Canucks Sign Jonathan Lekkerimaki
The Canucks have signed one of their top prospects, announcing that they’ve inked winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the deal has a cap hit of $950K and an AAV of $1.425MM per season after factoring in $475K in ‘A’ bonuses in each year. GM Patrik Allvin released the following statement about the signing:
Jonathan had a good run in the playoffs and gained a lot of valuable experience but unfortunately his team fell short of its ultimate goal. Each player’s development path is different and in Jonathan’s case, he had to deal with a lot of adversity this past year. But with each challenge he faced, he found a way to learn and grow. With the help of our staff, we will find the best path forward for him and we look forward to Jonathan joining our development camp in July.
The 18-year-old was the 15th overall pick at the draft last summer after a strong showing in Sweden’s junior league while also more than holding his own with seven goals in 26 games with Djurgardens of the SHL. However, his club team was relegated down a division to the Allsvenskan in 2022-23 but it didn’t result in a big jump in output for Lekkerimaki. Instead, he wound up with just three goals and six assists in 29 regular season games while picking up four points in seven contests for Sweden at the World Juniors.
However, Lekkerimaki was able to finish up strong, picking up a point per game in the playoffs in 15 contests but Djurgardens fell in the finals, preventing them from returning to the top level next season. Accordingly, the winger had recently been linked to Leksands for next season in a report from Aftonbladet in Sweden. This contract doesn’t preclude Lekkerimaki from playing overseas next season with Leksands or elsewhere; to that end, Lekkerimaki told Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic (Twitter link) that he is in discussions with SHL teams for next season. If Lekkerimaki doesn’t play in ten games with the Canucks next season (an outcome that seems likely at this point), his contract will slide a year and still have three seasons remaining on it at this point next year.
Elias Pettersson Will Not Play At Worlds
Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson won’t be attending the upcoming IIHF World Championship after all, as a report from Aftonbladet indicates that the Swedish ice hockey federation could not secure insurance for him at the event.
Pettersson, 24, is only signed through next season and is expected to ink a massive extension at some point this offseason. He is eligible for a new contract on July 1, meaning a serious injury at the event next month could jeopardize a huge amount of money. Insurance is needed for many players at the event, usually when coming to the end of a contract.
As the extension talks approach, Pettersson is in quite a strong negotiating position. The young forward broke 100 points for the first time in his career, posting 39 goals and 63 assists in 80 games. That included five shorthanded goals to lead the league, and some incredible, dominant possession numbers that suggest he will be able to repeat that performance moving forward.
Pettersson will carry a $7.35MM cap hit next season while earning a whopping $10.25MM in actual salary, thanks to the back-loaded nature of his bridge deal. That means his qualifying offer would be at $8.82MM to retain him as an RFA in the summer of 2024, another number that only helps his case as he negotiates a long-term extension.
While international hockey fans might have wanted to see him on the World stage, Canucks fans might be okay with their prized forward taking some time off. Pettersson has a lot of work to do to lead Vancouver back to the promised land in the next couple of years, something that executive Jim Rutherford believes is possible despite their recent poor performances.
Canucks Free Agent Targets
In the latest edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet gives an update on a vacant general manager search. He had previously speculated that the Philadelphia Flyers GM search included discussing the possibility of speaking with Emilie Castonguay, who is the assistant general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.
Now, it sounds like Castonguay will not be going anywhere. While her name did come up as the Flyers cast a wide net to begin their hunt for a new GM, Castonguay is happy where she is currently and is not looking to move on from the Canucks to replace Chuck Fletcher in Philadelphia. This past season was her first full season with the Canucks after being hired midway through the 2021-22 season.
- Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet breaks down the Vancouver Canucks biggest needs this offseason, pointing to a big hole down the middle. While the team has Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller at center, there is really not an ideal third-line center on the team. He suggests the team will need to address this in free agency, possibly by signing Ivan Barbashev, Pius Suter or Max Domi, none of whom will come cheap. He also discusses the team’s need to move out a pricey winger like Brock Boeser or Conor Garland in order to create the cap space to fill that need down the middle.
Elias Pettersson Hopes To Play At Worlds
- Canucks center Elias Pettersson is hoping to play at the World Championship next month but is still working through the insurance process, notes Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. The 24-year-old had a career year this season, picking up 39 goals and 63 assists in 80 games, putting him tenth in the NHL in scoring. Pettersson has one year left on his deal and will be eligible to sign an extension in July but as he’s in this situation, his agent Pat Brisson indicated that disability insurance needs to be secured for Pettersson to play in the event.
Latest On Canucks Salary Cap Overages
- Another team that will have an overage penalty applied to their salary cap next season is the Vancouver Canucks. As PuckPedia notes, while offseason signing Andrei Kuzmenko provided incredible value for his $950k cap hit, that excellent performance actually earned him $850k in bonus dollars, which will result in a Canucks cap charge for next season. While that’s definitely not ideal for the Canucks’ financial picture, Kuzmenko scored 39 goals and 74 points this season and is under contract for another two seasons at a $5.5MM cap hit. It’d be hard to find a single team in the NHL who wouldn’t put up with a small cap overage penalty in order to have that type of production in their lineup.
