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Brendan Gaunce To Miss At Least The First Month Of The Season

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Canucks center Brendan Gaunce will miss at least the first month of the season as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, GM Jim Benning told TSN 1040 (audio link).  The 2012 first rounder recently signed a two-year, $1.5MM contract with one-way salaries in both years.  Last season, Gaunce played in 57 games with the Canucks, collecting five assists and was expected to battle for a fourth line spot with the team in training camp.

That could provide an opportunity for one of the veterans that Vancouver has brought in on tryouts to crack the opening roster.  So far, center Ryan White and winger Scottie Upshall have been announced as PTO players that will be attending camp with the Canucks.

2017-18 Primer: Vancouver Canucks

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With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the Vancouver Canucks.

Last Season: 30-43-9 record (69 points), seventh in Pacific Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $1.99MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: F Thomas Vanek (free agency, Florida), F Sam Gagner (free agency, Columbus), D Michael Del Zotto (free agency, Philadelphia), G Anders Nilsson (free agency, Buffalo)

Key Departures: G Ryan Miller (free agency, Anaheim), D Nikita Tryamkin (free agency, KHL)

[Related: Canucks Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

"<strongPlayer To Watch: F Brock Boeser – There isn’t a single player on the Vancouver Canucks with as much excitement around him as Boeser. The rookie exploded onto the scene at the end of last year with a goal in his first game, recording five total points in his nine game showcase. Coming straight out of the college ranks, Boeser looked like he had an extra gear for the NHL and continually beat defenders with speed and power. The winger, selected in the 2015 first round has developed quickly at the NCAA level and should be a contender for the Calder trophy should he play in the NHL all year.

After locking up Bo Horvat earlier today for six years, Vancouver fans will hope he and Boeser can find some chemistry together in the next few seasons, and form a dynamic top line duo. While there are other top young players—Sven Baertschi and Markus Granlund in particular—these two will carry a lot of the offensive weight for the Canucks going forward. Boeser is only 20-years old however, so expectations should be held in check. There is no guarantee that he’ll adapt to the NHL as quickly as he seemed to this spring, or be able to hold up for an entire season. The acquisition of Vanek could even mean he starts in the minor leagues, should Vancouver think he still has things to learn.

Still, there is a level of optimism around him that continues to rise. In a season where the biggest excitement will likely be how many prospects and draft picks come back at the trade deadline, Boeser should be a shining beacon for the future.

Key Storyline: Daniel and Henrik Sedin enter 2017-18 on the last year of their identical (as one would imagine) four year, $28MM contracts. They’re still the highest paid players on the team, and represent the last gasp of a Canucks run that had dominant regular season results and more than a few devastating playoff losses. Turning 37 later this month, it will likely be the twins’ last season in Vancouver and perhaps even the NHL. The pair have had dwindling results in recent years, and will give way to the next wave of Canucks talent.

Fans of the team and hockey in general should take a long look at some of their games this year, just to appreciate the dominance and cerebral play they can still create on occasion. It’s not often that two players find such chemistry together, and a pair like Daniel and Henrik may not ever grace the NHL again. While it’s not exactly a farewell tour, it may be the end of an incredible era in Vancouver, stretching all the way back to that fateful night in Boston, when Brian Burke worked some draft-floor magic in order to select both of them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Bo Horvat Signs Six-Year Contract With Vancouver Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks have signed their young center Bo Horvat today to a six year contract worth $5.5MM per season. Horvat is coming off his entry-level contract, and had discussed everything from two-year bridge deals to eight-year extensions. A long-term deal always seemed like the eventual outcome, and Horvat will be giving up two unrestricted free agent years to stay in Vancouver. The deal contains no signing bonuses or trade protection, and the breakdown is as follows:

  • 2017-18: $6.5MM
  • 2018-19: $7.0MM
  • 2019-20: $5.775MM
  • 2020-21: $3.5MM
  • 2021-22: $5.775MM
  • 2022-23: $4.45MM

"<strongThe 22-year old Horvat was selected ninth-overall by the Canucks in 2013, and has turned out to be everything the team hoped for. His game is developing into that of a true number one center, capable of leading a team offensively and playing well enough to hold his own in the defensive zone. In just his third season he topped the Canucks with 52 points, coming in just ahead of Henrik Sedin in a metaphorical passing of the torch. The Sedins, so long the faces of the Vancouver franchise, will start to take a back seat to Horvat and the other young stars coming through the system.

Horvat was never expected to be a dynamic, league-leading type of offensive player. Even in London, where he played his junior hockey with the Knights in the OHL, he took on a two-way role behind Max Domi (now with the Arizona Coyotes) and other offensive stars. He used a heavy frame to do his fair share of scoring, but now there may be even more upside to his game. Horvat’s 20 goals included just three on the powerplay, a number that is sure to increase as the Sedin’s move on. Interestingly, it also included two short-handed goals, an area which he’ll likely excel throughout his career. Like Mikko Koivu in Minnesota, being a number 1 isn’t always about putting up 80+ point seasons.

