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Photo Credit: Dom Gagne-USA TODAY Sports

Various Canucks rumours and notes

| Thomas Williams

In the dead of summer, there’s nothing better to do than sit back and enjoy all of the predictions and rumours that come when nothing else is going on in the world of the NHL.

The 2019-20 season should be an interesting one for this hopeful group of Canucks. Jim Benning and the rest of the front office spent some future assets to acquire J.T. Miller, a winger that should instantly make their top-six forwards much better, as well as signing a couple marquee free agents in Tyler Myers and Micheal Ferland.

Looking at this team just on paper, they should be an improved squad and have more points than the 81 that they finished the 2018-19 season with.

Just ask Craig Button of TSN, as he delves deep into the Canucks offseason and highlights their upgrades.

He goes over mainly the group of defencemen they signed — Myers, Fantenberg — and re-signing Edler, as a major factor why he thinks the Canucks should be better and looking for a potential playoff spot.

Button also cites the acquisition of both Ferland and Miller as they continue to bolster their top-six forwards and move other players like Leivo and potentially Goldobin down the lineup and give the Canucks a better chance to win games by their depth.

The final aspect of the Canucks that Button mentions is the still-waiting restricted free agency of Brock Boeser, which was given a small update earlier this week.

According to Ben Kuzma, Boeser’s representation is looking for a contract extension that will come in at a cap hit of $7-million. Compared to the other comparables and projections, that number seems right in line with what a winger like him deserves and has gotten historically.

Written earlier this offseason, a 7-year, $49-million contract seems like the most probable when compared to other extensions that have been recently signed around the league.

Looking towards next season, one of the players that can really make a massive improvement and force his way on the blue line is hopeful rookie Olli Juolevi.

The fifth-overall selection in 2017, Juolevi has dealt with his fair share of injuries in his recent career, playing only 18 games for the Utica Comets last season — scoring a single goal and 13 points through those games.

As he continues to progress through his knee injury, he looks to make a decent impact for his own and the Canucks’ future.

Currently, there is only Myers, Edler, Hughes, and Benn on the books past this upcoming season — paving the way for Juolevi to potentially make the 2020-21 blue line. If all goes well, he might even see some NHL ice-time this season.

There are still several weeks before the Canucks roster will take shape and take the ice in the 2019-20 season, but with how their offseason has gone so far, there are definitely some key areas to be excited about.

They still have some of the most exciting young players in the entire league and will have a full-season worth of Quinn Hughes — that alone should make a lot of Canucks games must-watch around the league for casual fans.

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22 Comments |

  • 7 million is way too much for Boeser. Canucks could argue comparable players based on scoring are Max Domi , Andreas Athanasiou, Sam Reinhart, that is two year deals of half the 7 million figure. To me that is more realistic. Sometimes numbers “leak” to create pressure to settle. If BB really thinks he’s worth 7 million, he’s dreaming. A short show me contract seems appropriate. He needs to prove he can be a top 50 scorer. Right now he isn’t.

    • I have a higher opinion of Boeser than you do. The key to long term success is to get young stars locked up long term at affordable salaries.

      $7 million only makes sense if there are a couple years of UFA time in the contract. A shorter term should definitely be for less.

      I see a serious risk of a 2 year contract resulting in having to pay 8 or more per year at the end of it as Boeser continues to improve over the two years and the cap goes up.

      • I like him a lot. I have been wondering why there is no deal when many commentators and fans think 7 million is reasonable which also fits under the cap.
        So I thought I’d look at other players who score about the same at the same age and they signed short term half price contracts.
        So to me that explains the hold up. My belief is Canucks will be very reluctant to make him their highest paid player at 7 million which could make a Petey contract 10 million and a Hughes contract in the same range, if he is successful.

        • Boeser is not unique with his RFA contract negotiations. There are a large number of high end RFAs not signed right now around the league. Something else is going on. don’t know if its the agents or the managers practicing some collusion or if everyone is just waiting for the first shoe to drop to set the market.

