A useful reminder from Eric Tulsky’s line of thinking is that not every young player at the end of an entry-level deal is sitting in the same bargaining position.
That’s the crux of the 10.2(c) issue, and it’s the lane Zeev Buium fell into. Players in that category are tied to their team with no real restricted free agency rights, which means they don’t have the same leverage they’d get from something like an offer sheet. They can refuse to play, but that’s a far thinner weapon.
Tulsky drew a comparison to the NFL, where this sort of setup is much more familiar. As he explained it, players in that spot typically accept the qualifying offer, take a one-year deal, and move on to normal restricted free agency from there.
“In the NFL, that’s really common, and essentially 100 per cent of the time it results in the player signing the qualifying offer and doing a one-year deal and getting to normal restricted free agency and negotiating the next deal from there,” he said.
The NHL has generally not treated these cases that way. Instead, teams have tended to handle them more like standard restricted free agents. That’s the path the Canucks took with Buium.
Canucks GM Ryan Johnson could have followed Tulsky’s approach, treating this season as an added year of an entry-level deal. Instead, he offered Buium a contract a little above the annual average Nikishin made over the past two seasons, with performance bonuses included.
In Other News...
Canucks Face A Drew O'Connor Decision That Could Split Fans
The Canucks skid has pushed the organization squarely into seller territory, and that makes every move between now and the deadline feel bigger than it might have a month ago. Drew OConnor is right in the middle of that conversation. The alternate captain has become a possible trade chip while Vancouver works through its rebuild, and the front office has to decide whether he fits into the next phase or whether he is better used to bring back future value.
It is the kind of call that can split a fan base, because OConnor is not just another depth piece. He has a leadership role, he has been part of the room through a difficult stretch, and moving him would signal a clear commitment to the long view. Keeping him, on the other hand, would suggest the Canucks still see a reason to hold some experienced pieces in place while the bigger picture comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Prospect Caleb Malhotra May Be Turning A Corner At BU
Caleb Malhotras first stretch at Boston University has been a quiet one by design, at least in the box score. The Vancouver Canucks prospect and 2026 third overall pick came into the NCAA with plenty of attention, but early production was limited as he settled into the college game and the pace that comes with it.
A recent game against UConn suggested the turnaround Canucks fans have been waiting for might be starting to take shape. Malhotra drew praise for the way he played beyond the numbers, with his overall impact standing out enough to get noticed by both a scout and his coach, and the performance felt like the kind that can change the tone of a young season. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Bring A Growing Crisis Into Anaheim Against The Ducks
Jake DeBrusk has been one of the few Canucks whose scoring has traveled better than the team itself, with most of his goals coming away from home. Even so, the winger has hit a rough patch of his own lately, going six games without a goal while Vancouver keeps searching for any kind of lineup stability amid a season defined by defensive problems and a long losing streak.
The constant shuffling is part of the challenge here, with DeBrusk being used in different spots as the club tries to find some rhythm during a difficult rebuild. He has stayed focused on helping the team however he can, but the broader picture keeps hanging over every night, and this trip to Anaheim arrives with the Canucks still carrying the weight of a skid they cannot afford to let grow much longer. [Read more 🡒]