The Vancouver Canucks are confirmed to have signed Braden Holtby to a contract in NHL free agency. The deal means the Canucks won’t re-sign Jacob Markstrom and they’ll replace him with a Vezina Trophy winner who can act as a mentor to Thatcher Demko as he becomes a starter.
For Holtby he gets a to a two-year contract worth a total of $8.6 million ($4.3 million per season).
Holtby played ten seasons for the Washington Capitals and said he had no desire to leave. At the same time, he wasn’t going to get much in the way of starting time and in Vancouver, it’s believed he’ll get a much bigger split of the games.
Holtby did underperform this past season so there’s a little bit of a risk in signing him for more than one season but the cost isn’t terribly prohibitive and he’s still only 30 years old.
Holtby Is a Good Pick for the Canucks
Holtby has a the words Vezina, Jennings and Stanley Cup winner attached to his resume. He also boasts a .916 save percentage in 468 regular season appearances. He’s a leader and this is a great opportunity for Demko to learn from someone with the type of experience that will help elevate him up to the upper echelon of goaltenders.
Where Markstrom goes now is unclear. Speculation is that he’s looking for $6 million per season and the Edmonton Oilers are now out of the running.
Next: Henrik Lundqvist Signs One-Year Deal With Capitals
