Vancouver Canucks 15 Best Contracts (2005-2022)

This was originally published in my 2020 book Hunting Bargains in a Salary Cap World, and has now been updated with new contracts. I will continue to update each team’s list every summer going forward. The rule is that only active contracts can move up or down. Expired deals cannot pass each other. Next summer it may even be expanded to top 20. The book is still available on Amazon, though some of the stats on active contracts are now out of date. You may yet find it interesting because there were detailed stat graphics that you won't find here. One thing you won't find here are entry level contracts because they all come from the same cookie cutter and require less skill at the negotiating table.
 
My latest book The Hockey Economist’s Betting Prospectus is now available. It's a comprehensive commentary on the last 3 years of hockey betting, broken down by team, by category, by strategy, by season. There is plenty of useful information for bettors of all skill levels. It covers pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic. What worked, what failed. Lessons learned, market trends, team-by-team analysis. What impact did the pandemic have on hockey betting? The market differences between these 3 seasons are discussed at length, and there's a lot to talk about. To read more, visit the Amazon store.

If you’d like to browse my other best/worst contract lists, click here. Enjoy! 
 
Please note: The formatting on the graphics got scrambled being copied from Excel into Google Blogger. It's among the reasons my blog is looking for a new home.

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The Canucks have had 4 different Generals Managers in the salary cap era, with Mike Gillis attaining the highest level of success when they came within 1 win of the Stanley Cup in 2011. Gillis did inherit many building blocks from his predecessor Dave Nonis, who was able to squeeze out a handful of bargains, but never sustained any post-season success.
 
Six of the Canucks 15 best contracts belonged to Sedin-Sedin-Kesler, Henrik winning the Hart and Art Ross, Kesler winning the Selke, and Daniel also winning the Art Ross. These were pieces that were originally acquired by Brian Burke, who laid the original foundation upon which all success thereafter was built. Burkie might have stumbled in his Maple Leafs rebuild, but he did a fine job in Vancouver and Anaheim.
 
The bottom eventually fell out of the Gillis administration and Jim Benning inherited a roster in desperate need of a rebuild. He allegedly never got the green light from ownership to do a proper rebuild, and eventually was fired himself.
 
 
1. Henrik Sedin
 

Signed By:	Mike Gillis		Position:	F
Date:	2009-07-01		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	46
Total Money:	$30.5M		Playoff PTS:	44
Cap Hit:	$6.1M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	40.8	364	382	603
Per 82 GP	8.2	82	86	136	19.6

"We said from Day One that we wanted to stay. That was the main option. We all know there is a market for players and for us, but we never said we're the guys who want to go after the big money."

– Henrik Sedin

Brian Burke was travelling to Sweden (presumably to make a big pitch to the pending UFA Sedin twins Jonas Gustavsson) when this contract was agreed upon. I’m sure these guys felt a great loyalty to Brian for what he did to get them together on the same team, but they love the city of Vancouver a little bit more.
 
Henrik was the League MVP in year one when he led the league in scoring. Winning the Hart Trophy is a good way to get your name to the top of a team’s best contracts list. Over this contract he scored 382 PTS in 364 GP in the regular season (86-point pace) with another 44 PTS in 46 GP in the playoffs and came within 1 win of the Stanley Cup.
 
What’s remarkable here is that the Sedins were set to become unrestricted free agents and could have solicited much more money and term on the open market. They just never had any intention to leave Vancouver.
 
 
2. Quinn Hughes
 

Signed By:	Jim Benning		Position:	D
Date:	2021-10-01		Age July 1st:	21
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	0
Total Money:	$47.7M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$7.95M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	47.7	76	68	150
Per 82 GP	7.9	82	73	162	25.3

“I think the landscape has changed a little bit with the RFA players now coming out of their entry level deals and wanting more money, expecting more money. That's just part of the business and where we're at right now.”

