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Sabres trade potential Canucks trade target JJ Peterka to Utah Mammoth

The Buffalo Sabres are sending forward JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth, as first reported by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.

Breaking: Sources say #Sabres have agreed in principle to trade forward JJ Peterka to @utahmammoth. BUT there is apparently a contingency holding up deal.

If completed, and still a big if, would be a big get for #TusksUp adding another 23-year-old top line forward to the mix.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 26, 2025

The trade sees the 23-year-old Peterka go to Utah in exchange for defenceman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan. According to Seravalli, Peterka — who is a restricted free agent — is signing a five-year extension with the Mammoth. The deal will carry an annual average value of $7.7 million.

Peterka was a player many Canucks fans hoped would be coming to Vancouver this offseason. A play-driving winger with tremendous upside, Peterka scored 28 goals in 2023-24, and tallied 27 goals and 41 assists this past season. Peterka was rumoured to be unhappy with the situation in Buffalo, and has been in NHL trade rumours for quite some time now.

While Kesselring is certainly a phenomenal player with potentially untapped upside still, the return going back to Buffalo feels a bit light. Sure, Josh Doan is a solid middle six winger with intriguing traits and undeniable tenacity,

Of course, the question almost every Canucks fan will ask when they see a trade like this is: the Canucks couldn’t match that? And unfortunately, the answer may have been no simply because there’s a solid chance Buffalo identified Kesselring specifically as the player they really wanted to acquire in this trade. The Canucks just don’t have a player with Kesselring’s pedigree or proven NHL track record, even if players like Tom Willander and Elias Pettersson the defenceman could get there one day.

It was a busy day out in Vancouver with the Canucks’ acquisition of Evander Kane, but amidst the chaos, we also wrote about Peterka as a potential trade target for the Canucks. Obviously that won’t be happening, but if you’re interested in reading that to learn more about Peterka as a player, you can do so by clicking here!

READ NEXT: Progress has been made on multi-year extension between Demko and Canucks; Silovs could be in play




Tune in for The Sheet Draft Special, streaming live on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel on Friday, June 27th at 7 PM EST. Hosted by Jeff Marek, this live special will cover all the action from the 2025 Draft, including expert analysis of top prospects, team-by-team breakdowns, and real-time reactions to every pick. Whether you’re tracking your team’s future stars or just love the drama of draft night, this is your go-to destination for all things Draft.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/buffal...-canucks-trade-target-jj-peterka-utah-mammoth
 
Canucks’ extension with Conor Garland could be 6 years at $6 million annually: report

The Vancouver Canucks are expected to sign forward Conor Garland to an extension that could come in at six years and $6 million annually, according to Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie and Dhali — The Team.

Sounds like the Connor Garland extension in Vancouver could be 6 years and 36 million dollars.

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) June 27, 2025

On Thursday afternoon, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that the Canucks had made “significant progress” on an extension with Garland.

Garland, 29, is eligible for an extension on July 1st, as he enters the final year of his current contract, which carries a cap hit of $4.95 million. A fifth-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2015, Garland played three NHL seasons with the Coyotes before the Canucks traded for him alongside defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. While Ekman-Larsson’s time in Vancouver ended with the largest contract buyout in NHL history, Garland has found a home with the Canucks.

Over his four seasons with the Canucks, Garland has proven to be a solid middle six winger capable of driving play on his own. Alongside Teddy Blueger and Dakota Joshua, Garland helped form one of the most dominant third lines in the league during the 2023-24 season. Through 321 regular season games with the Canucks, Garland has tallied 75 goals and 120 assists.

Garland will be 30 years old when the extension kicks in. Here is some quick cap math on the extension with regards to how much it will take up on the Canucks’ books, percentage wise.

Currently, Garland’s $4.95 million takes up 5.21% of the cap. When the extension kicks in for the 2026-27 season, a $6 million AAV takes up 5.76% of the Canucks’ total cap space. By year two of the extension (when the upper limit rises to $113.5million), Garland’s $6 million cap hit would take up 5.28%.

