Vancouver Canucks: 3 players they must re-sign this offseason
The Vancouver Canucks have several free agents after this season. Here are three they should try to keep.
The Vancouver Canucks season might not be over. But even if it is, they can hang their heads high. They were in a position to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs before the novel coronavirus pandemic put the season on hold, and potentially ended it.
No matter what happens with the rest of the season or the postseason, this is going to be a critical offseason for the Canucks. They have several free agents they need to re-sign, and they can’t really afford to overpay any of them. General Manager Jim Benning will have his hands full as he tries to improve an already impressive roster.
If the Canucks want to build on their 2019-20 season, they must bring back several of their key free agents. Here’s a look at three of them.
Troy Stecher
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
The Canucks defense will likely be losing a key member this summer in Christopher Tanev. He’s solid when healthy, but unfortunately, his injuries make him unavailable a bit too often. This means the Canucks need to bring back Troy Stecher.
Stecher, unlike Tanev, has been relatively healthy. In his first four seasons, he has played in at least 70 games twice. Those two seasons he hasn’t, he has missed 70 games by a combined three games. Meanwhile, Tanev hasn’t played in 70 games in any season since the 2014-15 season. Moreover, Stecher is five years younger than Tanev.
He will be a restricted free agent and the Canucks will probably try to work out a four or five year deal with him.
Tyler Toffoli
The Vancouver Canucks traded for Tyler Toffoli at the NHL trade deadline. Though he only got to play in 10 games for the Canucks before the season got put on hold, he was a perfect fit with 10 points, including six goals.
It will be hard to keep him around, but Benning has to find a way to do it at a reasonable price. Toffoli will turn 28 years old in April, so a six year deal probably makes the most sense. The Canucks might have to trade some of their bad contracts to get it done, but the effort required to do so would be worth it.
Jacob Markstrom
Keeping Stecher around would be nice. It would be very nice if the Canucks could find a way to keep Toffoli around. But the one free agent the Vancouver Canucks can’t afford to lose is goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
Markstrom has been outstanding this season for the Canucks, often keeping them in games they shouldn’t have been in. He’s stolen at least five games for them this season, if not more. Markstrom has a .918% save percentage this season in 43 games.
Every Team's Greatest Player Of All-Time. dark. Next
The Vancouver Canucks have a very solid tandem in Markstrom and young goaltender Thatcher Demko. It’s clearly working, so why not stick with what’s working quite well? That said, at 30 years old, the Canucks probably shouldn’t give Markstrom a long-term deal. Something in the three to four year range, though, would make sense. The Canucks are hoping it’s the former.