Fans continue to be on the edges of their seats wondering what the Vancouver Canucks are up to behind the scenes with just one week to go until free agency begins.
Things were reportedly quiet in Vancouver over the weekend with no known contract talks with any of the free agents, most notably Nikita Zadorov. Zadorov was acquired via a trade with the Calgary Flames in December. At the time of the trade GM Patrik Allvin spoke about what Zadorov brought to the Canucks saying: “Nikita is a big, strong and mobile two-way defenseman who will bring more physicality to our backend. We really like his size and reach and his addition to our blue line gives us more depth and better options moving forward.”
Allvin's analysis of Zadorov was 100% correct, and Zadorov is the most popular soon-to-be free agent for the Canucks. His leadership and physical play gained him a lot of fan support especially during the Canucks playoff run. Many believe he is considered a vital piece of the roster for the Canucks to succeed in 2024.
What about Jake Guentzel? Can the Canucks afford both Guentzel and Zadorov?
Jake Guentzel could be a target for the Canucks if he hits the July 1 free agent market. He was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canucks were interested in acquiring him at the March 2024 trade deadline.
Guentzel's status is also up in the air. The Hurricanes could re-sign him this week. If not, he could garner $8-$10 million annually on the free agent market.
Could the Canucks get both players? It is difficult to predict especially with other outstanding issues like the goalie situation fully fleshed out in Abbotsford.
It is a busy week for the Canucks with the NHL Awards occurring on Thursday night and the NHL Draft happening on Friday and Saturday. Will the team re-sign more players between now and Thursday? That seems to be the question that no one can effectively answer.