In a segment on the Donni and Dhali show, Sportsnet Insider Elliotte Friedman explained over and over again that he believes there's a deal to be made between the Vancouver Canucks and defenseman Filip Hronek.
"I think that there is a deal to be made here," Friedman declared. "For me, the sweet spot at maximum is probably at the $7.5 million range."
Friedman's words echoed the significance of the strategic importance of reaching an agreement within Vancouver's financial threshold. We already know the Canucks extended the defenseman an offer. Now, it's noted by Freidman that a contract for Hronek of $7.5 million per year would stand below the average annual value of star defenseman Quinn Hughes, signaling a calculated approach by the Canucks' management team.
However, Friedman acknowledged the potential hurdles that lay ahead. "If Hronek is dead set above that, I can see it being a real problem," he cautioned, highlighting the delicate balance between player expectations and the team budget. Despite this, Friedman remained optimistic about the prospect of finding common ground. "But, I think there’s a deal to be made there."
Drawing parallels to recent negotiations, Friedman referenced the successful contract extension of Elias Pettersson, emphasizing the determination required to navigate those complex discussions. "To me, if you can get the deal done with Pettersson, then you can get the deal done with just about anybody with what they went through," he asserted.
Friedman's confidence in the feasibility of reaching an agreement was palpable. "As I sit here today with you, Monday, March the 18th, I have no reason to believe that a deal here is impossible to do," he affirmed. "I think there’s a deal to be made, and until I have reason to believe otherwise, I’m going to keep moving in that direction."
Hronek's contract with the Canucks is the next most significant contract for general manager Patrik Allvin to sort out. However, other significant contracts are looming for players like Tyler Myers, Elias Lindholm, and Nikita Zadorov, the team faced formidable challenges in navigating salary cap constraints. In fact, there's only so much cap space to go around, and Zadorov could end up the odd-man out when it's all said and done.
Allvin, clearly, has not been afraid to negotiate within the regular season schedule as he did with Pettersson just a few weeks ago. Hronek could and should be next as Vancouver's captain's running mate.