Is there room on the roster for Hansen?
According to a Danish website, the Vancouver Canucks have offered Jannik Hansen a new two-way contract; however, Hansen is looking for a one-way deal.
Hansen was one of only 4 Canucks given a qualifying offer – O’Brien (since signed to a 1-year, $1.6 million deal), Wellwood (going arbitration) and McIver are the others – is obviously a sign that the team wants him back. The above-mentioned piece even provides a quote from Canucks GM Mike Gillis (rough translation from Google):
There’s no limit to how far Jannik Hansen can go. With his quick skating and ability to go straight to the net, he has the potential to be a top player in the NHL. His own work will determine how far he goes.
The piece sounds rosy and all, though I’m not sure Hansen has cemented a spot on the Canucks roster enough to think that this deal will be done. At least not with the Canucks anyway.
Hansen doesn’t have much leverage. He had a good start to last season (31 GP, 4G-13A-17P before Christmas), but frequently found himself in the press box near the end of it (24 GP, 2G-2A-4P after Christmas). In the process, Kyle Wellwood and Rick Rypien passed him on the depth chart. With Cody Hodgson, Michael Grabner, and perhaps to a lesser extent, Jordan Schroeder also making a push to make the team next season, Hansen’s contract talks with Gillis may very much come down to a numbers game. Unfortunately for Hansen, the numbers don’t stack well in his favor. I doubt Hansen is the kind of guy Aquilini would want to be paying NHL bucks to play in the AHL – as would be the case on a one-way deal – and without arbitration rights, he may well have to bite the bullet or realize his potential for another organization.
I like Hansen. He had a tough year, but some of that was just bad luck for him in terms of when he got injured and how the team was on their crazy streak when he got back. I think most of us would agree that he’s a better overall player than Rypien and I thought he was better than Wellwood and Pyatt when he was playing regularly.
I suspect he’d never clear waivers to the Moose if he was on a one-way contract — a proven roster player who’s still so young would get snapped up in a second. There’s no way the team gives up on him now…he’s been one of their more successful recent prospects.
As an RFA without arbitration rights, his only choices are to sign the qualifying offer or hold out, right? Why is there even a negotiation?
I like Hansen. He had a tough year, but some of that was just bad luck for him in terms of when he got injured and how the team was on their crazy streak when he got back. I think most of us would agree that he’s a better overall player than Rypien and I thought he was better than Wellwood and Pyatt when he was playing regularly.
I suspect he’d never clear waivers to the Moose if he was on a one-way contract — a proven roster player who’s still so young would get snapped up in a second. There’s no way the team gives up on him now…he’s been one of their more successful recent prospects.
As an RFA without arbitration rights, his only choices are to sign the qualifying offer or hold out, right? Why is there even a negotiation?
Good point Jeremy. Actually, I forgot about Hansen’s playoff games so didn’t even take waivers into account. I can see the Leafs snapping him up pretty darn quick, which is maybe where some of the trade rumors are coming from.
At this point of Hansen’s career, I doubt he would want to hold out. Especially after missing a bunch of games due to injuries and healthy scratches last season, it’s probably not best for his development to miss more.
That they’re negotiating is a good sign. Like you said, Hansen doesn’t have a lot of options, but also consider that Gillis doesn’t want an asset (especially a young, proven roster player) to go to waste (i.e. hold out). If Gillis wants use of that asset, he’ll either have to sign Hansen or trade him.
On the flip side, Hansen must give up something for the security of a one-way contract. Gillis has always stated that there is a price to everything – he mentioned this a lot with respect to giving up salary dollars in exchange for NTCs and NMCs – and I imagine he also has a price for a one-way deal. Whether it’s $$$ or term or both (kinda like Burrows’ previous contract), I guess we’ll see.
Good point Jeremy. Actually, I forgot about Hansen’s playoff games so didn’t even take waivers into account. I can see the Leafs snapping him up pretty darn quick, which is maybe where some of the trade rumors are coming from.
At this point of Hansen’s career, I doubt he would want to hold out. Especially after missing a bunch of games due to injuries and healthy scratches last season, it’s probably not best for his development to miss more.
That they’re negotiating is a good sign. Like you said, Hansen doesn’t have a lot of options, but also consider that Gillis doesn’t want an asset (especially a young, proven roster player) to go to waste (i.e. hold out). If Gillis wants use of that asset, he’ll either have to sign Hansen or trade him.
On the flip side, Hansen must give up something for the security of a one-way contract. Gillis has always stated that there is a price to everything – he mentioned this a lot with respect to giving up salary dollars in exchange for NTCs and NMCs – and I imagine he also has a price for a one-way deal. Whether it’s $$$ or term or both (kinda like Burrows’ previous contract), I guess we’ll see.
Hansen has options….Europe is one. Getting a trade is another. I would not sign to a two-way deal if I was him, and Canucks would be silly to let him walk.
I doubt you see him in a Canucks uniform next year.
Hansen has options….Europe is one. Getting a trade is another. I would not sign to a two-way deal if I was him, and Canucks would be silly to let him walk.
I doubt you see him in a Canucks uniform next year.