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Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 4:33 pm
by Cousin Strawberry
Any aging vets signing with a bottom seed like Van are looking for long summers and lowered expectations. Warriors want to win
How are we finding a warrior willing to forego dreams of a championship without attracting slackers? They would have to be hometown guys
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 4:43 pm
by donlever
Yeah...I agree Cuz...a guy wants to win and have another Cup shot as his career dwindles.
Hence the requirement to overpay.
Gudas is not coming here I wouldn't think....
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 4:51 pm
by Cousin Strawberry
Remember all the shit Benning received for signing those types of vets (Beagle, Roussel and that other guy...?).
Brock plays like one of those aging vets who loves his longs summers except he's only 29. What a fail that extension turned out to be
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 4:52 pm
by Topper
Like a Jay Beagle type, hugely respected in the Caps lockeroom or similarly a Brandon Sutter type of vet?
Character guys to steady the ship.
edit, Cuz was posting the same
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 4:56 pm
by Lancer
Topper wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 4:52 pm
Like a Jay Beagle type, hugely respected in the Caps lockeroom or similarly a Brandon Sutter type of vet?
Character guys to steady the ship.
edit, Cuz was posting the same
Problem was Benning chronically overpaid for those types. Guys like Bluegers could be had relatively cheaply for same effect. Maybe I’m partial to Latvians, but I would rather they bring Teddy back as one of those vets.
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 5:00 pm
by Topper
Lancer wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 4:56 pm
Topper wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 4:52 pm
Like a Jay Beagle type, hugely respected in the Caps lockeroom or similarly a Brandon Sutter type of vet?
Character guys to steady the ship.
edit, Cuz was posting the same
Problem was Benning chronically overpaid for those types. Guys like Bluegers could be had relatively cheaply for same effect. Maybe I’m partial to Latvians, but I would rather they bring Teddy back as one of those vets.
Read Donny's post above.
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 5:05 pm
by Tciso
Cousin Strawberry wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 4:51 pm
Remember all the shit Benning received for signing those types of vets (Beagle, Roussel and that other guy...?).
Brock plays like one of those aging vets who loves his longs summers except he's only 29. What a fail that extension turned out to be
Benning gave all those guys too much term. He overpaid too, but it was the 4 year contracts that killed us.
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 5:06 pm
by Cornuck
Cousin Strawberry wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 4:33 pm
Any aging vets signing with a bottom seed like Van are looking for long summers and lowered expectations. Warriors want to win
I can also see guys signing who feel they have a chance to contribute. Maybe they're pressbox guys on better teams, but they might get decent minutes with the Canucks and have a shot to prove they're worth a better contract in a year or two.
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 5:17 pm
by Lancer
Topper wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 5:00 pm
Lancer wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 4:56 pm
Topper wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 4:52 pm
Like a Jay Beagle type, hugely respected in the Caps lockeroom or similarly a Brandon Sutter type of vet?
Character guys to steady the ship.
edit, Cuz was posting the same
Problem was Benning chronically overpaid for those types. Guys like Bluegers could be had relatively cheaply for same effect. Maybe I’m partial to Latvians, but I would rather they bring Teddy back as one of those vets.
Read Donny's post above.
Not every vet is looking for a payday or a championship. A guy like Bluegers has a ring, and has already said he’d like to resign in Van - and he knows as well as anyone what’s in the room.
He can’t be the only vet worth pursuing in that category.
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 5:22 pm
by Meds
“Ship-steadying vets” are guys who want to win but no winning team needs them because they already have guys like that. If they want to play for a contender they will have to sign for league minimum and accept a lesser role, perhaps even just as a paid spectator for most of the season.
Money and ice-time both talk with loud voices.
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 5:32 pm
by JelloPuddingPop
Mëds wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 5:22 pm
Money and ice-time both talk with loud voices.
A good point here - perhaps target some vet coming off a down/injury-plagued season who is looking for opportunities or ice time to get noticed for a final contract somewhere else but can steady the ship for a year and a half on a lucrative 2 year deal.
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 6:30 pm
by donlever
Tciso wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 5:05 pm
Cousin Strawberry wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 4:51 pm
Remember all the shit Benning received for signing those types of vets (Beagle, Roussel and that other guy...?).
Brock plays like one of those aging vets who loves his longs summers except he's only 29. What a fail that extension turned out to be
Benning gave all those guys too much term. He overpaid too, but it was the 4 year contracts that killed us.
Which is my point...
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 6:49 pm
by donlever
JelloPuddingPop wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 5:32 pm
Mëds wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 5:22 pm
Money and ice-time both talk with loud voices.
A good point here -

Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 9:24 pm
by Ronning's Ghost
Cousin Strawberry wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2026 4:33 pm
Any aging vets signing with a bottom seed like Van are looking for long summers and lowered expectations. Warriors want to win.
At least one other poster (I'm thinking MCP and Aaron, but as stated elsewhere, my memory isn't what it was) have suggested another reason why competitive vets would want to sign with Vancouver, and Vancouver would want to sign them:
an agreement to trade them to contenders before the deadline for pieces that will help the re-build.
Vet gets, yes, a less demanding regular season, possibly a bit of an over-payment, and still a chance to play for Cup, Canucks get potential for a greater peak concentration of talent, and Canucks' trade partner gets an expensive player at a reduced partial-season cap hit.
I don't understand why it doesn't happen more often.
Re: Free Agency 2026
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 9:28 pm
by donlever
Because aging vets have families and they don't want to move around, take kids out of school or leave kids and wives behind would be one reason off the top of my head.