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Which Canucks have provided the most value based on their contracts?

Trevor Beggs
Trevor Beggs
|
Mar 14 2024, 3:12 pm
Which Canucks have provided the most value based on their contracts?
Bob Frid/USA TODAY Sports

What a difference one year has made for the Vancouver Canucks.

The Canucks’ meteoric rise back to relevance has been one of the biggest stories in the NHL this season. They’ve been able to enjoy this rise to relevance because nearly every one of their skaters is playing above their value.

In a salary cap world, you need players that provide value beyond their contracts. Thankfully for the Canucks, nearly every player on the team has been able to do that.

Below, we’ll rank each Canucks skater based on who’s provided the most value based on their contracts.

Most valuable Canucks

You can consider the 11 Canucks below as being worth at least $1 million more than their current cap hits.

1. Quinn Hughes

  • 2023-24 Stats: 68 GP, 13 G, 63 A, 76 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $7.85 million

There’s a good argument to be made that Quinn Hughes has been the Canucks’ best skater this season.

The best defenceman in franchise history still has an outside chance of hitting 100 points this season. If he was up for a new contract like Pettersson was, it’s not unrealistic to think that he might have gotten close to $13 million per season. He’s been that good.

2. Thatcher Demko

  • 2023-24 Stats: 49 GP, 34 W, 14 L, 2 OTL, .917 SV%
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $5 million

There are 13 goaltenders who have a higher cap hit than Thatcher Demko in 2023-24. There’s really only one, Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck, who has outperformed Demko this season.

3. Pius Suter

  • 2023-24 Stats: 54 GP, 13 G, 13 A, 26 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $1.6 million

It was shocking to see Pius Suter still available in free agency last August, and it’s still a puzzling thought seven months later.

Suter has arguably been the Canucks’ best forward outside of Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser. While he’s not as flashy or as physical as some of the Canucks other depth forwards, Suter provides versatility on offence and profiles as one of the best defensive forwards in hockey this season.

4. Dakota Joshua

  • 2023-24 Stats: 53 GP, 13 G, 13 A, 26 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $825,000

Dakota Joshua has drastically elevated his game this year after an impressive first season with the Canucks in 2022-23. He’s morphed into a top-notch penalty killer, and his combination of physicality and scoring ability make him a unique player in today’s NHL.

Whether in Vancouver or elsewhere, he’s going to get a massive pay bump for the 2024-25 season.

5. J.T. Miller

  • 2023-24 Stats: 68 GP, 34 G, 55 A, 89 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $8 million

J.T. Miller is making his contract look like a steal. How many NHLers are top-line, matchup centres that are on pace for over 100 points?

In the first year of his new deal, the Ohio native is on pace for 106 points. That 1.3 points-per-game pace is the ninth-best in the NHL, narrowly ahead of other stars like Auston Matthew and Jack Hughes.

6. Elias Pettersson

  • 2023-24 Stats: 68 GP, 31 G, 48 A, 79 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $7.35 million

When Elias Pettersson signed his new deal worth $11.6 million per season, many believed he gave the Canucks a discount.

It’s easy to understand why. Pettersson is one of the most creative and dangerous playmakers in the NHL today. His defensive game has slipped a bit compared to last season, but that’s a finite criticism for one of the NHL’s best players.

7. Filip Hronek

  • 2023-24 Stats: 68 GP, 5 G, 40 A, 45 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $4.4 million

Now that Pettersson has re-signed, the attention will turn to Filip Hronek.

The Canucks have lacked dynamic defencemen throughout their history, and Hronek might be one of the best this franchise has ever seen. He’s currently on pace for 55 points, which is a total that only seven defencemen in Canucks history have ever hit.

8. Nils Höglander

  • 2023-24 Stats: 65 GP, 20 G, 11 A, 31 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $1.15 million

Patrik Allvin made a shrewd move by locking up Nils Höglander on a two year deal worth $1.15 million per season following a year where he struggled in the NHL but was solid in the AHL. He’s been one of the most efficient goal scorers in hockey this season.

9. Teddy Blueger

  • 2023-24 Stats: 53 GP, 5 G, 19 A, 24 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $1.9 million

Latvian Teddy Blueger has gone from health scratch on a Cup contender, to someone who has provided low-end, second-line value. He’s helped form one of the most surprising and effective lines in the league alongside Joshua and Conor Garland.

10. Brock Boeser

  • 2023-24 Stats: 67 GP, 35 G, 30 A, 65 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $6.65 million

This time last year, Brock Boeser’s contract looked like more of an anchor than a steal. You have to wonder if other teams are kicking themselves for not offering more when he was available las season.

11. Conor Garland

  • 2023-24 Stats: 67 GP, 13 G, 19 A, 32 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $4.95 million

Much like Boeser, Conor Garland was considered somewhat immoveable due to his contract. He’s made that notion look silly this season. Garland is a play-driving monster providing who gives the Canucks a huge advantage considering that he plays on the third line.

Canucks playing near their true value

These six Canucks are arguably playing within $1 million of their current deals.

12. Ian Cole

  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $3 million

13. Carson Soucy

  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $3.25 million

14. Noah Juulsen

  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $775,000

15. Casey DeSmith

  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $1.8 million

16. Sam Lafferty

  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $1.15 million

17. Phil Di Giuseppe

  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $775,000

18. Nils Aman

  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $883,500

Players playing below their value

These four Canucks are arguably overpaid by at least $1 million based on their performances this season.

19. Nikita Zadorov

  • 2023-24 Stats: 60 GP, 4 G, 12 A, 16 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $3.75 million

Nikita Zadorov has played better of late, but overall his lack of offensive creation has hurt his value. The fact that he’s not a great penalty killer, doesn’t block a ton of shots, and takes a lot of penalties also diminishes his true value, even if he’s an incredibly fun hockey player to watch.

20. Elias Lindholm

  • 2023-24 Stats: 67 GP, 13 G, 26 A, 39 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $4.85 million

Elias Lindholm has struggled ever since joining the Canucks. Neither the eye test or the data paints his performance with the Canucks in a favourable light, although he has seemingly found some chemistry with Garland of late.

21. Ilya Mikheyev

  • 2023-24 Stats: 62 GP, 11 G, 16 A, 27 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $4.75 million

Ilya Mikheyev’s hot offensive performance at the beginning of the season makes his stat line look alright, even though he hasn’t done anything offensively since the calendar flipped to 2024. He still profiles as a good defensive forward.

22. Tyler Myers

  • 2023-24 Stats: 62 GP, 4 G, 19 A, 23 PTS
  • 2023-24 Cap Hit: $6 million

Although Tyler Myers has the worst contract value on the Canucks, he’s miles ahead of where he in previous seasons. Last year, Myers was considered a fringe NHLer, but he’s bounced back in 2023-24 as a low-end, top four defenceman.

Trevor BeggsTrevor Beggs
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