– Jim Benning

From the moment he arrived in the NHL, Quinn Hughes has been an elite offensive defenseman, scoring at a 64-point pace as a rookie. Given the recent surge of blueliners getting $9M+, like McAvoy, Jones, Nurse, Werenski, et al, the Canucks were fortunate to get Hughes signature on this 6-year pact. If the salary cap goes up significantly over that term as expected, this will slowly transform into an incredible bargain.
 
In year one, Quinn elevated his play to an even higher level, pacing for 73 PTS in 2021/22. That’s easily worth north of $9M, which seems to be the new market rate for elite defensemen. Had this been a 2-year bridge, the next contract would have been considerably more expensive.
 
 
3. Daniel Sedin
 

Signed By:	Mike Gillis		Position:	F
Date:	2009-07-01		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	43
Total Money:	$30.5M		Playoff PTS:	39
Cap Hit:	$6.1M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	40.8	337	343	1082
Per 82 GP	8.2	82	83	263	19.2

“Daniel and Henrik Sedin are this club’s offensive leaders and players we want to build around. Their level of performance in every area of the game is exceptional.”

– Mike Gillis

I’m not precisely certain where Brian Burke was when this contract was announced. He could have been in a taxi cab, maybe the airport, maybe an airplane, but we know he was travelling to Sweden with contracts in his pocket. Unfortunately Mike Gillis was already there, and inked the twins to new deals. Burkie left Sweden with nothing but a new back-up goaltender (which he later claimed was the reason he flew to Sweden in the first place). The NHL investigated Burke for tampering allegations. Head coach Ron Wilson was fined for tampering, but Burke escaped punishment.
 
Daniel was nominated for League MVP in year two when he led the league in scoring (edged out in Hart voting by Corey Perry). Over this contract Danny scored 343 PTS in 337 GP in the regular season with another 39 PTS in 43 GP in the playoffs and came within 1 win of the Stanley Cup.
 
 
4. Ryan Kesler
 

Signed By:	Dave Nonis		Position:	F
Date:	2007-05-24		Age July 1st:	22
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	22
Total Money:	$5.25M		Playoff PTS:	14
Cap Hit:	$1.75M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	8.0	244	171	570
Per 82 GP	2.7	82	57	192	19.4

"I do think I can be a top-six forward and I know I can produce. Now I just have to go out and prove that I can be a top-six forward and help the team win."

– Ryan Kesler

Ryan Kesler actually took a pay cut from his previous contract on this extension, which had come from a predatory offer sheet by Bobby Clarke. At this point Kesler had accumulated 3 years experience and had peaked at 23 PTS. Nothing had been accomplished statistically to suggest that he could surpass the 70-point threshold. This was an expensive price to pay for what Ryan had accomplished, the same price Brad Boyes was paid one year earlier for a 69-point campaign.
 
What the Canucks got was a rapid increase in his scoring pace each of these 3 years, culminating with 75 PTS and a Selke Trophy nomination in the final season. They got 244 GP, 171 PTS (57-point pace), 570 Shots, and 2019 face off wins (54.1% W%) for a cap adjusted price of $8.0M. That’s a bargain.
 
 
5. Alexander Edler
 

Signed By:	Mike Gillis		Position:	D
Date:	2008-10-10		Age July 1st:	23
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	46
Total Money:	$13M		Playoff PTS:	20
Cap Hit:	$3.25M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	17.6	254	146	623
Per 82 GP	4.4	82	47	201	23.6

“Alex is a gifted puck-moving defenceman who sees the ice extremely well for such a young player. He has made great strides in his career and we look forward to further growth and development in his game.”

- Mike Gillis

The Canucks signed this extension at the beginning of the last year of Edler’s entry level contract, following a 20-point season the year prior. Marc Vlasic had forged a similar but cheaper treaty 2 months earlier. Edler would quickly develop into a bargain, exploding up to 37 PTS in 2009. Had the Canucks waited until the summer when his ELC expired, it would have been far more expensive.
 
