With the increasingly negative sentiment around the way the Vancouver Canucks operate, it is highly unlikely the organization will be able to attract the NHL's top free agents... again, making it even harder to resolve a preexisting issue.
Top NHL insider Elliotte Friedman weighed in on the Canucks and the free agent market in an appearance on "Donnie & Dhali" Monday, agreeing that the tumultuous 2024-25 season has damaged Vancouver's chances of landing any of the big fish in the free agent market.
Could Quinn Hughes uncertain future with the #Canucks impact interest from free agents?@FriedgeHNIC weighed in on that and more.
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) May 26, 2025
Full interview..https://t.co/zixWKhLKMH pic.twitter.com/zYLO3Lx9Qp
"The instability this year has really hurt that. A year ago, I don't know people would've said the same thing," Friedman said. "A lot of these guys want to go where they can win, right? A year ago, I think you would've been a lot higher on lists than you are now. Everybody knows what the situation was this year, so, yes, I think it has hurt the standing of the Canucks in the league.
"I think that the uncertainty around Hughes, that's another one. That's going to lead to a few questions here and there. I think some of the top players would want to know, 'Ok, we've heard what you've said about Hughes publicly. What do you really think?' If you're coming to Vancouver and you're signing long-term, you want to know that you're going to be playing with a guy like him long-term. So, I think that's another question.
"There's no doubt, after what happened this year, Vancouver's rating has dropped down a little bit for free agents this season."
The best piece of business the Canucks have gotten done on the open market recently was signing Jake DeBrusk last summer, agreeing to a seven-year, $38.5 million deal that keeps DeBrusk in Vancouver until the age of 34.
The Canucks also picked up center Pius Suter two summers ago, but now that his two-year contract has expired and he's performed exceptionally well, Suter is due for a big pay raise this offseason. And one the Canucks may not be able to afford, especially if they want to go out and attempt to sign any other big-time players.