NHL Rumors: $21,000,000 star forward rejected Canucks' $24M offer to sign 3-year deal with Ducks, per insider

Mikael Granlund has agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal with the Anaheim Ducks, passing on a longer offer from the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver was reportedly ready to commit to four years and about $24 million in total, but couldn't match Anaheim’s $7 million per season, as reported by The Fourth Period on Friday.

They highlighted the comments of NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal on “Donnie & Dhali - The Team”:

"The number-one target for centermen was Mikael Granlund, but the price was too high. The agent had said it's gonna cost seven and the Canucks couldn't do seven. I think they might have gone to six, but in my heart, I do believe that Granlund one, Dvorak two, and they shifted to Boeser."

Granlund started the 2024-25 season with the San Jose Sharks and led the team in points (45 points in 52 games) and assists. He was traded to the Dallas Stars in February, where he scored 21 more points in 31 games. In the playoffs, Granlund played 18 games, registering five goals and five assists.

One of his best playoff performances was in Game 4 of Round 2 against the Winnipeg Jets; that night, he scored a hat-trick to help the Stars win 3-1. Granlund also helped the Stars reach the Western Conference Final and averaged just over 17 minutes of ice time per game in the postseason.

Granlund's experience could be vital for Anaheim's rebuild, as he has played over 900 NHL games and reached 60 or more points in three of the last four seasons. The Ducks are looking to build on a 25-37-10 season, and are hoping to make the postseason for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign.

Vancouver Canucks have boosted offense in free agency

The Vancouver Canucks are trying to improve their roster after a tough 2024-25 season. They re-signed three key players - Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, and Thatcher Demko. These long-term deals show the team is building for the future. Boeser signed for seven years, Garland for six and Demko for three.

General Manager Patrik Allvin said the goal is to build a balanced team. He wants to surround top players like Demko, Boeser, and Elias Pettersson with the right support.

"Those are top players..., it's our job to make sure we have the right surroundings here," Allvin said, via NHL.com. "And I do believe that we added some pieces."

Earlier in mid-May, new head coach Adam Foote said that he would focus on the team's offense. He wants to use his experience as a former NHL defenseman to help create better scoring chances.

"So we've got lots of ideas how to make that offense better." Foote said.

The Canucks also added Evander Kane, who is also a good offensive player, in a trade.