The Verdict: What’s for Next Season?
Dan Hamhuis seems headed to unrestricted free agency as he and the management show now signs of negotiations. The Canucks would very much like to re-sign him to a short-term deal that will allow Dan to retire as a Canuck. But at what cost? At what terms? At what clauses?
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There are too many questions surrounding Hamhuis. Going into the offseason as a free agent, I imagine that the biggest contract for Hamhuis could be in the $4 million range for two years or at the $3 million range for up to three years with the Canucks. Would he get a bit more in the open market?
You bet.
But assuming he returns to Vancouver for the 2016-17 campaign, would these be realistic expectations for the aging defenseman who, frankly, was one of the most energetic Canucks to end the season? After all, he was the Bill Masterton nominee this season for the Canucks!
Dan Hamhuis 2016-17 Production
70 GP // 5 Goals // 15 Assists // 20 Points // Even P-M // 30 PIM // 70 Hits // 90 Blks
In a full season unhindered by injuries, Hamhuis would be a superb top-six option for the Canucks and a decent top-four option. But the way the blueline is shaping up right now, a roster spot would only mean a third-pairing responsibility for Hamhuis, probably with Luca Sbisa.
As for his 2015-16 performance, he does deserve tremendous credit for returning and leading the group alongside Ben Hutton. He proved himself still capable of top-four minutes and showed the Canucks that he would not be a burden should he return in leadership capacities.
He had a positive impact on defensive liabilities like Bartkowski and Weber. He, however, has had his offensive totals reduced significantly. Hamhuis did his job well but not much more. For this performance:
Next: Going Big at Free Agency: Mikkel Boedker
And that is it for this edition of Canucks Player Season Evaluation! Next up? The most likely candidate to be Hamhuis’s partner should he return — defenseman Luca Sbisa.
*stats courtesy of HockeyReference.com, Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com, visuals thanks to OwnThePuck.