Rumor: Markstrom is asking for Connor Hellebuyck $$$$$

[Hoghandler]

There are probably at least half a dozen other teams (Carolina, Detroit, San Jose, Chicago, Minnesota, Ottawa, New Jersey) who would sign Markstrom and pay him at least 5.5 million for 4 years.

Why should the player give a discount when the Canucks arguably need him more than he needs them??

Looks like 5 of those 6 teams you listed aren't making the playoffs this season. Jacob Marksrom is a highly competitive, 30 year old that has never played in a playoff game. He's going to want to play on a good team.

Marsktrom loves it in Vancouver. He needs the Canucks as much as they need him.

Other teams will need to offer Markstrom more than 4 years at $5.5mil for him to end up elsewhere.

 

[Orr4Norris]

If that is his ask, I’d let him explore free agency. The whole point of drafting and developing Demko is for this moment. I’m not convinced he’ll get that kind of contract in any event. If he does, it was a good ride.

 

[Interior Cascadian]

Seems like a fair starting point. I think Ian Clark is critical for Vancouver being able to talk down the cap hit and/or term. I'm not quite sold that Markstrom can maintain this level of play over the course of several years without the guidance of Ian Clark. He's one of the very best goalie coaches in the world, and as much as I love Marky, Clark's the only reason why I think Vancouver can take any goalie and make them better than when they begin with him.

 

[LaVal]

It's not that 6x6 sounds unreasonable, Markstrom is one of the top goaltenders in the game and our team MVP. I just wouldn't give ANY goaltender a 6 year deal. As goaltending is evolving and pad size is being reduced, the pure butterfly styles that kept goaltenders playing at the top of their game through their late 30's is disappearing. It's becoming more common for them to completely fall off the map, and then you're left with a $6 million backup. I'd offer a higher figure and shorter term, and if Markstrom (understandably) is set on a 6 year deal I'd sign a lesser goaltender in the offseason. Hopefully as the core gets more experience they'll have to rely less on goaltending to win games.

 

[clay]

Due to our cap bind, I hope we let him walk if he wants $6M per year. It pains me to take that stance solely because of the unnecessary cap mess Benning has created.

 

[NuxFan09]

Some in this thread are suggesting trading Demko way too casually. This guy has shown signs that he's pretty damn good himself and the reason the Canucks drafted him in the first place is to be the goalie of the future.

That being said, it's a really, really tough situation because Markstrom has absolutely earned a big contract with the Canucks. Compounding the situation is the fact Benning can't extend Pettersson and Hughes - the two most important players on the team - until July 1 so it's not like he cc'd an just bvb get that out of the way and then see what 6hes got to work with when it comes to Markstrom.

Either way, what management MUST do is figure out ways to shed salary. I don't care about the value, the value will be getting contracts off the books. Eriksson, Beagle, Schaller: these guys have got to go somehow.

 

[ziploc]

It's not that 6x6 sounds unreasonable, Markstrom is one of the top goaltenders in the game and our team MVP. I just wouldn't give ANY goaltender a 6 year deal. As goaltending is evolving and pad size is being reduced, the pure butterfly styles that kept goaltenders playing at the top of their game through their late 30's is disappearing. It's becoming more common for them to completely fall off the map, and then you're left with a $6 million backup. I'd offer a higher figure and shorter term, and if Markstrom (understandably) is set on a 6 year deal I'd sign a lesser goaltender in the offseason. Hopefully as the core gets more experience they'll have to rely less on goaltending to win games.

Totally agree. Marky has been brilliant and if he can cash in, bully for him. But it is unwise to pony up cash and term like that for a tender, especially with Demko waiting in the wings. We are going to have to make an expansion draft decision anyways, I believe, so if Marky asks for the bank I suggest he will have made the decision for the Canucks.

 

[calnuck]

I don't think there's any way Benning let's him walk. He's become a huge part of this team both on the ice and in the dressing room.

 

[RandV]

That's a fair ask from Markstrom's camp, what they probably figure is a reasonable starting point on the free market. Where he actually lands with the Canucks though should depend a lot on how much other teams are willing to pay him on July 1st and how willing he is to leave the Canucks over $$$ and term.

 

[4Twenty]

This whole thread was made based on a rumor that Markstrom is looking for 6 a year. Where do you get 7 or 8?

Because I actually listened to that radio hit. It wasn’t a rumour. It was a discussion.

 

[Orr4Norris]

Due to our cap bind, I hope we let him walk if he wants $6M per year. It pains me to take that stance solely because of the unnecessary cap mess Benning has created.

For me this isn’t a cap situation. The Canucks could suck it up and clear space for Marky if it was only about cap space.

It’s really whether or not you want to commit long term to a 30 year old goalie, who’s never played in the post season and who has one good calendar year under his belt when you have a good young goalie in the wings. There is an option to sign a 1B. And with the quality goalie coach we have, that might be the best option.

There is also the Seattle draft to consider. I do find it hard to believe Marky won’t insist on a NMC. But I’m not sold on choosing him over Demko long term. One way around this would be a 1 year deal with a higher AAV. Obviously Marky would be betting on himself and taking a risk, but if he has another excellent season, he’d likely make alot more long term.

 

[VancouverJagger]

His play makes him worth 7
Other goalies being available makes it 6
Hes comfortable here, knows we cant afford 6, settles for a small discount at 5.5

Other goalies are signing for 5+ years
We're apparently offering only 2 years
Settles for 4 years knowing we have leverage of two young goalies in pipeline

This scenario makes the most sense to me. By all accounts he loves it here. That's worth something (be it a year of term or 500k discount).