They took a gamble on a good young defenseman and it paid dividends. The Canucks got 254 GP, 146 PTS (47-point pace), 623 shots, and 68 power play points out of this contract. They also received 20 PTS in 40 playoff GP that included a trip to the Stanley Cup final. A top pairing D for this price is sensational value.
 
 
6. Elias Pettersson
 

Signed By:	Jim Benning		Position:	F
Date:	2021-10-01		Age July 1st:	22
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	0
Total Money:	$22.3M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$7.4M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	22.3	80	68	192
Per 82 GP	7.4	82	70	197	18.6

“Maybe it took longer than expected, but both of us are really happy with our deals and just can't wait to get started.”

- Elias Petterssons

Elias Pettersson earned himself messiah status in the Vancouver market soon after exploding onto the scene as a rookie, scoring 66 PTS in 71 GP. His scoring dipped in the final year of his ELC, and Benning locked him into a 3-year bridge when they would have been smart to secure him for a longer term with a deal similar to Nick Suzuki. This was signed on the same day as the aforementioned Hughes contract, where the team was able to get their star defenseman to agree to more term.
 
Year one did start out slowly for Elias, slumping early in the schedule as it looked like this might be an overpayment, but then the Swede caught fire in the second half of the season, finishing at a 60-point pace. By year two he ascended to an even higher level.
 
 
7. Bo Horvat
 

Signed By:	Jim Benning		Position:	F
Date:	2017-09-08		Age July 1st:	22
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	13
Total Money:	$33M		Playoff PTS:	8
Cap Hit:	$5.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	34.0	341	249	888
Per 82 GP	5.7	82	60	214	19.9

“I love Vancouver, the city and the organization. This is where I wanted to be for a long period of time and a six-year deal was attractive to me."

– Bo Horvat

Bo Horvat wrapped up his entry level contract by scoring 20 goals and 52 PTS in 2017. It took a few months before Jim Benning and the young center could reach an agreement, with Bo eventually accepting a similar deal to what Mika Zibanejad had signed 6 weeks earlier, but for marginally more money.
 
It didn’t take long for Bo to become a bargain, after an injury cost him nearly 20 games in year one. This kid has a bright future in the NHL at the critical center position. In year three he was pacing for the best season of his career while playing mostly with Tanner Pearson and Loui Eriksson. 
 
 
8. Ryan Kesler
 

Signed By:	Mike Gillis		Position:	F
Date:	2010-03-19		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	57
Total Money:	$30M		Playoff PTS:	41
Cap Hit:	$5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	37.9	413	278	1126
Per 82 GP	6.3	82	55	224	20.2

“I’ve always wanted to play here. It’s a great organization.”

– Ryan Kesler

Ryan Kesler had nearly completed his breakout 75-point campaign (which would be the highest total of his career) when he signed this 6-year extension. It was similar to what Henrik Sedin had signed a year earlier, but for less money since Kesler was RFA and Hank was UFA. Ryan set the market for Tomas Plekanec, who signed an identical contract 2 months later.
 
If you’re only looking at scoring, Ryan Kesler really only had one bargain season under this treaty, year one. That one year was spectacular, scoring 92 PTS (including playoffs), and helping carry the Canucks to the Stanley Cup final. He also won the Selke Trophy and ran away with the vote. Kesler got 104 first place votes. Toews got 5, Datsyuk got 4, and Bergeron got 3. That’s a great year. A broken foot in the lockout shortened season did limit his total output.
 
Over the whole contract he played 413 regular season games with 278 PTS (55-point pace) and 4414 Face-off wins. He also scored 41 PTS in 57 playoff games. After year four when the Canucks fortunes had started to wane, Kesler demanded a trade to a contending team where he might have a shot at a championship. He was moved to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for Nick Bonino, Luca Sbisa, plus 1st and 3rd round draft picks. Kesler would bank another $41.3M at the conclusion of this pact, which you can read about on the Mighty Ducks worst contracts list.
 
