Vancouver Canucks
Insiders Confirm Halak, Schenn to Vancouver Canucks, Sutter Likely
Brace yourselves; a busy NHL day lies ahead. Quickie notes … Barring something whacky, the Vancouver Canucks are actually minor players today during the “Frenzy” after the work they completed this week, and the fact that their top priority moving ahead is getting contracts done with Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Jason Dickinson. They will however, be looking to lock up a backup goalie, bolster their right side D, and add some depth in the forward group.
All of the Jaroslav Halak and Luke Schenn talk to Vancouver, especially the Halak chatter, is being affirmed by NHL “insiders” over the last 12 hours. Halak is 36-years-old and earned $2.25-million with Boston last season while Schenn is 31-years-old and made $800,000 last season in Tampa. Oh, and he’s been on two straight Stanley Cup winners.
(Details on the Halak deal)
Dan Murphy, one of the NHL’s best ice-level reporters/off-ice hosts from Sportsnet has indicated Brandon Sutter could very well re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks. Sutter made $4.375-million per season the last five years — he would not be making nearly that kind of bank as a 32-year-old 4th-line centre — he can also play wing and would help stabilize depth within the Canucks bottom-six. Would probably sign in the million-buck range.
It sounds like Maple Ridge native and former Burnaby Express defenceman Brad Hunt could be joining the Vancouver Canucks according to Sportsnet-650. The lefthanded D-man will turn 33 before the season and will cost the team less than $1-million at the NHL level. This is purely an organizational depth maneuver for a guy who played 12 games for the Minnesota Wild last season.
The Hockey Now national network will be very busy today – we’ll keep you updated. Reports from Bob Duff out of Detroit have former Canuck and former 6th overall pick of the Edmonton Oilers (2007) Sam Gagner re-signing with the Red Wings. He made $800K last season.
Joe Haggerty at Boston Hockey Now has news that Ryan Getzlaf to the Bruins is a real possibility. Haggs’s cohort Jimmy Murphy is dabbling in Boston/Seattle trade talk.
High drama in Vegas yesterday after the Golden Knights shipped franchise icon Marc-Andre Fleury to Chicago.
Stay tuned …