For the first time since 2021, offer sheets are being used in the NHL. This year, it was the St. Louis Blues who signed Edmonton Oilers Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to offer sheets, which has put the Oilers in an intriguing predicament. While offer sheets aren’t used often, one team that has been involved with a large number of them has been the Vancouver Canucks. With this in mind, here is a look at the five times the Canucks have been involved with an offer sheet.
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Petr Nedvěd- 1994
Drafted second overall by Vancouver in 1990, Nedvěd played his first three seasons with the Canucks before receiving an offer sheet from the Blues in 1994. The price of the offer sheet was three years at $12 million, which Vancouver was not able to match. Despite wanting Brendan Shanahan as compensation, the Canucks were given Craig Janney plus a 2nd round draft pick. In the end, Janney refused to report, which led Vancouver to trade him back to the Blues for Jeff Brown, Bret Hedican and Nathan Lafayette. As for Nedvěd, he would play only one year in St. Louis before being traded to the New York Rangers during the 1995 offseason.
Mattias Öhlund- 1997
A few years later, the Canucks would receive another offer sheet for a young star, this time being defenceman Mattias Öhlund. Despite not playing a game in the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed him to a five-year, $10 million deal that included a $7.5 million signing bonus. It was a good thing the Canucks decided to match as Öhlund became one of the best defensemen in franchise history, recording 325 in 770 games while also winning a Gold Medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
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Ryan Kesler- 2006
During the 2006 offseason, the Philadelphia Flyers tried to pry Ryan Kesler away from Vancouver, signing him to a one-year $1.9 million offer sheet. Dave Nonis decided to match the offer sheet, keeping Kelser as a member of the Canucks. The move paid off as Kesler became one of the most dominant centers in franchise history, recording 393 points in 655 games while also capturing the Selke Trophy in 2011.
David Backes- 2008
The only offer sheet Vancouver has ever sent involved signing David Backes to a three-year deal worth $7.5 million. Backes was coming off a 31-point season and would have provided the Canucks with additional center depth and physicality. In the end, the Blues would elect to match the offer sheet, keeping their future captain in St. Louis.
The St. Louis Blues tendered offer sheets to Edmonton Oilers players Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, but it doesn’t mean their time in Edmonton is over yet: https://t.co/YHCD0Dozr2
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) August 13, 2024
Steve Bernier-2008
The Vancouver player most recently offer sheeted was Steve Bernier in 2008. This was another situation that involved the Blues as they offered Bernier a one-year, $2.5 million contract just a week after the Canucks tried to sign David Backes. Vancouver would match, which led to Bernier playing the next two seasons with the Canucks before he was traded to the Florida Panthers in 2010.
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