On the morning of March 2, the Vancouver Canucks announced that they had reached an agreement with star center Elias Pettersson on an eight-year contract worth $92.8 million at a cap hit of $11.6 million per season. With this contract finally signed, sealed and delivered, Vancouver has completed its biggest off-season assignment before the off-season has even begun. But the Canucks still have a few minor cap problems that will need to be addressed during the off-season.
What Will They Do with Elias Lindholm?
Vancouver’s biggest decision of the off-season will be what they intend to do with Elias Lindholm. The Canucks gave up five assets for him in a trade they made with the Calgary Flames before the deadline. The most notable subtractions from the trade were a first-round pick in the 2023 Draft and defensive prospect Hunter Brzustewicz.
Vancouver also offloaded Andrei Kuzmenko’s contract in the trade, and the forward has found new life in Calgary, scoring eight points in 15 games. As an organization, you would assume that the Canucks would want to keep Lindholm if the team gave up so much to get him.
Lindholm has struggled in his limited time in Vancouver, so much so that the Canucks were rumoured to be trading him to the Boston Bruins in a move that could have potentially brought Jake Guentzel to Vancouver, but that trade never materialized. By not following through with this deal, the organization has planted its flag in the sand with this player, sending a message that they want Lindholm on the team for the playoffs.
I worry that if the Canucks get knocked out of the playoffs somewhat early, say in the first or second round, and Lindholm does not re-sign with the club, then Vancouver just gave up all of those valuable assets for a player that helped them achieve minimal playoff success. It is bad asset management to give up several assets for a player and then lose him for nothing during free agency.
What Does Filip Hronek’s Next Contract Look Like?
Another huge conundrum will be what they do with new top-pairing defenceman Filip Hronek, who has become Quinn Hughes’ right-hand man this entire season and has made the Canucks’ top pair formidable to play against on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ice. With Hronek being a restricted free agent at the end of this season and having already produced the best offensive season of his career with 45 points and a plus-32 rating, he will get a significant raise.
Elliotte Freidman spoke on the local Vancouver sports program Donnie and Dhali about the current negotiations between the Canucks and Hronek’s camp and said that he feels that the “sweet spot” for both sides would be $7.5 million per season.
Who Will Be in Their Defence Corps Next Season?
Vancouver currently has three defencemen signed for next season in Quinn Hughes, Carson Soucy, and Noah Juulsen. There are four if you count Tucker Poolman, who is currently on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), but Poolman hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season when he played a total of three games. All four of Tyler Myers, Ian Cole, Nikita Zadorov, and Mark Friedman will become unrestricted free agents, and Hronek will be a restricted free agent on July 1.
If the plan is to move on from all four of those UFAs, then Vancouver has a big problem on their hands. The defensive free agent market this year is sparse compared to previous years. Some of the top names consist of Shayne Gostisbehere, Justin Schultz, Matt Dumba, and Dylan Demelo.
One name that may spark interest for Vancouver could be Tyson Barrie of the Nashville Predators. He is set to become a UFA on July 1 and is a hometown product from Victoria B.C. Another player who could be useful for Vancouver if they are looking for an offensive defenceman is Brandon Montour of the Florida Panthers, who lit up the NHL playoffs last year and was a key part of the Florida Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last season. He is a big reason why they are favoured to finish number one in the Eastern Conference by the end of the regular season.
Vancouver has time to figure out these problems but the team needs to find answers by July 1 or else the Canucks and their fans will be in for a long offseason.