 
9. Alexandre Burrows
 

Signed By:	Mike Gillis		Position:	F
Date:	2009-03-03		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	46
Total Money:	$8M		Playoff PTS:	27
Cap Hit:	$2M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	10.8	281	191	699
Per 82 GP	2.7	82	56	204	18.0

"Alex plays with intensity and determination at both ends of the rink. He's a fierce competitor and a versatile player. We look forward to further growth and development in his game."

– Mike Gillis

Alex Burrows had nearly completed his breakout 28-goal, 51-point campaign in 2009 when he inked this extension, declining an opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent at age 28. His stat line should have been worth nearly double the price that Mike Gillis paid, but it’s unlikely that a big jackpot was waiting for Alex on July 1st. Nobody had any illusions that Burrows was driving the Sedin line.
 
The Canucks bought 100 goals for $8M ($10.8M if you account for cap inflation). That’s a great return on a cheap asset. While we can certainly say that Burrows was underpaid on this deal, that production was only possible because he played with the Sedin twins. Without those elite level passers feeding him the puck, he never would have approached that many goals. Burrows does deserve some credit for being the perfect fit on that line, but there’s no evidence proving that he could have succeeded on that level with lesser linemates.
 
 
10. Henrik Sedin
 

Signed By:	Dave Nonis		Position:	F
Date:	2006-06-30		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	22
Total Money:	$10.7M		Playoff PTS:	14
Cap Hit:	$3.6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	17.8	246	239	418
Per 82 GP	5.9	82	80	139	19.1

"We want to get back into the playoffs, prepare to win the Cup. That's why Europeans come over to the best league."

– Henrik Sedin

The Sedin brothers had a breakout season coming out of the lockout and signed 3-year contracts similar to what Henrik Zetterberg had signed one year earlier, but for more money. Two weeks later, Shawn Horcoff inked an almost identical deal. It was a fair price for the stat line, descending into a bargain as the cap grew rapidly over these 3 years.
 
The investment produced 246 GP and 239 PTS (80-point pace) at an inexpensive price. While both brothers produced very similar statistics, Henrik should have earned more because he’s a center. The two always signed for the same amount of money every contract, despite one being worth more than the other. Did their agent ever tell them that? Hank should have gotten a different agent and perhaps he would have gotten more honest advice.
 
 
11. Daniel Sedin
 

Signed By:	Dave Nonis		Position:	F
Date:	2006-06-30		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	22
Total Money:	$10.7M		Playoff PTS:	15
Cap Hit:	$3.6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	17.8	245	240	768
Per 82 GP	5.9	82	80	257	18.6

"We came to Vancouver to bring the Stanley Cup there. That's always been a goal for us. Hopefully we can take the next step, to have the team win. I'm glad they brought us back and hope we can make them proud."

– Daniel Sedin

If you want to make the case that Daniel the winger deserves the same amount of money as his brother who plays center, Danny scores more goals and has a much higher volume shooter. Goals are often worth more than assists on the open market, so a goal scoring winger can make a comparable wage to a playmaking center when both post similar point totals.
 
Though at this stage of development, Daniel’s shot generation was much smaller (leading to just 22 goals), as Anson Carter served as the primary trigger man on that line in 2006. Regardless of what position Danny played, the 240 PTS in 245 GP that the Canucks got was an absolute steal at that price.
 
 
12. Thatcher Demko
 

Signed By:	Jim Benning		Position:	G
Date:	2021-03-31		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	5 years		Playoff Wins:	0
Total Money:	$25M		Playoff SV%:	0.000
Cap Hit:	$5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	5.0	64	33	2.72	0.915

“We expect his development to keep getting better and better and he's had an excellent season for us so far so we're excited about that signing.”