Along with Garland, Thatcher Demko, Kiefer Sherwood, Teddy Blueger, and Akito Hirose will all be eligible to sign extensions with the Canucks as of July 1st. The Canucks are believed to be interested in extending Demko as well, according to multiple reports.

How do you feel about a 6×6 extension for Conor Garland? Let us know in the comments section below!



Get ready for wall-to-wall coverage of one of the biggest days in the calendar — the Daily Faceoff Live Free Agency Special goes live on July 1st at 11 AM EST. Host Tyler Yaremchuk is joined by Carter Hutton, Matthew Barnaby, Jeff Marek, Hart Levine, Colby Cohen, Jonny Lazarus, and insiders from across the Network for three hours of in-depth analysis, live reactions, and real-time updates on every major signing and trade. From blockbuster deals to under-the-radar moves, we’re breaking it all down as it happens. Don’t miss a minute — catch the full special live on DailyFaceoff.com and Daily Faceoff’s YouTube.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...nor-garland-6-years-6-million-annually-report
 
Canucks acquire centre Ilya Safonov from Blackhawks for future considerations

Hours after adding to their prospect pool on the second day of the National Hockey League Draft, the Vancouver Canucks pulled off a minor trade with Chicago. The club acquired 24-year-old Russian forward Ilya Safonov from the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations.

General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have acquired forward Ilya Safonov from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations.

DETAILS | https://t.co/FJ4fxAlbnc pic.twitter.com/Gt3LufsmLI

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) June 28, 2025

Safonov scored seven goals and registered 22 points in 51 games for Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Listed at 6’4” and 224 pounds, the left-shot centre was originally a sixth-round selection of the Hawks in the 2021 NHL Draft. The Canucks had a pair of their own selections in that sixth round. Safonov was taken after Hugo Gabrielson and before Connor Lockhart. Nobody drafted in the sixth round in 2021 has appeared in an NHL game.

Two years ago, Safonov scored 19 goals and recorded 37 points in 64 KHL games. His Ak Bars Kazan team lost the Gagarin Cup Final that season, falling in seven games to CSKA Moscow. Safonov had three goals and three assists in 24 playoff games that year. Since then, however, his point totals have plummeted.

According to Dobber’s Prospects website, Safonov is described as ‘a smart defense-first type player and an excellent penalty killer with a big frame that sees the ice well. He makes good decisions with and without the pick and tends to be in the right place at the right time; there is potential for more of a two-way player within the right situation.’

It’s unclear how the unsigned Moscow native fits into the Canucks plans. He is expected to participate in the club’s summer development camp that begins this weekend with the first on-ice session set for Monday afternoon at UBC. According to reports, Safonov has one year remaining on his KHL contract. After that, he seems like a wildcard who may want to give professional hockey a try. North America a try. At the acquisition cost, it’s about as low a risk proposition as there can be for the hockey club.

The Canucks are expected to release their full development camp roster on Sunday.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...onov-chicago-blackhawks-future-considerations
 
Canucks offseason trade target: Jordan Kyrou

The Vancouver Canucks were not successful in their bid for JJ Peterka of the Buffalo Sabres, though it’s not yet known how seriously they made that pursuit. Nor were the St. Louis Blues, who if reporting can be believed, offered up a package involving Jordan Kyrou.

In what could almost be deemed a classic romantic comedy trope, could two spurned teams find a fresh start with one another? In other words, could the Canucks cut out the JJ Middleman and just negotiate with the Blues for Kyrou?

And should they?

Right or wrong, the 27-year-old Kyrou was listed as the #2 target on Daily Faceoff’s Trade Targets Board earlier this week and coming off the back of those Peterka rumours. There’s a little immediacy to the discussion, too, because like the senior Elias Pettersson, Kyrou has trade protection kicking in as of July 1, 2025 – in this case, a full no-trade clause.

While trading a player right before their NTC kicks in can sometimes be considered unethical, that’s not really the case for a player like Kyrou, who is already entering Year Three of this current contract. Even with Peterka off the market, then, it’s entirely possible that Kyrou is still on it. Especially considering that the Blues are one of the few teams looking to cut cap, not burn it, this offseason.