The $5.5MM cap hit is a reasonable number for the Canucks, as other players are being paid more and more just out of the entry-level deals. Horvat’s contract will come in at the same amount as Jonathan Drouin, a fellow 2013 draftee that had similar production last year. While Drouin has considerable offensive upside, he also hasn’t proven himself at center thus far in his career. He’ll have a chance to do that in Montreal this year, but Horvat will likely remain the more natural player in the middle. Alexander Wennberg, another comparable to Horvat just signed a six-year deal for only $4.9MM, which looks better and better for the Blue Jackets as the weeks go on.

Vancouver doesn’t have a ton to worry about cap-wise at the moment, as this will mark the last year of the Sedin’s current contracts and with it will open up $14MM. With the team rebuilding, there will be plenty of room to fit Horvat’s number in going forward. If he takes another step offensively this could even look like one of the biggest bargains in a few years, especially if the salary cap goes up in the coming years (which is far from guaranteed).

Bob McKenzie of TSN first gave us the details and confirmed the deal was done.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Vancouver Canucks Sign Scottie Upshall To PTO

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The Vancouver Canucks have decided to bring in another veteran forward on a professional tryout, signing Scottie Upshall to a PTO according to Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy. He’ll join Ryan White in Canucks camp trying to force themselves onto an NHL roster. For a team looking to rebuild, either one could provide another deadline asset.

Upshall is one of the most interesting draft stories of the last few decades. Selected sixth-overall by the Nashville Predators, Upshall was a do-it-all player for the Kamploops Blazers who mixed goal scoring with physicality and defense. His WHL team had winning records in all three seasons, and he was one of the stars for Team Canada in both World Junior Championships—one in which he served as captain. He was expected to become a premiere two-way forward in the league, capable of contributing 20-25 goals while handing out punishing checks. Comparisons to Michael Peca were made.

Upshall never did grow into his offensive potential, capping out at 18 goals and 37 points during his career so far. But, instead of fading into the distance like other draft “busts” he has remained in the league as an important player for several franchises. Suiting up in 696 games so far, Upshall was a welcome addition to the St. Louis Blues most recently, scoring 10 goals and being a grade-A pest every night. It’s surprising that he has only earned a PTO, as even at 33 there is definitely enough left to help a team’s fourth line. We’ll have to wait and see if he gets an NHL deal or has to settle for an AHL pact. The latter would allow him to play in the Olympics for Team Canada if they’re so inclined.

Bo Horvat Could Earn Contract Similar To Drouin, Barkov

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  • Elliotte Friedman joined Sportsnet 650 radio this morning, and spoke about the incoming Bo Horvat contract. The deal for Horvat seems imminent, and Friedman thinks that a long-term deal “is better for both the player and the team. “ He also points to Jonathan Drouin’s six-year contract with a $5.5MM salary, and Aleksander Barkov’s $5.9MM cap hit as potential comparable numbers for each side. Horvat is currently a restricted free agent, but is the new face of the Vancouver Canucks franchise.

Vancouver Could Be Closing In On Deal With Bo Horvat

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  • Bob McKenzie of TSN returned from his summer vacation to give us a bit of information on the ongoing Bo Horvat negotiations. He believes the two sides are closing in on a deal, and speculates it would be in the range of six or seven years at a salary between $5-6MM. We’ve heard that the Vancouver Canucks and Horvat have discussed everything from a bridge deal to an eight-year contract, with the latter seeming less likely. Horvat is one of several high profile free agents left to sign, but there never seemed to be much doubt that a contract would eventually be signed.

Benning Hopeful To Get Horvat Deal Within The Next Week

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The Canucks are hopeful to get a contract in place for Bo Horvat within the next week, GM Jim Benning told Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver (audio link).  He classified recent discussions as “going well” and that progress was made on a deal last week.

Horvat is one of the most prominent remaining restricted free agents after a season that saw him record 52 points (20-32-52) in 81 games to lead the team in scoring.  With the Sedin twins nearing the end of their careers, the 22-year-old is set to lead Vancouver’s forward group for years to come so it’s likely that a long-term deal is still being targeted.  There were suggestions late last week that a bridge deal was all but done but Canucks team president Trevor Linden denied that a short-term pact was in place.  Cap space shouldn’t be a factor as the team still has more than $5MM in room to work with per CapFriendly (an amount that will go up as their roster size shrinks closer to 23).

