Report: Canucks are the 'frontrunner' to sign free agent Jay Beagle
The Vancouver Canucks may have won the Jay Beagle sweepstakes!
Anybody??
TSN’s Bob McKenzie is reporting that the Canucks are the frontrunner to land the soon-to-be free agent centre, likely on a multi-year deal.
Multiple teams in on Jay Beagle but looks like VAN is front runner to land the UFA centre who is expected to leave WSH for a multi-year deal on July 1.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 29, 2018
Teams are permitted to speak with free agents around the league this week, but must wait until July 1 to officially put pen to paper. Beagle made $1.75 million last season.
Further to @TSNBobMcKenzie report that the #Canucks are frontrunners to land Jay Beagle.
Sources tell me that Beagle contract could look like 3 years and 2.5 million dollars per year.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) June 29, 2018
The Canucks, who have cap space available to them, are not expected to swing for the fences on a big name free agent this summer. They do have a need for a centre though, which is where Beagle comes in.
A Stanley Cup champion with the Washington Capitals last season, Beagle can best be described as a fourth-line checking centre. His career-best offensive year came in 2016-17, when he scored 30 points (13-17-30) in 81 games. He had 22 points (7-15-22) in 79 games last season.
Beagle, who led all Capitals forwards in ice time on the penalty kill last season (2:31 per game), would help the Canucks’ 21st-ranked PK. He would also help the Canucks in the faceoff department, given that his 58.5 faceoff percentage was fifth-best in the NHL.
What should concern you about Beagle, who turns 33 in October, are his underlying numbers.
With a putrid 39.15 Corsi-For percentage, not only did Beagle have the worst Corsi on his team, he had the lowest CF% in the NHL, among skaters that played in 50+ games last season.
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