Sekeres and Price: Irfaan Gaffar on the Sekeres and Price on Vancouver Canucks pending free agent defenseman Filip Hronek and how the Canucks might have to pay more than they want because the market doesn’t have many puck-moving right-handed defensemen available.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Gaffar: “The Detroit Red Wings were never going to re-sign him because they knew he was going to cost this much or whatever the price would end up being. I think at the end of it, they do get something done. I think that you know, he does want to remain the Vancouver Canucks, but not at that price cost.
Like not at $8 million a year. I mean, maybe seven but then even guys, you look at it, $7 million defensemen are, you know, few and far between in the National Hockey League and when you look at them, they are the studs. If you’re getting paid $7 million or more, you know you’re of the Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, you know, Jacob Trouba. Ask the guys that go and you’re able to drive your own pairing. I’m not entirely sure that you know, when you really look at the numbers and get down to it, that Filip Hronek is able to do that.”
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Blake Price: “That’s about to change though.”
Matt Sekeres: “That’s gonna change.”
Price: “Changing economics, I mean, the guys that are just graduating their contracts now that are near the top of the league, like that is, that is bound to change.
Now if you’re going to move on, like if they reach an impasse and they’re not there yet folks, but if they reach an impasse, I mean the Canucks can only go one of two ways. Like they’re not going to trade, they’d need to trade for another right-hander, don’t they?
Like they can’t go out in the open market and try to find another right-hander. The only way that you recoup this is by training for another right-hander and that’ll either be an inexperienced right-shot defenseman or an older one that somebody’s trying to get out from under and again, this is not a scoop. I’m just saying like maybe the Blues want to get out from under (Colton) Parayko. And so you know, you, you get them to eat some salary and you’re committed to vertical then for six more years, something like that.
But that’s not a position that you’re, not in a position of strength at this point if you reach an impasse, with, with Hronek.”
Gaffar: “Well, I think that’s the biggest thing, right? You look at the UFA defensemen that are here or that are available that are right-shot defensemen. Of them in points, Brandon Montour’s first. He’s probably going to stay in, in Florida with the Panthers. Second on that list guys is Tyler Meyers in points.
So right-shot defensemen putting up numbers are few and far between that are unrestricted free agents in the National Hockey League. So if you can, you know, the Canucks might have to buck up a little bit here and obviously, this is why it’s in negotiation. It’s gonna go back and forth. But the first initial offer definitely I don’t think was received too well.”
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Sekeres: “That’s a great point Blake. You’re either gonna have to settle for unproven or overpaid because there’s not anything on the free agent market and you don’t have the trade capital to go out and make another Philip Hronek style trade.”
Price: “Nope.”