Re sign Suter?

[Tables of Stats]

Suter feels like a luxury. He's been very good for us and is flexible in that he can comfortably be a 3C or a 2W, but he's not overly physical and as others have noted, he can't seem to play to both his offensive and defensive upsides at the same time. He feels like a guy you offer a 4x4 deal to if you can't find anything better.

 

[VanJack]

Suter feels like a luxury. He's been very good for us and is flexible in that he can comfortably be a 3C or a 2W, but he's not overly physical and as others have noted, he can't seem to play to both his offensive and defensive upsides at the same time. He feels like a guy you offer a 4x4 deal to if you can't find anything better.

It's certainly going to be tough for the Canucks to find anyone better. I was actually surprised to read that Suter is still only 28.....had it my mind that he was older.

But looking at the slim pickings on the UFA market, there's Roslovic who's about the same age. And the Canucks have been linked to him in the past. But this season in Carolina, he has about the same number of goals and points as Suter. And he'll probably be more expensive.

And there's the usual number of UFA suspects who really won't move the needle much. So unless another major trade comes down--the Canucks depth at center might look much the same.

EP40, Chytil, Raty, Blueger, possibly Suter or Sasson. It's not a group likely to strike fear into the hearts of Western Conference opponents.

But with top-six guys who play center, the only real hope is to draft and develop a good one.

 

[sting101]

There is a huge difference between McCann and Krebs though...

oh agree just a couple realistic names that have popped up when looking at options. Although not sure why Seattle would trade McCann to us or at all. Just read Seattle was shopping him at one point this year

Krebs is a no brainer if we can get him for a reasonable price.

Buffalo is an interesting team to target they have a terrible front office cap issues coming this summer and a plethora of Cs with insane pressure to end a 14yr drought. I would be calling weekly to supply them with win now pieces for ones that are a couple years from hitting their runways or primes

 

[VanJack]

Canucks may have no choice but to dip into the prospect pool to shore up the center position.

Obviously Lekkerimaki and Wilander aren't likely going anywhere. But solid prospects like Mynio or Kudryavtsev might be on the table. And of course there's always Hoglander, who's name always seems to come up.

There are some young guys around the league who might be made available in a trade. Posters have already mentioned Krebs. But Anaheim mighty be interested in moving on from Trevor Zegras. And the Stars have cap problems, and Mavrik Bourque needs a new contract.

I'm just not sure that those guys would come in immediately and make a huge difference. But I don't see how Allvin and company can go into next season with the status-quo down the middle. Chytil is a huge question mark.....and it's about 50/50 that they lose Suter.

And all they really have in Abbotsford are Raty, Sasson and Mueller.....who are question-marks at best. But something has to give.

 

[credulous]

peyton krebs is awful. lazy, unmotivated, weak shot, gets pushed around in all 3 zones. you'd have to be truly desperate to think he could be a 2c on a contender

 

[David71]

his value just gone up. each goal he scores price is gonna get higher. if theeres not other choices avalaible during free agency season, give him the 10x10 special. he''ll be 38 by the time contract ends.

 

[Icebreakers]

This guy is the most swiss army knife in the entire league. Can literally play 1-4 C or 1-4 LW/RW. He can put up 25 goals on your top 6 or chip in 15 from your 4th line. Hes also got a little "clutch gene" in him. That goal he scored in game 6 in NSH last year was huge.

Hes the most valuable forward on this team if you go by cap hit vs value brought.

 

[F A N]

This guy is the most swiss army knife in the entire league. Can literally play 1-4 C or 1-4 LW/RW. He can put up 25 goals on your top 6 or chip in 15 from your 4th line. Hes also got a little "clutch gene" in him. That goal he scored in game 6 in NSH last year was huge.

Hes the most valuable forward on this team if you go by cap hit vs value brought.

I'm quite conflicted in terms of how hard I hope management tries in re-signing him.

I'm afraid to move off my stance as far as thinking he's a guy who was destined for a career year this year but he has been a great fit. I'm not sure if he has necessarily been clutch. What I saw last season was a player who missed quite a few prime goalmouth opportunities (hence if he managed to start converting more of those opportunities he would score more goals).

I'm not convinced that he's a good 2C option with Petey as 1C but we have nobody aside from Chytil who looks remotely capable of filling that role. I do think Suter's goal scoring is relatively sustainable. Like I said, he gets into prime goalscoring positions and he does have a good shot. In the past he missed a converting on a lot of goals. This year the goals have gone in. Similar to what I said about Boeser last summer, I'm not worried at all about his shooting percentage being unsustainable. He's shooting from high danger areas that should be considered danger chances.

