The Canucks have one of the better defensemen on expiring deals this summer in top-pairing threat Filip Hronek. He’s broken out alongside Quinn Hughes in his first full season in Vancouver and is under team control this summer as an RFA with arbitration rights. Speaking on the Sekeres and Price podcast today, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli thinks that Hronek is in a position to land an AAV in the $8MM range this summer after Vegas blue-liner Noah Hanifin signed a max-term extension with a $7.35MM cap hit last week. With the far superior Hughes locked in at $7.85MM through 2027, however, it’s nearly unfathomable that Canucks GM Patrik Allvin would dole out that kind of cash. If the 26-year-old’s camp holds firm in that ask, a one-year deal awarded via arbitration to walk him to unrestricted free agency in 2025 could be the outcome if Vancouver doesn’t trade his signing rights.
Other tidbits from around the league this afternoon:
- A flurry of lineup changes are taking place for the Hurricanes in today’s match against the Blackhawks, the team’s Walt Ruff relays. Captain Jordan Staal and defensemen Jalen Chatfield and Brett Pesce will return after missing Friday’s win over the Blues with undisclosed injuries. Brady Skjei will exit the lineup for load management down the stretch, while winger Teuvo Teräväinen remains out for a second straight game with an undisclosed injury. It’s the second-to-last game on Carolina’s schedule, and a regulation loss today locks them into second place in the Metropolitan Division.
- The Avalanche have the services of depth winger Miles Wood back in the lineup against the Golden Knights today, per the game’s roster report. The 28-year-old had missed three games with a lower-body injury. Wood, who signed a six-year, $15MM contract to join the Avs last offseason, returns in a third-line role with Ross Colton and trade-deadline pickup Brandon Duhaime. He has nine goals and 24 points in 72 games on the year.