- Jim Benning

When Thatcher Demko had one year remaining his second contract, the Canucks had a dilemma as their primary starter Jacob Markstrom became an unrestricted free agent. They would be forced to make a choice, and they chose the younger cheaper option. This extension was signed in March 2021, after Demko had a brutal start to that shortened season before later settling down, finishing with a .915 SV%. Year one of this deal at age 25 worked out eerily similar, bad start, strong finish, and a .915 SV%.
 
My assumption ranking the contract this high is that the best will be yet to come, as we have seen flashes of brilliance from this young netminder. Perhaps I’m being a little too optimistic, but I’m a believer. It’s worth noting that Jim Benning was fired in year one, but this contract was not the reason why. Demko suffered a major injury in year two and struggled when healthy thanks to the Canucks abysmal penalty kill.
 
 
13. Sami Salo
 

Signed By:	Dave Nonis		Position:	D
Date:	2005-08-15		Age July 1st:	30
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	10
Total Money:	$3M		Playoff PTS:	1
Cap Hit:	$1.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	6.0	126	70	283
Per 82 GP	3.0	82	46	184	22.9

“We love the city, it’s been a good city and the team has been really good, the management, everything has been perfect here.”

– Sami Salo

Salo averaged 8 Goals and 28 PTS over two seasons prior to the lockout and was easily worth more money than this. The introduction of the salary cap had teams scrambling to become compliant, so many rosters got pinched. CBA provisions made Sami a restricted free agent at age 30, hence why he returned to Vancouver on a cheap 2-year bridge deal.
 
Like many of his teammates, Salo loved living in Vancouver and was not hungry to try seeking more money elsewhere. Injuries did limit his maximum output over these 2 seasons, but he did average 46 PTS per 82 GP when healthy. Sami would bank $14M to stay in Vancouver when this expired.
 
 
14. Cory Schneider
 

Signed By:	Mike Gillis		Position:	G
Date:	2012-06-28		Age July 1st:	26
Term:	3 years		Playoff Wins:	0
Total Money:	$12M		Playoff SV%:	0.880
Cap Hit:	$4M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	5.0	144	59	2.14	0.924

“With respect to the possibility of trading Roberto, we’re going to take our time. We’re going to make sure we do the right thing for this organization.”

– Mike Gillis

Cory Schneider was sensational in 2012 as back-up to Roberto Luongo, posting a .937 SV% in 33 GP. If anything, the salary was high for only having played 68 career games, but it didn’t take long for Cory to supplant Roberto, with Schneider starting a majority of games in the lockout shortened 2013 season.
 
Gillis quickly turned some heads when he traded Schneider to New Jersey for the 9^th pick overall in the 2013 draft, which landed future best contract Bo Horvat. Over these 3 years, Cory played 144 games with a 2.14 GAA and .924 SV%.  The Devils got a great return on their investment in the final year, then rewarded him with a big 7-year deal at age 29 that would eventually take a dark turn and become one of the league’s worst contracts.
 
 
15. Kevin Bieksa
 

Signed By:	Dave Nonis		Position:	D
Date:	2006-08-17		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	9
Total Money:	$1.05M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$525K		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	1.8	115	54	267
Per 82 GP	0.9	82	39	190	24.0

"It was a very easy decision. I've had a great time the last two years here. It's a great city, great community."

– Kevin Bieksa

Kevin Bieksa had only played 39 career games when it came time for a new contract in July 2006, scoring an unspectacular 6 PTS as a 24-year-old. The blueliner had put up good offensive numbers in the AHL (61 PTS in 107 GP) before this was signed, so there was evidence of potential offensive upside, but he was more of an enforcer early in his pro career (265 PIMs in 107 AHL GP). 
 
Once he inked this 2-year bridge to unrestricted free agency, Kevin evolved into a whole new player, potting 12 goals and 42 PTS while averaging over 24 minutes per game in ice time. Had Bieksa not suffered a deep cut to his leg early in year 2 that cost him 40 games, this contract would have ranked higher on the list. He would forgo an opportunity at becoming an unrestricted free agent when this expired, autographing a 3-year deal to stay in Vancouver.