A longtime member of the Canucks, Jannik Hansen, spoke about the recent rumors that have been linking Nikolaj Ehlers to Vancouver in free agency.
Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
During an appearance on 'Canucks Central' with Dan Riccio and Satiar Shah, NHL insider Jannik Hansen discussed the possibility of Ehlers signing with the Vancouver Canucks.
Ehlers would likely skip out on Vancouver
Hansen doubted Ehlers would head to Vancouver after his seven-year, $42 million contract ends with the Jets. He believes Ehlers would find the Montreal Canadiens more appealing, citing his close friend Patrik Laine.
'Do I think he would come here? No. To be said, that's rough,' Hansen said. 'Yeah, he would pick Montreal before here. He's great friends with Laine. He played out in Quebec Major Junior League back in juniors, so he's familiar with that. He wouldn't scoff that plane in Canada. He likes that pressure. So that's not an issue.'
Ehlers, who was drafted in the first round by Winnipeg in 2014, broke into the NHL during the 2015-16 campaign after a stellar junior career with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL.
He's accustomed to playing under stress and in rowdy markets, so he won't be fazed by Vancouver's or Montreal's rowdy media culture.
But Hansen mentioned Vancouver's lack of elite centers as a potential minus. Guys like Ehlers, he said, want to play with elite centers, something the Canucks lack unless Elias Pettersson makes a spectacular leap forward.
'I just think, like, who's he (Ehlers) gonna play with? Yeah, if Petey turns it around, but that's, where I'm looking at you,' Hansen said.'You want to attract these high-end marquee wingers, they're gonna look at it, 'Who's gonna feed me the puck?' And right now there's a black hole, and 'I don't want to go into a situation in Vancouver.
He also mentioned that the pressure of playing in Vancouver, especially with off-ice problems like the dispute between Pettersson and J.T. Miller, has a negative impact on performance if there is not strong on-ice support.
Ehlers concluded his 10th season with the Jets in the NHL with 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in the regular season, his fourth season with over 60 points. He contributed five goals and two assists in nine playoff contests.
If Ehlers becomes a free agent on July 1st, Montreal will be a more desirable location than Vancouver.
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