Canucks: A prudent thought from Eric Tulsky about Zeev Buium’s contract

The Province examines the Vancouver Canucks' long-term contract extension with defenseman Zeev Buium, contrasting it with the Carolina Hurricanes' approach to restricted free agency. While Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky used collective bargaining leverage under Section 10.2(c) to sign Alexander Nikishin to a short-term deal, the Canucks committed to Buium with an eight-year contract extension averaging $9.4 million annually that begins next season.

The writer questions whether Vancouver rushed to lock in Buium rather than using the lack of player leverage to maximize future salary cap space. While acknowledging Buium's deal remains a reasonable bet on an emerging top-pairing defenseman, the writer argues that testing the market or waiting another year could have provided better long-term financial flexibility as the team's cap constraints evolve.