Anything more than 4 years is a mistake IMO. Even 4 makes this a concern for me. I fully believe Demko is the future.......and quite possibly could step into the starters role as early as next year.

Personally if we had to give him more than 3 I would say let him walk. We can't have our cake and eat it too.......

 

[Bleach Clean]

Kevin Woodley on Sportsnet 650...

Woodley expressed that the Canucks are not interested at all in that and would like it more around Semyon Varlamov's contract which is 4 years at 5 mil per.

The most interesting bit is this: The Canucks want 4 years at 5m AAV. That’s their ask, and Markstrom’s ask is obviously above that marker. Meaning, even if Markstrom completely relents, he’s still getting 5m over 4yrs minimum.

- Meeting in the middle means a 5 year term and perhaps a bump to 5.5m AAV.

Of course, we can’t forget that the Canucks’ management were rumoured to be sending out fake reports on what the incoming player was going to sign for, so as to make the actual signing look better. I don’t think this is that, but it’s important to be mindful of it.

 

[FreeMcdavid]

The most interesting bit is this: The Canucks want 4 years at 5m AAV. That’s their ask, and Markstrom’s ask is obviously above that marker. Meaning, even if Markstrom completely relents, he’s still getting 5m/4yrs minimum.

- Meeting in the middle means a 5 year term and perhaps a bump to 5.5m AAV.

Of course, we can’t forget that the Canucks’ management were rumoured to be sending out fake reports on what the incoming player was going to sign for, so as to make the actual signing look better. I don’t think this is that, but it’s important to be mindful of it.

like a burner account? this sounds like conspiracy theories.

Any actual source that Canucks were sending out fake reports? not trying to be confrontational, im genuinely curious if there were sources to those claimed rumors.

 

[FreeMcdavid]

I don't think there's any way Benning let's him walk. He's become a huge part of this team both on the ice and in the dressing room.

I think we should let Markstrom walk if the ask is longer than 5 years or if the AAV is higher than 6 mil.

Ian Clark is the golden goose, not Jacob Markstrom.

I'd be perfectly fine going with Demko as our cheap #1 for next year on.

 

[calnuck]

I think we should let Markstrom walk if the ask is longer than 5 years or if the AAV is higher than 6 mil.

Ian Clark is the golden goose, not Jacob Markstrom.

I'd be perfectly fine going with Demko as our cheap #1 for next year on.

$$$ wise it's probably the right decision. But it sounds like he's a real leader in the locker room and I don't know if that's something this team can afford to let go of right now

 

[VanCity Millionaires]

While we may make the playoffs this (yes, it seems quite likely) I honestly think we should explore every possible option to trad Markstrom. There is just no way we can afford to keep him, and I think Demko is ready for the opportunity. I sincerely doubt this will happen, but I really don't see the point in keeping him around when we're just going to let him walk. If we were all in on a deep run, then sure... but I don't think team is quite there just yet.

 

[Jay Cee]

We are totally screwed in these negotiations. I am usually not so pessimistic. Marky has been awesome and we have such little room with the state of the team to float an unproven goalie for a couple of years and he knows it.

 

[Aphid Attraction]

I don't know how it fits with the cap but I would look at giving him a deal like that with no NTC and expose him to the expansion draft. that way we get 1 more year of prime Marky and then Demko can take over, and Seattle can get what 1 or 2 more decent years then deal with his drop off.

 

[mriswith]

I would be fine with a 5 year deal at that money if he did not have any trade protection on the contract. He's played at his current Vezina candidate level for almost two years now.

Otherwise asking for that kind of term as a 30+ player is too much risk for a reasonable F/O to take on. A NTC on Markstrom's deal, to me, is worth about 1M and 1-2 years on the contract due to expansion draft consequences and risk the team takes on if his play drops off midway through.

Presumably this is Chris Gear's domain now so we'll see how he does with it.

 

[bandwagonesque]

Because I actually listened to that radio hit. It wasn’t a rumour. It was a discussion.

Was it a discussion of what anybody involved actually said, or was it speculation?

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I think 6 x $5 is 100% fair for Markstrom. Although, Vancouver IS a very expensive city.

 

[Canucker]

This is where you need a good GM who can sell an idea of taking less to keep a good team together, if Markstrom doesn't want to play ball then you have to re-assess his value going forward. I'm fine going with Demko, but I would prefer to stick with Markstrom on a 4-5 year deal....NO MORE NMC's, only give out limited NTC's.

 

[FreeMcdavid]

Due to our cap bind, I hope we let him walk if he wants $6M per year. It pains me to take that stance solely because of the unnecessary cap mess Benning has created.

So if we didnt have a cap bind you would be comfortable paying a 30 yr old 6 x 6?

The Canucks are playing hardball, but as i mentioned, i dont think its because of our cap bind, i think they have set an internal limit on what they the percentage of salaray a goalie should take up in a cap.

I dont think paying any goalie 6m + per year is a good idea, whether its Markstrom, or Price, or Shistorkin...anybody.
Add that to Marky's age and thats a double no no.

 

[Hoghandler]

Just listened to the Woodley interview-

Was a bit confusing, but it sounded like the ask from Markstrom's camp is $6mil X 5 years, not $6mil X6. Woodley doesn't believe Hellebuyck is a good comparable for Markstrom.

Woodley said there are 'a lot of big name goaltenders out there' this summer.

If the rumours are true of a 2 year offer from the Canucks, and Markstom's camp is seeking 5 years, will be interesting to see if they settle on 3 or 4 years. Ultimately, that will likely come down to the cap hit, assuming it gets done.