Does that equate to the Canucks being interested?

The Player

Already having completed his seventh NHL season, Kyrou would seem to be a known quantity around big league circles. But despite fairly consistent point totals, there’s an inconsistency to Kyrou’s impact that has led to question marks about his future in St. Louis and in general.

As someone drafted in the second round, 35th overall in 2016, the road to the NHL was a little longer for Kyrou than it is for your typical high-offence forward. He played two further seasons for the Sarnia Sting of the OHL after being drafted, then split his first two professional campaigns – 2018/19 and 2019/20 – between St. Louis and San Antonio of the AHL.

The pandemic-shortened 2020/21 season was not technically Kyrou’s rookie campaign, as he’d already played 44 regular season games and five playoff games the two years prior, but it was Kyrou’s first as a full-time NHLer.

In just 55 games, Kyrou notched 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points, good for fifth in team scoring as he worked his way into the Blues’ top-six.

The next year, Kyrou broke out in a big way, putting up 27 goals and a still-career-high 75 points in 74 games. The 2021/22 season also saw Kyrou’s best playoff run – more on that later – with nine points in 12 games.

The following season, 2022/23, saw Kyrou break out in a different way, this time as a goal-scorer. A career-high 37 goals accompanied 73 points in 79 games. It should be noted here, however, that this is the point at which some real questions began to be asked about Kyrou’s play in his own end. Plus/minus isn’t a perfect stat, but a team-worst -38 does say something.

Those question marks got louder in 2023/24, especially as Kyrou got off to a slow start, and he was moved to tears at one point after hearing boos on home ice. But Kyrou rebounded nicely enough, finishing the year with 31 points and 36 assists for 67 points in 82 games.

The 2024/25 stayed relatively level from there. Kyrou’s goals were back up to 36, and his points rose to 70 in 82 games – still not quite where it was a couple of years back, but not exactly a worrying drop-off. Perhaps more importantly, he earned some praise for a growing commitment to his own end. The Blues returned to the playoffs, and Kyrou was so-so with three goals and no assists in seven games against the Winnipeg Jets.

That’s the basic gist of Kyrou – a consistent 70ish-point producer who isn’t all that consistent in how he gets there.

Kyrou’s size is fine at 6’1” and a shade under 200 pounds, though he won’t ever be confused with a power forward. He has speed and shiftiness in his feet, a lot of creativity in his hands, and an all-around array of offensive skills that allow him to succeed in a number of different forward roles.

Defensively, he’s certainly improved over the last couple of seasons. He’s not killing penalties or anything, but he’s back on the positive side of most analytic stats, and back to being on the ice for more even-strength goals for than against – lots more in 2024/25, as in 63-35.

Now, here’s the downside as it pertains to the Canucks. Though Kyrou was drafted as a centre and has definitely skated there occasionally at the NHL level, he’s settled into fairly exclusive deployment as a right wing, usually on the flank of either Rob Thomas or Brayden Schenn in recent seasons. It’s certainly fair to state that the majority of Kyrou’s production has come from the wing.

The Canucks could always acquire him with the aim of putting him back at centre and seeing how it goes, but that seems like a longshot and a risk. It’s far more reasonable to acquire Kyrou to play the same right wing position he’s mainly occupied thus far, and, yes, the Canucks could still definitely use a scorer of his calibre in the top-six on the wing.

But they could definitely use a de facto top-six centre more, and Kyrou is the kind of acquisition that would expend the bulk of the available assets and cap space.


Kyrou comes with Years Three-Eight remaining in a contract with an $8.125 million AAV and, as was mentioned, a full NTC starting on July 1 that lasts until Year Eight, and then becomes a 15-team no-trade list.

That’s a major component in the cost that has to be considered carefully, especially as it represents more cap space than the Canucks currently have on hand.

But that’s probably okay, because if the Canucks were going to acquire Kyrou, they’d almost certainly be giving up other players from their roster.

