Bridge Deals for star players UFA splash for RNH

Team: 2021-22 Vancouver Canucks

Initial Creation Date: Feb. 21, 2021

Published: Feb. 21, 2021

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

* Sign Pettersson and Hughes to 3Y bridge deals, emphasizing that this will allow the franchise to best construct a roster to challenge for the Stanley Cup under a flat cap.
* The Pettersson deal is modelled on the deal that Barzal signed prior to 20-21 season.
* The Hughes deal is modelled on the bridge deal of what Mikhail Sergachev or Charlie McAvoy signed.
* RNH comes home to BC and for the opportunity to ride shotgun alongside Pettersson and Hughes. Yes, I know Canucks fans should be very scared of an UFA signing here... but RNH is only 27 and has proved that he can play in a Canadian market pressure cooker and that he can play with the very best in the league. Canucks ownership has a long history of flexing their budget to bring home players with a strong connection to BC (Myers, Garrison, Hamhuis, Mitchell).
* RNH on 1LW allows the Canucks to slide JT Miller back to center where he now anchors the third line, providing a significant 5-on-5 upgrade to the depth of the team.
* Tanner Pearson is not re-signed, his $4m in cap space is assigned to the RNH deal.
* Vancouver reluctantly trades a 1st round pick to SEA so they take on the last year of the Loui Eriksson contract.
* Adam Larsson is signed to be the RD for Quinn Hughes and for the PK.
* Beagle and Roussel are buried in the minors for their last year.
* Jake Virtanen is bought out as his cap-hit would only be $50k and that cap space is more valuable than anything Vancouver could get back in a trade.