          If, in 2 years the Canucks can lock up Petersson for 8 years at 10 mil per they should do it. Having long term cost certainty around a solid young core is a very good way to build long term success. This gives the team the option to trade these guys out while they are in their late 20’s and still very valuable on the trade market. Waiting to sign long term deals until after the team has great success and the stars are already over 25 leads to cap hell and untradeable assets (e.g. LA and Chicago).

        • I think the “what is going on” consists of a couple of things.

          1. The price for high end restricted free agents appeared to have increased recently, increasing the amount BB might expect to get.

          2. The cap for 2019-20, expected to be about $83 million, came in lower, at $81.5 million, leaving a number of teams with less cap space then anticipated. Less money available to pay players has to inevitably result in somebody getting paid less.

          I think both general managers and player agents are reluctant to jump and anticipate how the market will work itself out.

          I don’t know how much Boeser’s injuries are affecting the point of view of Canucks’ management. They might be a further complicating factor.

    • Domi went through a 3 year period where he scored 36 goals total. Not on a great team admitted, but the Canucks weren’t exactly a powerhouse when Boesser started lighting it up either. All star MVP, accuracy competition winner. I like Domi too but do not see him in the conversation.

  • 7×7 would be just fine for Boeser, he’s a kid I would gladly bet on being worth the money.
    The holdup is that other more notable RFAs haven’t signed yet, i doubt it has much to do with money. Given what he and his family are going through with Duke’s health, plus his agents wanting to wait on somewhat comparable players like Laine, Point, Marner, etc it makes sense.

  • They screwed up last season by letting Pettersson become the media`s center of attention and by the end of the season the kid really looked worn out – sometimes just by answering the repetitious inane questions. I don`t see any problem signing Boeser but what they have done is to make him the focus of speculative media interest in the hope that Hughes doesn`t have to go through what Pettersson did last season. It`s just another example of management not thinking two steps ahead but instead learning from past mistakes like that screw up with the goalies last season which was nothing short of amateurish.

  • 7×7 is fine by me, I love spending Aquilini money. If it was me I’d shorten it up a tad. Hopefully his back and wrist are ok, that wrist has been taped since he’s joined the club. If healthy the future is bright.

    • I feel like it has to be 7 years if you’re giving him 7 million. Shortening the term means shortening the dollars as well. At his age it’s all about averaging a good hit over the term and not getting stung with a 3 million bump to keep him as he actually starts declining but is still highly coveted (assuming all good things for his career here, of course).

  • For what it’s worth I just can’t see paying anymore than 6 mil for a 29 goal scorer. If it’s a 2 or 3 year show me deal and Brock is up to 35-40 g’s, well then Canucks will either buck up or trade him if he doesn’t reach those levels. I like Brock because he scores but let’s face it he is soft and not in any way a guy you trust out there to protect a lead.

  • Brock getting 7×7 should be a solid contract. Brock hasn’t hit 30 goals because of injury, but the potential for 35 is reasonable.
    If there was a bridge contract and health Brock will hit 35-40 goals with Miller on the top line. 7 mill will lol like a bargain in a couple of years, just like Bo’s contract looks like now.

  • How much to pay?? Always difficult to come up with a $ amount and term that is fair to the player and the team making the investment. I certainly do not have an answer on Brock. I like him and still believe he can reach the 40 goal plateau playing with the right players.

    On a different note I would like to see the “Trash” “Cheers” button be put back on this site. It is still on with the Flames and Oilers. Maybe call it “Like” and “Dislike”?

    • It seems to have dampened the spirits of the trolls, who revel in collecting trash, it’s their only source of acknowledgement if you don’t reply to them. I like the change.

    • Exactly. JD loved the trolls, exactly his style.
      Ryan always whined that he couldnt do anything, he leaves, boom, progress. Another bonus, maybe he’ll stop posting as FRAUD and trolling us.

  • We are about half way between July 1st and when training camp starts in mid September so naturally not much is going on with the team or league presently. Let’s hope that OJ and Shotgun can truly bring it this fall though because it’s time. And I do like the new format on CA. Should be about hockey and not a popularity contest. “Trash” and “Cheers” seemed stupid IMO.