Canucks: What could Quinn Hughes’ next contract look like?
Vancouver Canucks blueliner Quinn Hughes is entering the final year of his entry-level deal and will be looking to sign a new contract sooner than later.
The kids are alright.
It’s no surprise that the Vancouver Canucks are one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NHL. They came one win away from a trip to the Western Conference Finals this past summer, with young players like Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes dominating play almost every shift.
Both players have proven that they are going to be integral pieces of the Canucks’ core for years to come. In particular, Hughes has emerged as one of the most dynamic and offensive blueliners in the game, and it will be crucial for the front office to keep him on the roster. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
With the salary cap staying flat at $81.5 million for next season, Canucks’ management find themselves in a serious financial dilemma. They still have a few questionable contracts on the books until 2021-2022, and that might prove costly (no pun intended) when trying to lock in their franchise defenceman for the foreseeable future.
Hughes recorded a historic 53-point season in 2019-2020. He was named to the Pacific Division All-Star team and capped off an impressive rookie campaign with a spot on the Calder Trophy voting ballot. It’s safe to say he’s only just scratched the surface of his capabilities.
So how much is he worth moving forward?
Similar to Pettersson’s current contract negotiations, Hughes has a few different paths that he can explore.
The first would be a maximum, long-term contract extension. A great comparison would be Ottawa Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot, who inked a monster eight-year, $64 million deal in 2019. Hughes might opt for six or seven years instead, and he could also garner close to $10 million per season, which would set a new market for young blueliners in the league.
Another option would be to sign a shorter-term bridge deal. An example of this would be Boston Bruins’ defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who signed a three-year, $14.7 million extension last year. Another is Mikhail Sergachev of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who recently signed a similar three-year, $14.4 million dollar deal just this past week.
It’s also important to remember that this market could look wildly different next year.
Hughes is part of a crop of puck-moving, offensively-minded blueline RFAs, which includes players like Rasmus Dahlin, Miro Heiskanen and Calder Trophy winner, Cale Makar. These defensive studs are changing the game dramatically, and it’ll be a race to see which GM sets the tone for the rest of the league.
Many Canucks’ fans would love for Hughes to go explore the bridge deal.
Management would have more time to navigate out of their current, undesirable cap situation, and Hughes would have the opportunity to further improve his play-making talent in order to maximize his value in the long run. If Hughes signs a bridge deal, expect him to look for two to three years with an average annual value north of $6 million.
The Canucks should offer Anthony Duclair a contract. dark. Next
Fortunately, there’s still time to finalize a new deal for Hughes. But, no matter what road the Canucks decide to take with him, one thing is for sure. He’s going to get paid.