Canucks rumors: Insider claims Pius Suter's number "could be too high" owing to increased demand for centers in FA

As July 1 approaches, speculation is mounting around Vancouver Canucks center Pius Suter as he heads toward unrestricted free agency.

NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal reported that Suter’s asking price may be more than the Canucks can afford, especially with the high demand for centers in this year’s free agent market.

Dhaliwal said that Suter is likely to command a contract that "starts with a four," meaning an average annual value of at least $4 million per season.

"Canucks want to keep Pius Suter, but it sounds like the number could be too high for Vancouver. The two sides have talked—no concrete offer from the Canucks yet,” Dhaliwal said on the Donnie & Dhali podcast.

“Canucks don’t want to go to an uncomfortable number. Suter’s July 1 number is going to start with a four. I do believe the Canucks don’t want to go there.”

Dhaliwal believes the Canucks are aiming to re-sign Suter at around $3 million, which could make negotiations tricky and put the team in a tough spot.

Suter put up 25 goals and 46 points over 81 games this season. Dhaliwal noted that Suter is now in a position of leverage during negotiations.

"A ton of teams are looking for a second-line center right now, and the beneficiary is going to be Pius Suter," Dhaliwal added.

Eventually, the Canucks have to weigh re-signing Suter at a higher salary versus letting him walk and attempting to replace him with another center on the open market.

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Vancouver Canucks' plans to keep Elias Pettersson

Just a year into his eight-year, $92.8 million deal, Elias Pettersson had a disappointing 2024-25 season, posting only 15 goals and 45 points in 64 games — a sharp drop from his 100-point year two seasons prior.

Rumors of tension with J.T. Miller and injury issues added to the struggles, fueling speculation that Vancouver might consider moving him. However, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun told The Athletic that the Canucks plan to keep Pettersson, noting that the team remains optimistic about Pettersson.

"While his production over the past two years hasn’t matched his $11.6 million salary (and he’s got seven more years on his deal), there were teams monitoring that situation given how thin the UFA market is. But it sounds like Vancouver wants to keep him," LeBrun noted.

With Pettersson's full no-trade clause kicking in this summer, it appears that the Canucks plan on retaining the forward in hopes he can rebound to his previous form.