Canucks rumours: Latest on Jacob Markstrom, Tyler Toffoli, Tyler Motte, more
By Alex Hoegler
The Vancouver Canucks have plenty of tough decisions to make ahead of free agency. Here are the latest rumours and reports.
Now that the Vancouver Canucks‘ 2019-20 season is over, it’s time for general manager Jim Benning to plan for the long-term future.
Top goalie Jacob Markstrom, veteran defenceman Chris Tanev and trade deadline acquisition and top-six forward Tyler Toffoli are pending UFAs. Forwards Jake Virtanen, Tyler Motte, Adam Gaudette and blueliner Troy Stecher are set to become RFAs.
CapFriendly gives the Canucks about $17 million in projected salary cap space. Franchise stars Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes need new deals next offseason, too. Benning isn’t going to be able to retain all of his pending free agents.
The first order of business is Markstrom. Should they retain their No. 1 goalie, or hand the reigns over to Thatcher Demko, who surprised with three grade-A performances against the Vegas Golden Knights?
Speaking on Halford & Brough, TSN 1040’s Rick Dhaliwal revealed that he doesn’t think the Canucks and Markstrom “are close,” and that the “offers have not been great to” the 30-year-old. Dhaliwal believes there’s “a big gap” in contract talks.
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun wonders if the Colorado Avalanche will “take a run at Markstrom” following inconsistent goaltending that cost them in the second round against the Dallas Stars.
Ken Campbell of The Hockey News took a look at the goalie controversy between Markstrom and Demko. Campbell believes the former would like a five-year deal “somewhere in the $5.5 million range per season.”
The bottom line is that Markstrom will not come cheap, and if the Canucks want to retain him, it’s going to have to be a long-term deal. The ideal scenario of a short one or two-year deal isn’t going to happen.
During the same segment with Halford & Brough, Dhaliwal suggested that the Canucks will have “to overpay” to retain Toffoli, and that he “won’t come cheap.”
The good news is that Toffoli’s agent, Pat Brisson, sounds keen on at least discussing a new deal with Benning.
UFA Tyler Toffoli agent Pat Brisson : "Tyler was a strong addition to the Canucks at the deadline. He loved the city , the team and enjoyed his time in Vancouver. I will be open to have discussions with Jim Bennng at the appropriate time.“
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) September 6, 2020
It’s reasonable to think that the 28-year-old will cost at least $5 million annually on a new deal. So theoretically, unless Benning manages to lose both Markstrom and Tanev in free agency, it’s hard to see how he’ll find a way to keep Toffoli.
Motte, a fan favourite, deserves an extension following a superb postseason performance. He provided a significant boost to the bottom six group, recording five points in 17 games. His agent, Rich Evans, had encouraging things to say regarding a new deal.
“Tyler wants to be a part of this group in Vancouver going forward, and we hope to make that happen with a new contract,” Evans said, per Dhaliwal.
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Needless to say, Benning is about to face his most pivotal offseason as a GM. The Canucks got within one game of reaching the Western Conference Final, and now he has to figure out how to get them to the next level with limited cap space.