With most fans of the Vancouver Canucks giving up on their playoff dreams—and slipping directly into fantasies about uniting the Hughes brothers—it’s time to start looking at the team’s offseason to-do list.

After the excitement of hosting the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is complete, Jim Benning and Co.’s next task will be deciding which of their potential restricted free agents (RFAs) to qualify—and which to let loose to the wilds of unrestricted free agency.

First, we’ll take a look at the rules and regulations regarding restricted free agency and qualifying offers, and then we’ll examine which Canucks are worthy of receiving them.

Qualifying Offers, Explained

A player who finds themselves on an expiring NHL contract—while also being under the age of 27 and with less than seven years’ experience in the league—becomes a restricted free agent, meaning their current team retains somewhat exclusive rights to them. However, a team can only retain these rights by making a “qualifying offer” to that player.

Qualifying offers are one-year contracts at set amounts—100% of the player’s current contract if the amount is over $1 million per season, and a higher percentage if it’s less. These offers cannot be rescinded once made, and they must be made by the first Monday after the Entry Draft in order to retain a player’s restricted rights. That makes for a deadline of June 24 in 2019. If a team does not send a player a QO before the deadline, that player becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Once a qualifying offer is made, the player is free to accept and sign it. However, they aren’t obligated to—and the player and team can keep negotiating a different contract from there on out. All a qualifying offer does is lock a player in to restricted free agency.

Restricted free agents can sign offer sheets with other teams, but such signings require draft pick compensation. RFA players who have accrued four years of experience in the league—or less if they signed their first contract after the age of 20—are eligible to invoke salary arbitration, allowing for a third party to award them a contract.

The Potential RFAs

Brock Boeser

Age Position Games Goals Assists Points Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 22 RW 56 22 25 47 $874K No

The Canucks should start negotiating Boeser’s new contract as soon as the regular season concludes—if they haven’t already begun. If Boeser is still without a new deal when qualifying offers start being handed out, it’s probably not a good sign. Qualifying Boeser is a no-brainer, but signing him long before that point is a much better option.

QUALIFY

Reid Boucher

Age Position Games (AHL) Goals (AHL) Assists (AHL) Points (AHL) Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 25 LW 48 27 28 55 $761K Yes

Boucher has been a valuable veteran for the Utica Comets these last two seasons, but it’s time to move on. Boucher deserves one last crack at the NHL, and it’s become apparent that he’s not going to get that in Vancouver. He’s also blocking the progression of a number of wing prospects—like Kole Lind and Jonah Gadjovich—down on the farm. It’s best for both the player and the organization if he’s allowed to test free agency.

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LET GO

Thatcher Demko

Age Position Record GAA Save % Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 23 G 1-2-0 3.21 .895 $874K No

The question of what sort of contract Demko receives after his brief big league audition is an intriguing one, but it has little to do with his free agency status. Demko will obviously be qualified, though he’ll probably end up signing for a larger amount than his paltry QO.

QUALIFY

Brendan Gaunce

Age Position Games Goals Assists Points Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 24 C/LW 3 1 2 3 $840K Yes

Gaunce is an interesting conundrum. His development seems to have plateaued at the AHL level, and his opportunity to catch on with the Canucks full-time may have already passed. That being said, he remains a (surprisingly) effective call-up and lends some much-needed depth to Utica’s middle, so he’s still worth keeping around—especially with no center prospects of note incoming next season.

QUALIFY

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Nikolay Goldobin

Age Position Games Goals Assists Points Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 23 LW/RW 60 7 20 27 $874K No

There was some debate about Goldobin’s future with the team around the Trade Deadline, but that’s quieted down as the dynamic forward has finally begun to find consistency in his game. Deciding to qualify Goldobin is the easy part—determining whether he’s truly become a top-six forward, and is thus worthy of a lengthy contractual commitment, is trickier.

QUALIFY

Markus Granlund

Age Position Games Goals Assists Points Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 25 C/LW/RW 64 9 10 19 $1.475mil Yes

Granlund is a useful player—able to play all three forward positions and on both special teams. However, his contract is also inflated based on past statistical performance and he’s found himself a healthy scratch of late. Said past stats also make Granlund a threat to receive a substantial arbitration award. With Tim Schaller still on the books, the Canucks can’t afford another expensive pressbox fixture, and so they can’t afford to qualify Granlund. Younger and cheaper options, like Zack MacEwen, will replace him.

LET GO

Ben Hutton

Age Position Games Goals Assists Points Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 25 LD 64 5 15 20 $2.4mil Yes

Hutton’s development has tracked well over the last two seasons, and he now looks like a borderline top-four defender at the NHL level. Qualifying Hutton is an easy decision, but deciding how large and how long of a contract to offer him thereafter is perilous territory—especially given that he’ll be competing with Alex Edler, Quinn Hughes, and Olli Juolevi for ice-time next year. Hutton’s solid offensive totals and increased ice-time make him a candidate for arbitration.

QUALIFY

Tanner Kero

Age Position Games (AHL) Goals (AHL) Assists (AHL) Points (AHL) Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 26 C 56 21 28 49 $840K Yes

Considering what the Canucks gave up to get Kero—Michael Chaput—he’s been a solid acquisition. Kero is having the best offensive season of his professional career, and he’s currently Utica’s best option down the middle. Unless Tyler Madden signs, the Comets won’t have added any centers of significance next year, so they’ll still need Kero’s services.

QUALIFY

Yan-Pavel Laplante

Age Position Games Goals Assists Points Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 23 C 0 0 0 0 $874K No

It’s been a rough couple of seasons for Laplante. After being limited to just five AHL games in 2017/18, Laplante developed a severe infection after surgery. He’s been unable to return to hockey since, and the future of his career is in doubt. Sadly, the Canucks have no reason to qualify his contract.

LET GO

Josh Leivo

Age Position Games Goals Assists Points Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 25 LW 37 9 6 15 $971K Yes

Add Leivo to the list of players that the Canucks will definitely qualify, but who almost certainly won’t accept their QOs. Like Goldobin, Leivo has been noticeably better since the Trade Deadline, but his middling offensive totals should preclude him from getting too sizeable a raise. Expect a short-term, low-cost deal for Leivo.

QUALIFY

Tyler Motte

Age Position Games Goals Assists Points Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 24 LW/RW 67 7 7 14 $874K Yes

Motte has played well enough for the Canucks to qualify him, but his play doesn’t justify much of a raise—if any. Motte might just accept his qualifying offer, or something close to it, and that would keep him in the picture as a budget utility player—and one who can always be sent to the AHL if need be.

QUALIFY

Derrick Pouliot

Age Position Games Goals Assists Points Qualifying Offer Arbitration Eligible? 25 LD 61 3 9 12 $1.1mil Yes

With the era of Quinn Hughes upon us and Olli Juolevi and Ashton Sautner waiting in the wings, it’s already questionable whether there’s any need for Pouliot on the roster next season. Pouliot’s abominable play this season further justifies the decision to jettison him, and the fact that the Canucks would have to qualify him for more than a million dollars really seals the deal. Pouliot’s days in Vancouver should be at an end.

LET GO