The Blues are doing a bit of a retool on-the-fly, attempting to supplement their early-to-mid-20s core of players like Kyrou, Thomas, Dylan Holloway, and Philip Broberg with an ongoing infusion of both youth and useful veterans.

In this post-draft world, we can dispense with the idea of the Canucks trading their high picks for Kyrou, and we’re not sure the Blues would be interested anyway. The Canucks’ 2026 first rounder could always be on the table, but we’d avoid that option without some heavy, heavy protections.

The Blues do have a need for a RD younger than Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk, and that does bring Filip Hronek to mind, as it did during talks surrounding Peterka. But giving up Hronek for Peterka was a tough deal to sell for many Canucks fans, and giving him up for an older wing with less offensive potential would be even tougher.

It’s also tough to imagine what the Canucks could add on top of an RD option like Victor Mancini to add up to a Kyrou, minus other prospects or picks they wouldn’t want to give up. This might be a case in which Tom Willander would have to be placed on the table, and at this point, we should be approaching not-worth-it territory for a less-than-ideal fit.

That’s sort of the story here.


The Canucks could definitely use the addition in talent represented by a Kyrou acquisition. Many have talked about the Canucks’ offseason hinging on their acquiring some forwards who are, at the very least, better than that current top-six conglomeration of Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland, and, now, Evander Kane.

In other words, the Canucks need to get their hands on their new best or second-best forward, and Kyrou would definitely be that.

He definitely also brings some specific skills to the table that GM Patrik Allvin and Co. value, particularly when it comes to his ability to skate with the puck.

But that’s about where the fit ends. The Canucks can’t afford to spend all of their assets and cap space on a winger with question marks, not when they’ve got such an obvious need at centre. On top of that, the Blues would seem to be most interested in the kind of assets the Canucks can least afford to give up – namely, assets that can be used on the NHL roster in the present moment.

Then there’s the reality that any trade with the Blues needs to help them cut cap, and that the Canucks themselves aren’t exactly flush in space.

This ‘will they, won’t they’ is plainly trending toward a ‘won’t they.’



Get ready for wall-to-wall coverage of one of the biggest days in the calendar — the Daily Faceoff Live Free Agency Special goes live on July 1st at 11 AM EST. Host Tyler Yaremchuk is joined by Carter Hutton, Matthew Barnaby, Jeff Marek, Hart Levine, Colby Cohen, Jonny Lazarus, and insiders from across the Network for three hours of in-depth analysis, live reactions, and real-time updates on every major signing and trade. From blockbuster deals to under-the-radar moves, we’re breaking it all down as it happens. Don’t miss a minute — catch the full special live on DailyFaceoff.com and Daily Faceoff’s YouTube.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-offseason-trade-target-jordan-kyrou
 
Why the Canucks may have hit a home run with the Aleksei Medvedev pick

With their second selection of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Vancouver Canucks selected goaltender Aleksei Medvedev.

Now, typically we rely on Dave Hall and Daniel Gee to deliver you the goods when it comes to prospects. And while there still certainly will be plenty of that still to come, I’m one of our resident goaltending guys here at CA. Sure, it’s been a few years since I’ve gotten to write about the Canucks drafting a prospect goaltender thanks to the fact that the last time the club selected one was back in 2022 with Ty Young.

So for a team that has followed a pretty solid rule of drafting a goalie two out of every three years, we knew almost for certain that they wouldn’t go three straight drafts without selecting one. What we didn’t know was that they’d buck the trend of waiting for the later rounds to take their goaltender, as the Canucks drafted Medvedev at 47th overall. And oh man, I like this pick. A lot. Let’s dive in.

Why the Canucks drafted Medvedev, according to the Canucks


Across the board, scouts seemed to agree that Medvedev was a top 5 or even top 3 goalie in this draft. Most boards had him going somewhere around 55-65, and the Canucks, who didn’t pick again until pick 65, didn’t want to risk him not being there in round three.

Here is what Canucks Director of Scouting Todd Harvey had to say about Medvedev and why the Canucks selected him.

