NHL Rumors: Vancouver Canucks – Boeser, Miller, Kuzmenko, Ekman-Larsson and Cap Space

Rick Dhaliwal: Vancouver Canucks Jim Rutherford on pending RFA forward Brock Boeser: “Hard to say right now, conversations with agent are ongoing. Continue to work away at that.”

Taj: John Shannon on Sekeres and Price on who the Canucks could trade to gain some salary cap space: “Rumblings I’ve heard is Miller is at the top of the list.”

Taj: Frank Seravalli on Canucks Central on forward J.T. Miller, who is a year away from being a free agent: “He’s not taking a below market deal, he’s not taking a discount to stay. I just don’t have the sense that’s a possibility.”

Rick Dhaliwal: Rutherford on Miller: “The final decision on him doesn’t have to be made till the trading deadline but we will know more this summer. Miller, Boeser and Horvat, those are the big 3.”

Rich Dhaliwal: Rutherford on Andrei Kuzmenko: “We will give it our best shot, see where it goes, we have given him the reasons to come to Vancouver.”

Daily Faceoff: Rutherford on DFO Rundown when asked where he thinks they’ll be able to find the balance and depth through free agency or by make some trades.

“It will be both, if we have the room to do it. The first step is going to be, is there anything we can do here to free up some cap space to be part of the offseason game that everybody gets into.

With the cap, and with teams that have been all-in here to win a Cup, there’s teams that are gonna have to get rid of players just to be cap compliant.  And we would like to be in a position that we’re at least in that conversation with those teams, that we can make a deal. But if we can’t clear up cap space, then were not going to be able to be in it.”

**NHLRumors transcription

Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal: There is a growing belief around the league that the Vancouver Canucks could be the favorite to sign KHL free agent Andre Kuzmenko.

The Canucks believe that Kuzmenko could make a difference right away. They can only sign him to a one-year, entry-level with a max of $925,000 salary, $92,500 signing bonus, $850,000 schedule “A” signing bonuses and a max of $2 million Schedule “B” bonuses.

The Canucks and pending RFA Brock Boeser are set to have some contract talks this week. Boeser is owed a $7.5 million qualifying offer, if they can reach an extension before, that could be beneficial for the Canucks. The Canucks may have initially offered Boeser a long-term but they may look at something in the three-year range. It would be expected to come in below $7.5 million.

Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller are eligible to sign contract extensions after July 13th.

The Canucks have until June 1st to sign prospect Linus Karlsson. He’s eligible to sign a two-year, entry-level deal and it’s believed that it all but agreed to. It could be announced after the World Championships.

The Canucks trading defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson seems unlikely, though some talks may take place.

The Panthers are at home against the Lightning and are
-175 on the moneyline with Betway