 

[VanJack]

I'm sure the Canucks would love to bring him back......but after games like tonight, his value just keeps going up.

He's going to earn a big payday from somebody......just not sure he hasn't priced himself out of Vancouver. Of course that assumes that the Canucks can bring in somebody to replace him on a cheaper contract.

And looking at the rather poor UFA market--that's not a given.

 

[LordBacon]

Bros next contract gon be fat as your mom.
I don’t think the Canucks can afford to pay him.

 

[IComeInPeace]

Tochett loves Suter.

Suter will cost half of what Boeser will and can be used all over the lineup.

Suter is an 18+ goals per 82 games player over his career. He plays the more important position, kills penalties, is responsible defensively and is about as low maintenance a player as you could ever ask for….

As long as his demands are fair and I expect they will be (I’m assuming he loves playing for a coach that loves him) I think he’s a Canuck again next season and beyond.

It will probably cost us an extra season on a deal to hopefully get him signed at something like 3.9 mill, but he’s earned it.

 

[ManVanFan]

Tochett loves Suter.

Suter will cost half of what Boeser will and can be used all over the lineup.

Suter is an 18+ goals per 82 games player over his career. He plays the more important position, kills penalties, is responsible defensively and is about as low maintenance a player as you could ever ask for….

As long as his demands are fair and I expect they will be (I’m assuming he loves playing for a coach that loves him) I think he’s a Canuck again next season and beyond.

It will probably cost us an extra season on a deal to hopefully get him signed at something like 3.9 mill, but he’s earned it.

Should they double his price for a one off season? Until Chytil and Pettersson went down and Miller was traded. He was on pace for his normal season. That's not worthy of 3.9M a year.

 

[Ernie]

Should they double his price for a one off season? Until Chytil and Pettersson went down and Miller was traded. He was on pace for his normal season. That's not worthy of 3.9M a year.

He's performed very well as both a winger and a centre when given top 6 minutes over the length of his contract. His individual scoring stats are top six caliber, and his effect on possession is elite. Yes, his SH% is high and you have to take that into account, but in a thin market for centres the Canucks are going to pay a premium. He's the kind of player the Canucks should be targeting if he was on another team.

My biggest concern is his lack of speed on a roster that doesn't have a lot to start with. But it makes a ton of sense to jettison Joshua and keep Suter given the market conditions and try to augment your speed with winger additions. Unfortunately, aside from Sasson, the tweeners that have been playing for the team in recent weeks don't bring a lot of speed so they'll have to look externally.

He's been a much more effective player than Boeser when playing as a winger with Pettersson or Miller during the past two seasons. If you can get this player for around $4m you absolutely jump at the chance.

 

[Hodgy]

He's performed very well as both a winger and a centre when given top 6 minutes over the length of his contract. His individual scoring stats are top six caliber, and his effect on possession is elite. Yes, his SH% is high and you have to take that into account, but in a thin market for centres the Canucks are going to pay a premium. He's the kind of player the Canucks should be targeting if he was on another team.

My biggest concern is his lack of speed on a roster that doesn't have a lot to start with. But it makes a ton of sense to jettison Joshua and keep Suter given the market conditions and try to augment your speed with winger additions. Unfortunately, aside from Sasson, the tweeners that have been playing for the team in recent weeks don't bring a lot of speed so they'll have to look externally.

He's been a much more effective player than Boeser when playing as a winger with Pettersson or Miller during the past two seasons. If you can get this player for around $4m you absolutely jump at the chance.

In my view, whether they keep Suter is going to depend on whether they can acquired a better centre whether via free agency or trade, and the health status of Chytil. If they can't acquire a better centre, then I think Suter will be re-signed out of necessity, and this assumes Chytil's health improves.

In a perfect world, you let Suter walk. He's having what will most likely be a contract year, and he is likely to get pretty significantly overpaid this summer and likely won't be a very cap efficient player. But the Canucks have pretty bad centre depth and don't really have this luxury.

 

[Ernie]

In my view, whether they keep Suter is going to depend on whether they can acquired a better centre whether via free agency or trade, and the health status of Chytil. If they can't acquire a better centre, then I think Suter will be re-signed out of necessity, and this assumes Chytil's health improves.

In a perfect world, you let Suter walk. He's having what will most likely be a contract year, and he is likely to get pretty significantly overpaid this summer and likely won't be a very cap efficient player. But the Canucks have pretty bad centre depth and don't really have this luxury.

What would "overpaid" be to you?

