Pair of Canucks identified as best valued contract: Allvin's work recognized

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Cooper Godin
September 8, 2024 (10:40)

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A pair of Vancouver Canucks forwards have landed on Daily Faceoff's best value contracts list for the 2024-25 season.

The 2024-25 season is right around the corner and this weekend, Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff took a look at ten of the best value contracts in the NHL heading into the new campaign.

Included on their top-ten list were Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander and Daniel Sprong, the latter of whom signed a one-year deal with the team back in the middle of July.

When it comes to Nils Hoglander, who has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $1.1 million, Ellis believes that after a strong 2023-24 campaign where he registered 24 goals, that the Swedish forward should start the season on Vancouver's top line with Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller.

Ellis went on to add that if Hoglander is able to surpass the 25-goal mark this season, he could be in for a big payday from the Vancouver Canucks next summer.

"Hoglander's 24 goals were impressive last year - especially when you factor in the fact he played just 12 minutes a night while sitting near the top on the Canucks in some notable advanced analytics. Hoglander should sit on the top line to start the season with J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser, so his ice time should improve in a big way in 2024-25. Hoglander played 60 games with Vancouver in 2021-22 but spent most of the following year in the AHL. So to have him bounce back and play easily the best hockey of his pro career, while still showcasing his physical side, had to impress the Canucks' brass. If he can break past the 25-goal barrier this year, he'll be set for a nice payday." Ellis said.

As for Daniel Sprong, Ellis believes that while the Canucks' forward group is quite deep, the Dutch forward could have a chance to break into the top-six. It's a low-risk, high-reward contract for the Vancouver Canucks, coming in at one-year worth $975,000 and if Sprong is able to give the team 20 goals, then it'll be a big win for both sides.

"Sprong has already played for five teams in his NHL career, but the past two seasons with Seattle and Detroit have been mighty impressive. He had 21 goals and 46 points for the Kraken in 2022-23 before scoring 18 goals an 43 points for the Red Wings last year. The Canucks will have one of the deepest lineups of any team Sprong has ever skated for so his opportunities might be limited compared to the past two years. But at under a million, the Canucks couldn't go wrong here adding some solids coring help. Sprong has the talent to play a top-six role on this team this year if he can put everything together." Ellis said.

With the Canucks set to open training camp in less than two weeks, it's going to be interesting to keep an eye on Nils Hoglander and Daniel Sprong to see what roles they're given, especially during preseason games. It's probably safe to say that when the lineup comes out for opening night next month against Calgary, barring any trades, both Hoglander and Sprong will be in the top-six.

Source: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff
Top 10 best value NHL contracts in 2024-25