LATEST | Canucks face tough offseason decisions with over $40M in projected spending
The Canucks have enjoyed an excellent season with their current group of players, but it's almost certainly going to look different next year.
The team has nine pending UFAs, and Pettersson and Hronek, who are RFAs.
With a projected cap of $87.7 million and OEL's buyout increasing in each of the next two years, the Canucks have a little over $40 million to spend next season.
AFP Analytics, a consulting firm, has projected the following contracts of all pending free agents in the NHL.
Their data shows that, especially if the Canucks re-sign both Pettersson and Hronek, members of this Canucks team will be forced out by the cap.
AFP Analytics projects Elias Lindholm will get at least $8 million, and a player like Nikita Zadorov projects to reach $5 million on defence.
Some projections like Teddy Blueger around $2.5 million or Tyler Myers under $3 million could be wins for the Canucks, but if their solid play continues down the stretch, those numbers could continue to climb.
There will be tough decisions ahead, and the team must rely on youngsters like Silovs, Podkolzin, and perhaps even Jonathan Lekkerimäki to step into the NHL roster full-time.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1R0mzG_2auhSGxLZ_LoiE9EwK8enxbNbw0BGqDVmKlu0/edit#gid=1228449332
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