Linden Believes Markstrom Will Have Big Season

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  • According to Ed Willes of The Province, Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations Trevor Linden has high expectations for  Jacob Markstrom, who is ready to take over starting goaltending duties this year. The 27-year-old was a highly touted second-round pick by the Florida Panthers back in 2008 and shown some promise as a backup over the past two years. He played in 25 games last year as the backup to Ryan Miller and finished with a 2.63 GAA and a .910 save percentage. The Canucks also signed the Buffalo Sabres’ Anders Nilsson to a two-year deal this offseason, who could also cut into Markstrom’s playing time if he starts slowly. Nilsson, also 27, had similar numbers to Markstrom. In 26 games, Nilsson finished with a 2.67 GAA, but did have a stronger save percentage at .923.

Jack Skille Expected To Sign In KHL

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Running out of time to find an NHL contract before the puck drops on the 2017-18 season, another veteran has taken the quiet off-season as a sign to move on. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that free agent forward Jack Skille is expected to sign with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL in the coming days. The 30-year-old’s decision to continue his career overseas comes a decade after making his NHL debut in 2007.

Skille was selected #7 overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2005 and made the jump to the NHL two years later after a short stint with the University of Wisconsin. Although Skille has never lived up to his draft slot, the two-way winger has nevertheless found an NHL contract in each of the last ten seasons. After three seasons in Chicago, spent mostly with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, Skille was traded to the Florida Panthers in 2011 and there developed into a bona fide NHLer. Skille has only played in 22 AHL games since his trade to Florida, instead spending parts of three seasons with the Panthers, two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and most recently a year apiece with the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks. Through 368 NHL games, Skille registered 84 points, including a career-high eight goals with the Avs just two years ago, but made his name not by his offense, but by his grit and toughness, his ability to win battles along the boards, and his quickness and tendency to always be in position to make a defensive play. Skille’s impressive ability to find an NHL gig as a reliable depth player is over for now, but may not be over for good, depending on his play in Europe.

With Minsk, Skille steps into a position where he will be relied on more for offense than any other time in his pro career and could also fill a leadership role. He also won’t be alone in Belarus though; he joins a squad with several NHL veterans such as Rob Klinkhammer, Quinton Howden, Justin Fontaine, Marc-Andre Gragnani, and new starting goalie Jhonas Enroth. The team is set to make some moves this season and Skille adds yet another talented contributor to the mix. If Minsk makes a leap up the standings in 2017-18 with Skille leading the charge in all three zones, there is little doubt that he will again draw interest from NHL teams next summer and beyond as a dependable and versatile depth option.

Snapshots: Gudbranson, Cammalleri, Jagr

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Once you get past the obvious, such as Colorado’s Matt Duchene and the entire Vegas Golden Knights’ roster, The Hockey News’ Matt Larkin has several interesting players who he lists as Top 10 trade candidates for the upcoming season, including Vancouver’s Erik Gudbranson, Los Angeles’ Mike Cammalleri and New Jersey’s Drew Stafford to name a few.

Gudbranson is a perfect trade candidate for the Canucks at the trade deadline. With young defensemen like Ben Hutton and Troy Stecher already on board to go with veteran Chris Tanev, he is not as critical of a keeper for a team looking to rebuild over the next few years. Add in the influx of young defensive prospects in their system, including Olli Juolevi (fifth overall pick in 2016), Guillaume Brisebois (third-rounder in 2015), Jordan Subban (fourth-rounder in 2013) and Jalen Chatfield, the team won’t miss Gudbranson too badly.

Cammalleri is a solid candidate. Larkin does not believe the Kings are going to succeed at making a playoff run and the 35-year-old wing could be that veteran “glue guy” for a team needing one piece for a Stanley Cup run, if Cammalleri can stay healthy, which is not something he has done often lately. Stafford would also make sense as a rental player at the deadline. After being traded at the deadline from Winnipeg to Boston last March and just signing a one-year deal with New Jersey this year, it’s very likely he’ll be on the move again if he can put up some points as a Devil.

To see the full list of 10 candidates, go here.

  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers tweets that Chicago Blackhawks prospect Andrei Altybarmakyan made his KHL debut today with St. Petersburg SKA. At just 19 years old, Powers writes, that’s a big deal and should develop into a promising prospect. The wing was a third-round pick in the 2017 draft two months ago.
  • San Francisco Examiner’s Paul Ladewski writes that the San Jose Sharks really need to sign a veteran to help out general manager Doug Wilson. Citing Wilson’s non-interest in being patient with young players, he points to 45-year-old Jaromir Jagr as an excellent player who could fill the void of Patrick Marleau. He cites Jagr’s work ethic, which could help light a fire under an aging team that’s running out of time. Jagr had 16 goals and 30 assists last year for Florida. The scribe suggests a one-year, $4MM deal would be perfect. NBC Sports Kevin Kurz tweets that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Sharks sign one veteran before camp starts, but doesn’t name Jagr.

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