“He’s a calm, calm kid, big kid, moves well in the net and does, never seems to get rattled. He has that presence in there that makes the team in front of you play a little calmer. We thought he was our guy. We kind of targeted that, and that was a good pick.

“This guy’s a good goalie. We’re pretty happy with him. I think that he’s going to show next year that he’s ready to take workload. For him to take the net in London next year and run with it is going to be big for him and his development.”

“Well, I mean, obviously Ian [Clark] has a lot to say on [who the Canucks decided to pick]. We looked at the draft, and he wanted this pick, and we thought it was the right time. And Clarky will be in touch with the goalies. I think we have a real good staff here for development and bringing him [Medvedev] along; he’s going to have the net next year in London. And you never know, London, they always have a good team. So maybe they get back to a Memorial Cup.”

What I saw, and how I evaluate draft-eligible goalies


If you think goalies are voodoo, try draft-eligible goalies! Some of the biggest busts in team’s histories are highly-touted goaltenders, and some of the game’s greatest netminders of all time were late-round diamonds in the rough. The way I look at young goalies is with a scale of sorts. One end is all about their raw talents and intangibles like size, length, natural mobility, and things of that nature; while the other end of the scale is all about technique. Their footwork, positioning, movements, and more.

Back when he was the Canucks’ director of goaltending and we were discussing the raw abilities of newly-drafted Canucks prospect Aku Koskenvuo, Ian Clark once told me that he and his staff “can teach technique in a weekend.” While there’s some hyperbole there, the point is that an important thing not to overlook when evaluating young goaltenders is what intangible abilities they possess, even if the results aren’t there just yet, thanks to some bad technique.

How do they deal with broken plays? How quickly and efficiently can they push off to move laterally while already down in the butterfly? When the chips are down and they need to make split-second adjustments and decisions, what do they do? How competitive are they? How much natural mobility do they possess? How much length do they have to work with?

In the case of goaltenders like Arturs Silovs, Aku Koskenvuo, and Ty Young, the Canucks drafted these players later in the draft in part because they were missing the advanced technical abilities that would lead to more success with their draft-eligible teams, and thus, a higher overall draft ranking among NHL teams.

So as I said above, imagine a scale. One side says “Raw ability”, and the other says “Technical ability”. From my viewings of Medvedev, this goaltender lands right smack in the middle of that scale.

Medvedev has a great mix of innate talent and refined skills, and in chatting with some folks from other teams, it would seem that my evaluation seems fairly accurate, as some viewed Medvedev as a raw talent, while others viewed him as closer to a finished product.

His reactions are quick, his feet are quiet, and he’s already well on his way to establishing himself as one of the game’s top goaltending prospects. Below is a great video that focused on Medvedev and was a very valuable resource for scouting Medvedev. If you watch it — focus on Medvedev’s puck tracking ability. His movements are calculated, balanced, and he rarely loses sight of the puck while he’s moving. Note that his movements aren’t body first either, with his eyes leading the way. That, along with how easy he makes most saves look, hints at the fact he’s more refined than some of the goalies who typically go in the later rounds. But as you see in just this video, there is plenty of raw athletic ability in Medvedev’s game that the Canucks are certainly itching to refine and harness into success.

A big goaltender, Medvedev is listed at 6’2, but told reporters at the draft that he’s now 6’3, and that he feels he could still grow even more. And why wouldn’t he? He’s 17, after all.

The Age Factor


Beyond Medvedev’s undeniable athleticism and structured abilities, his age might be the biggest thing that gives him certified “steal” potential for the Canucks.

Born on September 10th, 2007, Medvedev was five days away from being eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft instead of 2025. Think about what his 2025-26 season is about to look like for a second.

With Austin Elliott gone, the London Knights’ crease should belong squarely to Medvedev this upcoming season. He’ll be backstopping an always-strong Knights squad and has potential to put up some serious eye-popping numbers. Where would he go in the draft if he were coming off a season like that?

The answer is likely somewhere in the middle of the first round. But instead, the Canucks got him at 17 years old during the 2025 Draft. It will certainly be a fun exercise to look back on Medvedev’s 2025-26 season and wonder where he would be rated if he were eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.