Jason King Will Not Return To The Canucks
- According to a press release from the Vancouver Canucks, General Manager Patrik Allvin announces that Assistant Coach Jason King will not return to the Canucks for the 2023-24 season. King was originally drafted by the Canucks in the seventh round of the 2001 NHL Draft. Playing in 59 games (55 of which for Vancouver) split between the Canucks and the Anaheim Ducks throughout his career, King scored 11 goals and 12 assists. King has been behind the bench for the Canucks since the 2020-21 season and spent the five years prior working in the same capacity for Vancouver’s AHL affiliate.
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Vancouver Canucks Sign Elias Pettersson To Entry-Level Contract
The Vancouver Canucks signed defense prospect Elias Pettersson to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Wednesday. Pettersson’s deal starts next season, CapFriendly reports, and carries a cap hit of $870,000.
Completely unrelated to Vancouver’s superstar center of the same name, Vancouver selected Pettersson, 19, with the 80th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft. He had a solid post-draft year, playing mostly in the SHL (as compared to Swedish juniors) for most of the season. In 43 games with Örebro HK, Pettersson recorded a goal and six assists in a very limited role, as well as three assists in seven games for Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships.
Pettersson is a very intriguing prospect at a position of need for Vancouver. The left-shot blue liner is a very fluid skater and strong in transition, posting solid defensive numbers wherever he plays. Standing at 6-foot-3 and nearly 200 pounds, there are few size concerns with Pettersson as well and his game seems rather adaptable to the NHL.
Vancouver did not initially release the terms of Pettersson’s contract, but general manager Patrik Allvin did have this to say:
We are very happy to have Elias sign with us as he takes another step forward in his hockey career. We really liked the year he had on the ice in both representing his country at the World Juniors and playing important minutes in the SHL. Our development team is excited about the opportunity to continue to work with him and create a stronger relationship and partnership, building upon his already strong desire to learn and compete.
The Canucks will likely return Pettersson to Örebro on loan for 2023-24, giving him another year of development in his home country.
Christian Wolanin Wins Eddie Shore Award
The AHL continues its award week by handing out the Eddie Shore Award to Christian Wolanin, the league’s most outstanding defenseman for 2022-23. The Abbotsford Canucks defender scored six goals and 55 points in 49 games.
Vancouver Canucks Optimistic They Can Extend Elias Pettersson
Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrick Allvin spoke with Patrick Johnston of The Province today and said he is very optimist that the team can get a long-term deal done with Elias Pettersson. The Swedish center has one more year left on his bridge contract at a cap hit of $7.35MM and will be in line for a big raise when he becomes a restricted free agent in 2024.
Much like Alex DeBrincat, Pettersson’s contract is back loaded, meaning that Vancouver will need to qualify him at a number just shy of $9MM. Pettersson could take the one-year deal and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2025 at the age of 26. Should the former fifth overall pick elect to do that, he would have no shortage of suitors.
Pettersson was a horse this season as he averaged of 20 minutes of ice time per game. He is coming off a career year that saw him post 39 goals and 63 assists in 80 games. His powerplay goals dropped dramatically this season as he scored just six times with the extra man, but what is truly impressive was that he put up 68 points at even strength, which tied him for sixth in the entire NHL behind the likes of Nathan McKinnon and Connor McDavid. These numbers put Pettersson in elite company and will have him looking for a long-term deal with an eight-figure average annual value.
The Canucks may be optimistic about signing their superstar center, but their short-term cap situation would give anyone pause. The club has struggled to commit to a specific direction over the last year and appear to be spinning their wheels. They have a lot of long-term contracts with players that are producing well below their cap hits, which could make it difficult to improve the on-ice product and entice Pettersson to stay. Jim Rutherford, Allvin and company seemed committed to a rebuild when they were first hired over a year ago, but appeared to change course when they narrowly missed the playoffs in 2022. They have been unable to shed any of the bloated contracts handed out by the previous management group and have further added to them with the extension to J.T. Miller. Their direction over the next 12 months will be interesting to observe as they appear set to retool rather than teardown and rebuild.
Ethan Bear Expects To Return Next Season
- Ethan Bear of the Vancouver Canucks was on Canucks Central radio show with Dan Riccio and Satiar Shah and spoke confidently about returning to the Canucks next season. Bear was acquired early in the season from the Carolina Hurricanes and will be a restricted free agent this offseason. He is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent if he is not given a qualifying offer of one year at $2.2MM but it sounds like Bear will be signing an extension without much drama involved. He openly stated he will be back and anyone worrying about the situation can relax. After being cast aside by the Hurricanes essentially as a cap dump, Bear played well for the Canucks and has deserved an extension to stay.