Plenty of ink has already been spilled over the Vancouver Canucks’ pending unrestricted free agents. But what hasn’t been talked about nearly as much is the Canucks who are heading into the final year of their current contracts, making them eligible to sign an extension with the club on July 1st.
Recent players to be signed to extensions include but are not limited to Kevin Lankinen, Nils Höglander, and Vasily Podkolzin. Here are the five Canucks who are eligible to sign an extension this offseason.
Conor Garland
One would think that with the NHL salary cap going up, that Conor Garland has done enough to earn at least a slight increase from his current $4.95 million cap hit. The Canucks, who signed Garland to a five-year contract after trading for him in 2021, will get their first crack at re-signing him this summer if they so please.
Garland has been a staple in the Canucks’ middle six and has proven to be a winger capable of driving his own line and playing increased minutes under head coach Rick Tocchet. Garland has established himself as a steady 50-point player in Vancouver, and has turned into a fan favourite for his hard work and determination in all areas of the game.
Thatcher Demko
We won’t blame you if you haven’t given much thought to a Thatcher Demko contract extension just yet, given the injury-riddled season Demko is coming off of. The Canucks almost certainly won’t be rushing to extend Demko for exactly that reason, but the 2023-24 Vezina Trophy runner-up has made it clear he’d love to stay in Vancouver.
“I’ve always wanted to be a Canuck, since day one,” Demko said at exit availabilities on Friday. “I want to be here. Obviously, [I was] drafted here. I’d like to get an extension done and stay here. Obviously, that’s something that Patrik [Allvin] and my agent will start talking about but I’ll let them focus on that. I’m focused on getting myself back to where I know I can be and everything will play itself out.”
Kiefer Sherwood
Year one in Vancouver went about as well as it could have for Kiefer Sherwood.
After inking a two-year contract with the Canucks in free agency at a measly cap hit of $1.5 million, Sherwood broke the NHL single season hits record by a fairly significant margin and put up a career-high 19 goals and 21 assists through 78 games. If he were to hit free agency this offseason, he’d certainly get a decent increase, as that kind of combination of speed, physicality, and skill is what so many teams long for.
And if he has the same type of season in 2025-26 as he did in 2024-25? Sherwood would almost certainly price himself out of Vancouver. If the Canucks want to, they can begin discussions with Sherwood’s camp this offseason to get the jump on things in a hurry.
Teddy Blueger
The Canucks signed Teddy Blueger in the summer of 2023, and in the summer of 2025, they’ll have the option of doing it again. Blueger has proven to be a reliable fourth line centre for the Canucks, and even formed an effective third line for a solid chunk of 2023-24 while playing alongside Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua. Blueger turns 31 in August.
Akito Hirose
Finally, the last Canuck eligible for a contract extension this summer is Akito Hirose. Signed as a college free agent, the left shot defenceman turned some heads when he tallied three assists in seven NHL games upon turning pro at the end of the 2022-23 season. The initial hype around him as cooled considerably, but is he still a valuable AHL depth piece and is still relatively young at 26 years old.
Which of these players would you like to see the Canucks sign to an extension this summer?
