Vancouver Canucks re-sign Markus Granlund to a one-year deal
Jim Benning is bringing back Markus Granlund for one more year. Here’s why the shorter term is a sign that Granlund is not a long-term piece for the future.
In a very quiet morning on draft day, the Vancouver Canucks have the biggest new of the day, announcing the re-signing of Markus Granlund. The checking winger is receiving a one-year deal worth $1.475 million.
In April, I talked about what I would expect from a Granlund deal and I’m impressed with Jim Benning. He did not overpay and kept the term shorter than what I had predicted. With that in mind, there are a couple of implications with his new contract.
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By avoiding salary arbitration, there’s one less thing for Jim Benning to worry about. As Granlund’s camp quickly accepted the deal, they must have felt fortunate to still get a deal like this. What Benning said of the signing was rather interesting as well.
"“He plays a complete, two-way game and has shown he can produce offensively. We look forward to seeing Markus continue to develop as a Vancouver Canuck this season.”"
The description of his game is nothing different from what we have heard before, but what struck me was the final sentence regarding development. At age 25, there is little development left for someone like Markus Granlund. We are approaching the “what you see is what you get” stage of his career i.e. a serviceable checking forward that can play wing and centre. But nothing that can’t be easily replaced in free agency or the waiver wire.
Moving forward
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Next season, we will see if Granlund can produce more. Furthermore, the term of his deal is really interesting. It’s another “show-me” deal, indicating the Canucks are not as impressed with what they see.
Sure, Granlund is an NHL player, but he is not turning out to be the middle-six threat the team hoped he would be. I would say that is exactly where pursuing cast offs has its pitfalls, but regardless, this is where we are today.
If nothing changes in Granlund’s game next season, then I’m having trouble seeing why he won’t become expendable soon. The Canucks are planning to integrate more of their prospects into the lineup in the coming years. So, Granlund is nothing more than a stop-gap at this point. Perhaps things change during next season.
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However, if Travis Green is going to continue to deploy him away from the power play and attached to Brandon Sutter‘s hip, then don’t set those expectations high. Besides, would you really want Granlund getting power play time over someone like Elias Pettersson? I sure wouldn’t. There are many players on the Canucks similar to Granlund. Someone is going to draw the short straw and we will see who that is next year.