He's a good player was pinched by the stagnant cap and signed a below value contract with the team. How do we peg his value? I'm not saying we pay him based on his contract year, I'm saying we pay him based on his body of work. At 5v5 he profiles very similarly to Boeser or DeBrusk, but has extra value as a centre. He's a great player to have around as a flexible option at center or at wing.

 

[Hodgy]

What would "overpaid" be to you?

He's a good player was pinched by the stagnant cap and signed a below value contract with the team. How do we peg his value? I'm not saying we pay him based on his contract year, I'm saying we pay him based on his body of work. At 5v5 he profiles very similarly to Boeser or DeBrusk, but has extra value as a centre. He's a great player to have around as a flexible option at center or at wing.

I think he would be a good bet in the 3-4 million range, but I am wondering if he's going to end up closer to 5, or perhaps over 5, on a relatively long term contract. Of course a lot depends on term.

 

[Ernie]

I think he would be a good bet in the 3-4 million range, but I am wondering if he's going to end up closer to 5, or perhaps over 5, on a relatively long term contract. Of course a lot depends on term.

Yeah, I don't know if you go above $4m x 4 years. Some teams might get desperate in UFA and offer him what you suggest but it's a bit of a gamble on his part. His lack of speed and the fact he didn't come to NA until he was 23 will decrease his value.

 

[BWJM]

First time in this thread so I'm going to keep it short.

YES

 

[Hodgy]

Yeah, I don't know if you go above $4m x 4 years. Some teams might get desperate in UFA and offer him what you suggest but it's a bit of a gamble on his part. His lack of speed and the fact he didn't come to NA until he was 23 will decrease his value.

AFP had Suter at about $4,000,000 in their mid season contract projections, and he's increased his scoring pace since then. I would imagine he would be projected by AFP for around 4.5-5 million per year. This, coupled with the scarcity of centres, could see him get something ludicrous like 5x5.

 

[VanJack]

Is really thought at one time, the Canucks could move on and easily replace Suter.

Then the Canucks top-two centers--Pettersson and Chytil went down--forcing Suter into the top-line center position. All he's done is go on a PPG pace, while facing all the hard matchups.

I don't know now, how you don't bring the guy back?

 

[SopelFanThe3rd]

You lose Boeser, Hoglander, Chytil before you lose Suter. Clutch and consistent player who can do everything.

 

[Nuckles]

AFP had Suter at about $4,000,000 in their mid season contract projections, and he's increased his scoring pace since then. I would imagine he would be projected by AFP for around 4.5-5 million per year. This, coupled with the scarcity of centres, could see him get something ludicrous like 5x5.

Ever since the 2025-26 (and beyond) salary cap was announced I've been saying people need to prepare for a new "normal" when it comes to contracts compared to the flat cap era. There will be plenty of mid level players getting big paydays this off-season.

I'm absolutely expecting Suter to get around 5M/year, similar to JT Compher except he got his contract when the cap was only 83.5M.

 

[LaVal]

He's going to be a very high risk signing. I'd have no issues signing him to a $35 million contract if this was the second season he put up 20+ goals and 45+ points, but as it stands now he's a likely candidate to regress.

He's also a hard player to lose. Similar to last offseason with Joshua, I don't envy management with this decision.

 

[Rejavanated]

Ever since the 2025-26 (and beyond) salary cap was announced I've been saying people need to prepare for a new "normal" when it comes to contracts compared to the flat cap era. There will be plenty of mid level players getting big paydays this off-season.

I'm absolutely expecting Suter to get around 5M/year, similar to JT Compher except he got his contract when the cap was only 83.5M.

I was all prepared to agree with you. But then the whole tariff BS started. I'm not sure it's still safe to assume we're going to see large annual increases to the cap when a recession hits.

Strategic thinking around the cap might look very different 3 months from now.

 

[F A N]

I think we can probably get Suter down to 4x~$4.35M. I don't think he gets 5x$5M on the open market but it only takes one team.

I definitely haven't adjusted to the new normal as @Nuckles put it. I think Suter is a very useful and productive player at ES but what is the intended fit if we're going to pay him? Is he seen by management as a top 6 fit like Debrusk? Is he what Gilman describes as a a 7th forward? If Suter is going to spend most of his time playing a top 6 role whether that be C or wing and he puts up 20+ goals 35+ points he might be worth paying to keep given his versatility and PK ability.

I guess the question is whether our apprehension not to pay Suter is because he is having a career year vs he is an underrated player who hit his prime in his 5th NHL season (not unusual). Someone mentioned Compher as a comparison. The thing is that I wouldn't have signed him to that contract as I didn't see him as a 2C. From a team building standpoint, I think there is a strong case to be made that you win with star players and somebody needs to be underpaid.