Defenceman Erik Gudbranson close to contract extension
Shutdown defenceman wants to commit to Canucks rebuild now
Alittle levity took a big contract-extension load off Erik Gudbranson’s mind Monday. Fresh off winning the SuperSkills’ hardest-shot competition with a 103.4-mile-per-hour blast Sunday — his initial effort was 101.3 — the Canucks defenceman had another aspect of his game open for debate, and this was a good one.
“I think I’ve always hit the puck that hard, but I’ve never clocked my shot,” he said. “Now that there’s a number beside it, I guess it’s a bigger deal.
“I’ll try to get up in the rush more and be offensive and you can do that with Eagle (Alex Edler). Maybe he can drop a couple of pucks I can step into.”
That would be something. The back end has combined for just 14 goals this season and Gudbranson has but a pair, and 14 points in 71 career games with the team.
However, the numbers the 26-year-old unrestricted free agent will land in salary and term in an extension, expected to be solidified this week, are the bigger deal.
And what is a guy who missed 52 games last season with wrist surgery, and a dozen this season with a shoulder ailment, who has also been dogged by self-doubt worth?
Gudbranson is coming off successive one-year, US$3.5-million deals and any big physical shutdown defenceman carries negotiating clout and trade-deadline interest. Adding a draft pick would keep the long-term rebuild from heading off the road, but keeping Gudbranson addresses a physical need.
It’s like solving a Rubik’s Cube. Trying to align all sides for the player and team takes time and patience.
Free agency on July 1 could be a more lucrative option for Gudbranson, who could probably land more money and a longer term. But loyalty, stability and being part of a rebuild resonate with him. And it helps that this won’t be Gudbranson’s last NHL deal.
“There are a lot of angles and it’s not the most black-and-white thing I’ve experienced,” Gudbranson said. “I’m learning a lot about the business side of hockey and making an educated decision.
“I’m aware of all the angles. I have a mindset that I want to be here and getting something done soon. It certainly has been on my mind the last month. I think I deserve some security and I’d like a couple of years to be part of a group that’s growing.”
A couple of years? That would be music to Benning’s ears, because the betting line is Gudbranson’s agent will push for three or four years. Then again, agreeing to less term might mean at least US$4 million annually.
The Canucks have shown faith in an old-school stay-at-home blue-liner who is finally healthy and confident, and starting to play like the shutdown defender general manager Jim Benning envisioned.
He shipped centre Jared McCann plus second- and fourth-round picks in the 2016 draft to the Florida
Panthers for Gudbranson and a fifth-round pick. Gudbranson has never been popular with the Corsi crowd, and he tried to do too much initially to impress, jamming his wrist in the pre-season and trying to play through it in early 2015-16.
“I felt the pressure being here early on, where I had to make sure that I got those hits,” Gudbranson said.
Whether it’s playing with Edler or simply making better decisions, the six-foot-five, 220-pound Ottawa native has been a physical beast because he’s picking his spots much better.
“I feel like I’m starting to play my game and I’m more comfortable,” he added.
“It has taken some time to get my confidence level to where it is right now and I’ve got a good opportunity to play against top guys and make them miserable every night.”
That’s what you want in a shutdown defenceman, and what Benning should want his back end to look like next fall is open to discussion.
Ben Hutton will sit out for the 10th time in the last 26 games Tuesday because head coach Travis Green said the 24-year-old has lost his focus. Hutton could be trade bait.
“When you bring in a new coach, a guy has to prove himself all over again and earn the trust,” Benning said. “He can get back to where he was.”
Then there’s Chris Tanev. Benning has constantly stated he’s not interested in moving the blue-liner, even though teams keep calling. But is the market for Tanev the same as it might have been two years ago? He’s a good defender and a great cap hit at US$4.5 million annually for two more seasons, but mounting injuries have hurt his value and he’s currently out with a leg ailment.
Benning sees Tanev as a mentor to Olli Juolevi, but is the fifth-overall pick in the 2016 draft going to play in the second pairing after just one pro season in Finland?
Yet it’s the transition that piques Gudbranson’s interest.
“The (Sedin) twins aren’t getting any younger and I think they still have good hockey in them, but there’s a transition period and you’ve got to make it as seamless as possible,” Gudbranson said. “It’s a team in its infancy and it’s a good program that’s going in the right direction.”