Canucks, Gudbranson close in on new contract
GAME DAY: COLORADO AT VANCOUVER, 7 P.M.
VANCOUVER — A little 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-mph 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 NHL games with the team.
However, the numbers that are the biggest deal is what the 26-year-old unrestricted free agent will land in salary and term in an extension expected to be solidified this week. And what is a guy who missed 52 games last season with wrist surgery — and a dozen this season with a shoulder ailment — and has also been dogged by self-doubt worth?
Gudbranson is coming off successive one-year, $3.5-million US 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.
More lucrative free-agency July 1 could have been an 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 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,” added Gudbranson. “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.”
That’s music to GM Jim 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 $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 Benning envisioned.
He shipped Jared McCann, plus second- and fourth-round picks in the 2016 draft, to the Florida Panthers for Gudbranson and a fifth-round pick. And because Gudbranson was never popular with the Corsi crowd and 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 — he was headed for surgery because he couldn’t push off or battle the way he needed to.
“I felt the pressure being here early on, where I had to make sure that I got those hits,” recalled Gudbranson.
Whether it’s playing with Edler or simply making better decisions, the 6-foot-5, 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.”
Ben Hutton will sit out for the 10th time in the last 26 games today because 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,” said Benning. “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 $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 fifthoverall pick in the 2016 draft going to play in the second pairing after just one season in the Finnish Elite League? Yet, it’s the transition that also 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,” said Gudbranson. “It’s a team in its infancy and it’s a good program that’s going in the right direction.”