Canucks Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes officially sign new deals
The Vancouver Canucks officially confirmed on Sunday morning that their two young stars have signed new contracts
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They showed the money to Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes.
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Now the vibrant Vancouver Canucks duo must show up every night, make a difference and help propel the National Hockey League club into the playoffs.
It’s a big job and that’s why the restricted free agents got a lot of money.
The Canucks officially confirmed Sunday morning that their two young stars have signed new contracts.
“We are extremely happy to have agreed to the terms with Quinn and Elias,†Canucks general manager Jim Benning said in a statement. “Quinn has become one of the best young defensemen in the league and we’re happy to have been able to make a deal that keeps him in Vancouver for the long haul.
“Elias is an exceptional offensive player whose speed and skill are complemented by a strong work ethic and the desire to win. Both players will continue to be important parts of this team going forward. “
Benning will speak to the media at noon on Sunday, followed by Pettersson and Hughes.
As expected, Pettersson agreed to a three-year interim deal that will pay the Swedish center total annual salaries of $ 3 million, $ 7.8 million and $ 10.25 million (all figures are in US dollars) and he will be an RFA with arbitration rights upon the expiration of a contract that will make him the 16th highest paid player in the league in 2023-24.
Pettersson is also positioned for a qualifying bid of $ 8.28 million. This is the lower of the formula of 120% of the annual average value, or 100% of the last year of the agreement. Pettersson, 22, also receives a signing bonus of $ 1 million.
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The six-year deal with Hughes does not include a no-trade clause and provides for total annual salaries of $ 4 million, $ 6.5 million, $ 8.6 million, $ 9.5 million, $ 10.25 million and $ 8.25 million for the 21-year-old defenseman. He also buys a year of unrestricted free agency.
One question is how many preseason games will Pettersson and Hughes record before the regular season begins on October 13 with a six-game road trip? Another is, who will they play with?
Canucks coach Travis Green experimented with his midline combinations in the absence of struggling Pettersson and Brandon Sutter. And with Brock Boeser out for at least a week with illness, this Lotto Line combo may not be ready to cash.
While Hughes is understandably fit to align again with Travis Hamonic, the veteran defender remains in limbo of a “family affair” after failing to withdraw from the season before Friday’s deadline for the league.
Pettersson was reduced to 26 games and 21 points (10-11) last season due to a hyper-stretched wrist injury suffered on March 1 in Winnipeg. This could be a cause for concern as it could affect his hard and precise punctual slaps and wrist thrusts. However, Pettersson has promised he will be ready for the season.
Hughes again amassed the points last season with 41 (3-38) in 56 games, but defending was more difficult and was the focus of his off-season training.
He was either caught in aggressive pinches from the offensive zone or too late in the retreat to fend off the opposition with smart positioning before they could establish a physical presence down. It got tougher in a compact schedule and a coronavirus outbreak that affected Hughes as much as his teammates.
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