The Vancouver Canucks have a new plan for the future and that is Operation Keep Quinn Hughes Happy. With the St. Louis Blues‘ ridiculous run and Vancouver’s unfortunate slide, attention has turned to what happens in the offseason.
Canucks Keep Quinn Hughes, Carry On
The early game on Saturday gave Canucks fans everything they wanted, that is a healthy Quinn Hughes. Oh, and another home game where they scored six goals, but that’s more of a side issue now. It was fun and all, but the future of the team didn’t change with Max Sasson‘s third of the season. A lovely goal, and congratulations to him, but it was against the Anaheim Ducks.
There were two important numbers to come from that game, and it wasn’t just complaints about the early start time. The first is Brock Boeser reaching 25 goals, keeping interest in his free agency high. The second is Hughes’ ice time coming in below 23 minutes, something that’s happened ten (non-injured) times this year.
It’s no secret that Hughes has played injured for much of the season. He won’t hit 70 games, and an argument can be made that he shouldn’t have reached 60. But the Canucks have been bad enough, long enough that the captain felt the need to push through.
That could have been inspirational. Instead, it’s just another dark detail of a shadow-filled 2024-25 season. But we aren’t here to dwell on the past, there will be plenty of that in two weeks, but to consider the future. And the future contains just one question and how can the Vancouver Canucks keep Quinn Hughes happy?
The Plans
The big deal is, well, Hughes’ Big Deal. Hughes is the unquestioned lynchpin on the Canucks right now, and probably until he leaves. No panicking! We said “until he leaves” because eventually an athlete’s career ends in every city. Even players who stick around aren’t necessarily players anymore.
But Hughes is in a special place for Vancouver. He’ll be entering year five of a six-year deal, making a bargain-basement $7.85 million per season. He’s been over a point per game, averaged more than 25 minutes of ice time, and is five points away from breaking Alexander Edler‘s all-time defenceman scoring record in HALF the games.
So, yes. The Canucks keeping Quinn on the team is important. And he will be able to demand an appropriately high price. By 2027-28, if everything goes according to plan, the salary cap will reach $113.5 million. Hughes asking for $15 million in a long-term deal is a completely reasonable number. Truth be told, he’s worth that now.
While the cap is increasing next year, it increases for every team. This isn’t going to give the Canucks an advantage until it’s high enough for teams with internal budgets to start dropping out. Even then, there may be some form of equalization payments, so being rich won’t be enough.
Vancouver has already bought one year of unrestricted free agency from Hughes. To get the rest, they need to convince him to stay. Here are two ways they can try.
Plan the First and can the Canucks Keep Quinn Happy ASAP!
This is pretty much the same sort of plan the Canucks have always had. Juggle everything frantically and hope you can keep your feet on the tightrope as you inch forward. We joke that last season everything went right and this year everything went wrong, but neither of those is completely true.
Vancouver made gigantic moves in 2022-23, including moving Bo Horvat and bringing in an injured Filip Hronek. But they weren’t afraid to correct smaller moves, too, recognizing when a free agent signing didn’t work out. The next year, more of the same, bringing in players to help the playoff run, shedding others who weren’t fitting.
And this season, another gigantic move, sending J.T. Miller away and putting their chips on Elias Pettersson. The chaos from this year has resulted in a team falling well short of expectations. There is a strong argument for expecting a return to “normal,” and that normal being a dozen points higher in the standings.
It’s A (Re-)Sign!
Looking at the talent available in free agency, it’s going to be a seller’s market. Boeser has bet on himself, and it’s worked. With reports indicating he’s turned down a five-year, $8 million per season deal, the team will need to get uncomfortable to keep him.
Should they keep him? Yes, obviously. He’s a steady, reliable goal producer, loves the city, and by all accounts is a phenomenal teammate. The question is affording him, even as they look to somehow acquire talent for next season. As promising as Jonathan Lekkerimaki has been, he is not replacing Boeser next year.
Given the Canucks’ weakness at centre, signing Pius Suter would be handy. But again, a limited number of high-quality free agents will make that difficult. That Suter can also play on the wing doesn’t bring his price down, but does mean he can fit on the team no matter what other signings happen.
Big Game Hunting
Trying to improve now doesn’t just mean re-signing your own players. The Canucks can push hard for Nikolaj Ehlers to get more star power on the wing, for instance. But he is going to have a lot of suitors, and could be financially out of reach. Vancouver has about $14 million in cap space next season, and Suter and Boeser would eat most of that.
Trades off the roster can happen, too, but there’s always risk involved. Do you move Nils Höglander now, even if he’s likely at a low point? Move Conor Garland, despite the fact that he’s one of the few players who can drive a line from the wing?
Trading futures makes no difference to the salary cap, so those aren’t a selling point. The Canucks need high-end skill, and soon. To get that, some money has to go, and that means players on the way out. If the team wants to get bold, they could move Hronek for a big piece up front.
For this to work, they need all the players who stumbled to come right back. That includes Hronek, Pettersson, Höglander, Thatcher Demko, Dakota Joshua, and even Artūrs Šilovs for however many games he’s needed.
Plan the Second and the Canucks Keep Quinn Happy (Reprise)
This is the biggie. Given both who owns the team and who manages it right now, it’s not all that likely. Neither group is known for their love of building a team from the ground up. But if they should be convinced otherwise, here’s how it could go down.
The first move is convincing Hughes that he’s going to captain a rebuilding team. If they don’t have that, then any attempt is dead in the water. The thing about Hughes is that his skills aren’t going to atrophy for a half-dozen years, yet. He’s going to be a top-three defenceman in the league for years. Should he agree, then it’s time to move.
Boeser is gone, as is Suter, so get what you can for their signing rights. Thatcher Demko isn’t worth much either, despite his brilliance when he’s available. Goalies are an all-risk commodity, and general managers aren’t fond of those bets. Hronek could be gone in this scenario, too.
Oh, and Elias Pettersson – the original – is moved on. It’s hard to guess his value, but trading risk-for-risk in future picks is most likely the biggest return.
Up Come Some Guys
Vancouver has players in the AHL and as prospects coming up who project to be… good. Maybe a few can be middle-six guys up front of bottom-pair defenders, but not much in the way of stars. Heck, most of them have already played in the NHL this season! Well, a few of them are going to stay.
The young kids have some veterans around them, but this won’t be a good team. Not yet, anyway. Loading up on picks for 2025, 2026, and 2027 can not only bring in high-potential prospects, but are a commodity. Everybody likes draft picks, either as a seasoning or the main course. Get them to use them.
At 27 years old, Hughes should see the shape of the team around him when his contract is up for renewal. High picks in 2025 and 2026 should at least be predictable, if not outright stars. Hoping 2-3 current prospects pan out isn’t too far a stretch. And they will be a cheap team, leaving cap room to add an expensive piece or two when they’re ready.
Victor Mancini could join Elias “Junior” Pettersson on defence. Or if not him, perhaps Kiril Kudryavtsev or Sawyer Mynio make noise. Or longtime favourite Jett Woo breaks through.
Up front, well, we’ll see if Danila Klimovich can satisfy his coaches enough to contribute. Or any of the half-dozen young guns on the big club now take an extra step. Some certainly have the pedigree, between Aatu Räty‘s and Jonathan Lekkerimaki’s offensive potential and Nils Åman‘s solid defence.
Final Verdict
Operation The Canucks Keep Quinn Hughes Happy really is it in a nutshell. The Canucks can’t replace him. He is their most important player. But he’s got to be getting tired of half-way moves at this point. Whichever way the team goes, push now or push later, should be his call.
All management has to do is make it happen.
Main Photo Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
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