Dave Hall and I talked about Medvedev on yesterday’s draft recap edition of Canucks Conversation, and you can watch that segment below!

READ NEXT: Vancouver Canucks 2025 NHL Draft letter grades


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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/why-vancouver-canucks-hit-home-run-aleksei-medvedev-pick
 
NHL free agency came early, so who’s left for the Canucks?

Well, the fun of free agency kind of got sucked out within the span of an hour on Monday afternoon when all the big fish on the market seemed to re-sign with their teams.

As we covered in our latest NHL Notebook, Mitch Marner was traded and subsequently extended by the Vegas Golden Knights. Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad re-signed with the Florida Panthers, while Ivan Provorov re-upped with the Columbus Blue Jackets. But none of these guys were realistic targets for the Vancouver Canucks.

There were a handful of moves and re-signings that occurred on Monday that the Canucks could have pursued.

Ex-Canuck Andrei Kuzmenko could have been an option if he hadn’t re-signed with the Los Angeles Kings on a one-year deal. A playmaking winger in Mattias Maccelli and a scoring winger in Vladimir Tarasenko were traded, one for cheap and one for future considerations.

So, with free agency just a few hours away, who’s left out there for the Canucks?

Who’s left in free agency?​


Heading into tomorrow, the Canucks don’t have a ton of cap space to work with. With just $7,031,667 million, they sit with the ninth-least cap space in the league heading into free agency, with a few holes on this roster.

Here is how the Canucks stack up with the players currently under contract:

Jake DeBrusk – Elias Pettersson – Nils Höglander
Evander Kane – Filip Chytil – Kiefer Sherwood
Dakota Joshua – Teddy Blueger – Conor Garland
Drew O’Connor – Aatu Räty – Linus Karlsson

Quinn Hughes – Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson – Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort – Elias Pettersson

Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen

Extras: Max Sasson, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Victor Mancini

Realistically, to be a contender in the Western Conference, they’re likely a top-six scoring forward and a second-line centre away. However, with just over $7 million of cap space, they won’t be able to fix both of those issues, potentially not even one.

Examining the current free agent market, it appears bleak for high-end talent. Five unrestricted free agent forwards scored 40 or more points last season – sadly, two of which are Canucks.

Mikael Granlund, Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Boeser, Pius Suter and Evgenii Dadonov are those five players.

Barring a last-minute miracle, Boeser and Suter are heading to market and looking for a new home. At 36 years old, Dadonov doesn’t move the needle for what the Canucks are looking for right now. Ehlers comes with a hefty price tag that will likely price him out of Vancouver.

That leaves Granlund.

He fits the second-line centre void the Canucks ar looking for. But coming off his best season since 2017-2018 with the Minnesota Wild, the 33-year-old Finn will likely look to cash in while the iron’s hot. Granlund finished the 2024-2025 campaign with 22 goals and 66 points (45 points in San Jose and 21 points in Dallas), not to mention his outstanding performance on the international stage at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

AFP Analytics have Granlund at a reasonable $4,975,550 cap hit on a two-year deal. However, with him now being the top centre available, that number will likely creep into the $6 – $7 million range on a three- to four-year deal. The Canucks are reportedly expected to pursue Granlund on July 1, so if they’re going to be competitive with their offer, they’ll have to shoot high like this.

Outside of the top point-scoring forwards, Jack Roslovic, Christian Dvorak, Anthony Mantha, Nick Bjugstad, Gustav Nyquist, and Radek Faksa could provide surplus value as secondary options. None of these guys really fit the mould of the type of game-changing player the Canucks seek, but really, there isn’t much out there that does.

Roslovic and Nyquist are players the Canucks have had interest in in the past, Roslovic being the more desire name of the two. After tying his career high in goals (22) with the Carolina Hurricanes this year, the 28-year-old could be primed for an elevated role in a lineup. He does have history playing centre, but he’s done his best work on the wing.

Will he be the 2C answer? Likely not. But could he be a decent middle-six centre tandem to pair with Filip Chytil? Probably.

