Joined: Jul. 2021
Posts: 1,038
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Considering the big dollars that defensemen have been getting this off season, this contract seems pretty reasonable. There’s a lot of talk about him being weak defensively, but even without defensive skills an offensive defenseman who can consistently put up around .75 points per game is a hot commodity. At age 21 there’s no reason to think he can’t continue that for another six years, and there’s a chance that he’ll improve in other areas. Offensive defensemen are most effective when paired with a guy who’s strong defensively. The Canucks may not have a guy like that, but you can’t expect Hughes to take less money because of that. Get him signed and build around him.
I also like that this contract apparently doesn’t have any no-trade/no-move clauses or signing bonuses, but I find it interesting that the Canucks seem to like to give back-end loaded contracts. In a league where most teams care more about cap hit than salary, I guess it’s a way to stick the other team with a greater share of the actual cash outlay if they trade him before the end of the contract.