Another day has gone by that big-name free agents remain unsigned. The flat salary cap has created problems for numerous NHL franchises and will likely continue to. Two such teams include the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs. Vancouver is looking to the not too far future as two superstar players will be looking for their first contract extensions. Toronto may have to shuffle players around in order to remain under the cap. Then there is Erik Haula who is still searching for his next deal. We will explore their options in today’s NHL rumours.
NHL Rumours:
Vancouver Canucks
Rumour: As reported on TSN Radio 1040 out of Vancouver, the Vancouver Canucks may have to consider bridge deals for Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes.
“Do we need to start talking more about a bridge deal for Hughes and Pettersson? Will Benning, in Covid times, be able to give them long contracts…or are you looking where the only option is a bridge through the years we’re dealing with a flat cap”@JasonBroughTSN @HalfordTSN pic.twitter.com/IDL2pcdQ8i
— TSN Radio Vancouver (@TSN1040) October 14, 2020
Analysis: As a Calder Trophy winner and another nominee, the Canucks have two bright young stars on the roster. They are sure to be the face of the franchise moving forward. Vancouver could not be happier to have drafted two young stud skaters. Now they have to worry about signing them to their next contracts. Both players are going into the final season of their entry-level contracts and are due for a major pay raise.
The flat salary cap creates a difficult situation for both sides involved. The young skaters are the building blocks for the organization moving forward. While the Canucks would like to get a contract done, the flat cap leaves the team in an uncertain position. With a lot of unknowns about the economic situation of the league moving forward, it becomes difficult to plan long term. If the Canucks are interested in keeping Pettersson and Hughes around for the long term, a bridge deal may be required in order to keep them on the roster.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Rumour: According to TSN’s recent Insider Trading segment, the Toronto Maple Leafs may have to get creative with roster shuffling to remain under the salary cap.
Analysis: Toronto is one of many teams in a cap bind. With four of their star forwards taking up nearly half of their team salary, they need to get creative to keep themselves under the salary cap. While the NHL allows players to carry up to 23 players on the roster at a time, they are only allowed to dress 20 on game days. Toronto may only carry 19 at times. We could wind up seeing the team use players not eligible for waivers making frequent trips to the minors just to keep the team under the cap on non-game days.
One possible player for Toronto to consider would be Rasmus Sandin. The young defenceman has a lot of hype surrounding him as a future star for the Maple Leafs. He is still on an entry-level contract and is, therefore, waivers exempt. Seeing as how Sandin could be ready for an NHL role and fans want him in the lineup, he may be the perfect piece for Kyle Dubas to shuffle around.
Erik Haula
Rumour: The Athletic is reporting that free agent centre Erik Haula has suitors but may have a difficult time finding a team that can sign him.
Analysis: Erik Haula is one of the unfortunate victims of the flat salary cap. Teams are struggling to keep the players they already had, much less bring on new ones. Haula has broken out as a solid second-line centre since joining the Vegas Golden Knights at the expansion draft. He compiled 55 points in his first season with the Knights and has been roughly a 0.5 point per game player since. The former seventh-round draft choice by the Minnesota Wild decided to bet on himself and test the free-agent market.
Haula is one of the players that would have been snatched up on the first day of free agency in a normal year. He would not have to wait long for the contract offers to come rolling in. According to the article by the Athletic, interested teams have contacted him. The problem is that the flat cap leaves no room to sign him. Haula’s talent level could land him in roughly the $4 million per season range. That is a sizable cap hit for many teams who want to focus on retaining the talent they already have.
That does it for this edition of NHL rumours. Check back tomorrow for more!
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