AFP Analytics has Roslovic projected to earn $4,094,562 on a three-year contract. As a perennial 40-point producer, it’s a fine projection with the salary cap rising. This might be a better long-term option than overpaying for Mikael Granlund.

Some lower-end, younger, offensively talented forwards stick out on the list that could be intriguing as a reclamation project.

Philip Tomasino and Michael Eyssimont have all shown upside at the NHL level, while Jakob Pelletier, a former first-round pick, could be worth a flier. However, my favourite forward who fits this bill and could provide some scoring help, potentially in the top six, is Victor Olofsson.

With the Golden Knights’ cap trouble after acquiring and signing Mitch Marner earlier, they don’t have the money to retain Olofsson’s services. Olofsson is a Swedish winger, known for his goal-scoring ability. Through his first six seasons in the NHL, Olofsson has scored at a 20-goal pace in five of those years, scoring a career-high 28 goals in 2022-2023 with the Buffalo Sabres.

AFP Analytics have him projected at a $3,410,543 cap hit over a three-year deal. That price seems a little high, but with the Canucks needing to find goal-scoring help, a player with the upside to play in a second-line role alongside Chytil could be an interesting pivot option if the Canucks strike out aiming higher.

To a lesser extent, Philip Tomasino is another player whom we wouldn’t mind the Canucks taking a shot on. However, does that just cloud the already crowded bottom six heading into next year?

Regardless of the players available, Canucks management will attempt to utilize their cap space to improve this team. However, the options are bland and may not move the needle that gets this team over the hump to conteder status. Unless we see a trade, it will be challenging for the Canucks to make a significant move on July 1 that will leave fans excited about the upcoming 2025-2026 season, given their expected option on the free agent market.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-free-agency-came-early-whos-left-for-vancouver-canucks
 
Canucks re-signing forward Brock Boeser to seven year deal at $7.25 million annually

The Vancouver Canucks are re-signing forward Brock Boeser, according to multiple reports. The deal is seven years long at $7.25 million annually, according to Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy.

7.25 x 7 for Boeser in VAN

— Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) July 1, 2025

Boeser, 28, scored 25 goals this past season and added 25 assists through 75 games played this past season. The year before that, Boeser enjoyed a career year, scoring 40 goals and adding 33 assists through 81 games.

The Canucks’ option to sign Boeser to an eight-year deal expired at midnight eastern last night, hence why this one comes in at seven years. The deal will see Boeser earn $50.75 million, and his agent Ben Hankinson tweeted about the deal moments after it was announced:

Congrats Brock Boeser & #Canucks on 7yrs x $7.25M = $50.75M with Vancouver @Canucks …. in the final minutes, really, did you expect him to sign anywhere else? https://t.co/cTAMtCOCNq

— Ben Hankinson (@BenHankinson) July 1, 2025

With the salary cap going up, Boeser’s new deal will quickly take up an even lower percentage of the Canucks’ salary cap than his old deal did. Here’s some quick cap math:

This past season at a $6.65 million cap hit (with an upper limit of $88 million), Boeser took up 7.5% on the Canucks’ books.

In 2025-26 at his new $7.25 million cap hit, Boeser will take up 7.6%. In 2026-27, that number goes down to 7%. In 2027-28 when the cap rises to $113.5 million, that number drops all the way down to 6.4%, with four more years left on the deal. Thus, this isn’t much of a “raise” for Boeser, as he gets the term he was looking for to remain with the team he never really wanted to leave.

The Canucks originally drafted Boeser 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. Boeser has registered 204 goals and 230 assists through 554 regular season games played. Boeser was a point per game player during the Canucks 2023-24 playoff run, tallying seven goals and five assists through 12 games.

This is the Canucks’ third piece of business of the day, as they signed goaltender Thatcher Demko and Conor Garland to contract extensions to kick off the day early Tuesday morning. After signing Boeser, the Canucks are tight on cap space, so it will be interesting to see what else they try to accomplish today.

How do you feel about the Boeser deal? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...-boeser-seven-year-deal-7-25-million-annually
 
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