I could be wrong but I believe that since he’s completed 3 professional seasons and played fewer than 80 games he’ll qualify to become a group 6 UFA at age 25. So he may be able to walk to free agency as soon as his KHL contract is finished.
They need to qualify him this summer to retain his rights. But no team is going to trade anything for him at this point. Maybe in 2 years after his KHL contract expires. (If he doesn’t re-sign there at that time)
Why would a rebuilding team give up a minimum of 7 years of team control on what’s expected to be a franchise C for a 30 year old with a huge contract that pays him until he’s 38?
I don’t see any of the top 5 pick teams being willing to drop when there’s a clear drop off to the next tier after 5. And there’s not much to separate picks 6-12. So I don’t see the point
If Hughes or Pettersson(C) aren’t in the return. I’d say it’s impossible. Obviously Vancouver wouldn’t do thst. And even if they considered it I suspect Pettersson’s contract status would make them decline.
No. It’ll be like when Tryamkin bolted back to the KHL. He’s gone for a minimum 2 years. Vancouver will still own his rights for a time, but that’s the extent of their involvement
Vancouver had a 3% chance. Anyone who is genuinely disappointed Vancouver win are the same people that can’t believe the 6-49 ticket they bought didnt pay out the jackpot. It was always a very long shot.
To be fair. The Canucks hit the softest part of their schedule right at the end of the year and they didn’t have many injuries to contend with. They were going to go on a win streak either way
New York fans talk about how bad his skating has been since he came into the league. It’s apparently a bit better this season but it doesn’t sound like he has “good speed”