Canucks Unlikely to Offer Quinn Hughes an Eight-Year Deal Due to CBA Changes
With changes coming to the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA), it appears Quinn Hughes will no longer be eligible for an eight-year contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks. Instead, his next deal will likely be capped at a shorter term.
The Canucks’ star defenseman and captain becomes eligible for an extension on July 1 next year, making the upcoming season critical. Vancouver must demonstrate a legitimate path toward becoming a Stanley Cup contender, or they risk losing Hughes altogether.
Even Jim Rutherford, the Canucks’ president of hockey operations, has acknowledged the situation, stating the team may be forced to trade Hughes if a new deal isn’t secured.
However, even if an extension is reached, the structure of the deal will be impacted by the new CBA. Currently, the maximum contract length is eight years for players re-signing with their current team, and seven for those signing elsewhere. But under the terms of a new CBA extension—outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding between the NHL and NHLPA—the maximum term will be reduced to seven years for players re-signing and six years for free agents joining new teams.
While contracts signed in the coming week will still fall under the existing rules, Hughes’ eligibility next year means his deal will be subject to the new limitations, capping it at seven years.
Though fans would prefer to see Hughes committed long-term with an eight-year deal, the updated CBA benefits team owners. With the salary cap projected to surge to $95.5 million, $104 million, and then $113 million over the next three seasons, shorter deals reduce long-term financial risk for teams.
Players, however, may also find advantages in this shift. Instead of being locked into long-term contracts with lower average salaries, they may prefer shorter deals that allow for renegotiation as the cap—and salaries—increase. The trade-off is less job security, but the potential for bigger payouts in the future.
The revised CBA includes other major changes too. The regular season will expand to 84 games, adding revenue opportunities for teams, though the preseason will be trimmed as a compromise.
Playoff salary cap rules will also be adjusted to close the “LTIR loophole,” which previously let teams stash players on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) during the regular season—such as the Edmonton Oilers did with Evander Kane—then activate them during the playoffs to bypass the salary cap.
Another change impacts the NHL Draft: teams will now retain the signing rights to drafted players until they turn 22, rather than the current system that varies based on the player’s league.
On the players’ side, the new agreement includes several perks: higher playoff bonuses, better health insurance, and a ban on mandatory dress codes imposed by teams.
