when asked which assets Vancouver could potential move.



"That's something that we won't discuss, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to probably figure out one or two of them."



The assets that Vancouver could potentially bundle up with the 16th pick and ship off to Chicago include Darren Mattocks, Erik Hurtado, and Christian Dean. It is unknown if any of those players and the 16th pick would be enough to entice Chicago to play 'Let's Make a Deal' with the Whitecaps.



For those interested in a massive hypothetical, the Chicago Fire will visit Vancouver and BC Place on Wednesday, May 11 2016. The last trip to Vancouver came on July 14, 2013. The MLS 2016 schedule was released on Thursday and yielded few surprises for the Whitecaps and supporters.



Opening kick is on Sunday, March 6 vs Montreal Impact. Other notable home fixtures include...



Portland Timbers - Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, October 23.

Seattle Sounders - Sunday, October 2.

LA Galaxy - Saturday, April 2.

FC Dallas - Saturday, April 23.

Sporting Kansas City - Wednesday, April 27.

New England Revolution - Saturday, June 18.

Orlando City Soccer Club - Saturday July 16.

New York Red Bulls - Saturday September 3.



Major League Soccer will take a two-week break from June 3 - 14 for the Copa America Centenario. The Whitecaps longest road trip is a trio of matches at the end of July and early August against the Houston Dynamo July 23, FC Dallas July 31, and the Colorado Rapids on August 6. The 2016 MLS All-Star game will be played in San Jose sometime during the final week of July. Lenarduzzi would prefer if Vancouver didn't have two trips to Texas in the heat of summer, but altering the schedule isn't as easy as it seems.



"We looked at the congestion and in some cases, road trips where we are away for three games and it's in the middle of July and it's in places that get very hot at that time of the year, we look to try to alter those. When you look at it, it's difficult to take a game out and put it somewhere else because that impacts the rest of the schedule. I think we're just going to have to deal with it like we did last year."



Bringing in a top European club team for an international friendly at BC Place is something that hasn't happened yet, but it's not on the back burner. If an international friendly was to take place it would most likely involve a team of high esteem. Maybe a Barcelona, Manchester United, or Bayern Munich. Those teams often have jam-packed schedules and very little time off for players in the off-season. When it comes to attracting big name clubs Lenarduzzi points out that money from another continent is a factor.



"Something we're always looking at, but we really haven't changed our position. We'd like that first friendly at BC Place to be one that we could potentially fill the building up and there's a handful of clubs that could do that. Something that we're constantly exploring and it really does come down to it fitting into those clubs timetables. Something that's been more common as of late is those clubs, because of the money that's being paid, go to Asia as well. We have expressed our interest and the people that are responsible for those games understand that. If that can happen, then that's something we'd certainly entertain this year."



The schedule is out, the MLS SuperDraft is quickly approaching, and the silly season is in full effect. Fans can enjoy a glimmer of joy during the winter, and holiday credit card bills as they plan and dream for what's to come for the 2016 MLS season.



NOTES: The Whitecaps will look to resume contract extension negotiations with goalkeeper David Ousted once he returns from Denmark for the start of pre-season training camp later this month.



