Top winger Travis Konecny signs massive $70M extension: Canucks in trouble?

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Felip Gosselin
July 25, 2024 (6:30 PM)

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The going rate for high-scoring wingers is rising, and the Philadelphia Flyers just found out about it.

The team announced an essential extension for their scoring winger, Travis Konecny. The Flyers inked their number 11 to a $70M contract, retaining his services for the next eight years.

#Flyers announce a massive, eight-year extension for Travis Konecny: 8 years x $8.75 million = $70 million.

One of the largest deals in Philadelphia franchise history.

The 24th overall pick from the 2015 Draft is coming off back-to-back 30+ goal seasons and has been a steady point-per-game producer over that span.

Comparable for Boeser's next contract?

Konecny's contract now sets an elevated standard for goal-scoring wingers, impacting Brock Boeser's contract negotiations. The Canucks' number 6 will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season, and he's coming off a 40-goal season.

Both are the same age, so asking for a similar amount wouldn't be much of a reach from Boeser's camp. The projections suggested a contract worth over $60M for the American, but this new comparable may raise the bar another notch.

Canucks in trouble?

This may place the Canucks in a tricky spot. Knowing that they are currently in cap hell due to Oliver Oliver Ekman-Larsson's expensive buyout, they may be unable to afford Boeser beyond this season, especially since they don't have any substantial contracts coming off their books at the end of next season.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays for Brock Boeser this season if he performs well with the contractual pressure and registers another 40 goals season. There's a good chance he could command a higher cap hit than Konecny. At this point, the hope is that he scores 40 goals or more, recognizes the value in playing with J.T. Miller in Vancouver and settles for an amount that would allow the Canucks to keep him at a reasonable rate.

Since taking over, Allvin and Rutherford have shown they can handle business. Let's hope that they find a way to keep the Canucks' 2015 first-round pick.