The Canucks have had a relatively quiet free agency this year (so far). Yes, the team resigned three key members of it's team, Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, and Conor Garland, but the team didn't land any big-ticket free agents. After looking at some of the contracts handed out, it might be for the best that the Canucks didn't take a gamble handing out long-term contracts to new players. One deal in particular comes to mind.
The Canucks dodged a bullet not making this deal
Coming into free agency, it was no surprise the Canucks were looking to add to their top 6.
The Canucks were rumored to be interested in several players, including forward Tanner Jeannot, who ended up signing with the Boston Bruins. As soon as rumors began to circulate that the Canucks were potentially preparing to offer a contract to Jeannot, fans were unhappy about the possibility of the Canucks signing the former kings forward.
During a game last season between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks, Jeannot was ejected for a hit to the head on Canucks forward Brock Boeser, which instantly made Jeannot a target of criticism from Canucks fans.
Fast forward to July 1st. If the Canucks had signed Jeannot, it would have been a disaster. Not just because of the incident involving Boeser, but also because of the term and money the team would have had to give out. The Bruins signed Jeannot to a 5-year, 17 million dollar contract with an AAV of $ 3.4 million, according to PuckPedia.
Tanner's coming to town. pic.twitter.com/ekSRI2i89g
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) July 1, 2025
Its unknown if the Canucks ever ended up offering Jeannot a contract, or if they would have been able to compete with the money offered by the Bruins, but it's for the best. Jeannot likely would have been relegated to the third/fourth line for the Canucks, and they just couldn't justify paying him that amount for five years to be a fourth line grinder.
Last season with the Los Angeles Kings, Jeannot had 13 points in 67 games, along with 89 penalty minutes. The season before that, he had 14 points in 55 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. What about the stat line screams "Let's sign this player to a long-term deal!"
I will say this: Jeannot is exactly what I envision as the prototypical Boston Bruins hockey player. Big, tough, and not afraid to throw his body around. Unfortunately for Bruins fans, he doesn't offer much value after that.
When Jeannot starts the 2025-26 season with the Bruins, it will be his fifth team in five years. Who knows, maybe Jeannot's style of play will allow him to thrive with the Bruins. If not, Bruins fans are in for a long five years of this contract, and I am sure glad the Canucks didn't sign him.