There is no question who the Vancouver Canucks MVP has been this season.
With Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood both being dealt by the Vancouver Canucks, the best and most consistent player remaining on the roster has been defenceman Filip Hronek.
The Czech defenceman has been thrust into an even bigger role in the absence of Hughes, matching up against the opposition’s best players, while stepping up as a leader for three regular defencemen in the Canucks lineup under the age of 21.
With Hronek on the ice this season, the Canucks have outscored the opposition 38-31 at five-on-five. Without him, they’ve been outscored 78-44, good for a -34 goal differential.
On top of that, with the Canucks reportedly willing to listen on all players, they’d be foolish not to think about trading Hronek. He’s their most valuable remaining asset.
However, Hronek’s agent, Allan Walsh, has now gone on the record saying that Hronek wants to stay in Vancouver.
“Talking about Filip Hronek being traded is wasted air,” Walsh said on his podcast, Agent Provocateur.
“I’m not going to divulge my conversations directly with management, but let’s just say, there’s an understanding that Filip Hronek is going to be part of the solution going forward in Vancouver and not somebody that they’re going to be looking to move.”
“Both sides are basically saying, we’re really happy with each other.”
Even though Hronek has been a rock for the Canucks, and even though he’s signed long-term, it’s fair to wonder if he might want to play for a team that could actually compete for the Stanley Cup.
Hronek has participated in playoff hockey just once during his eight NHL seasons. If he stays in Vancouver, it seems likely that he won’t be back to the postseason for quite some time.
But according to Walsh, the fact that the Canucks are entering a rebuild hasn’t swayed Hronek into wanting to play for another NHL team.
“Obviously, Filip is not happy when Vancouver loses because there is no more competitive guy who hates losing that I know, more than him,” Walsh said.
“He’s not okay with the losing, but he understands the reality of where Vancouver is right now. he beleives in the organization’s plan moving forward and wants to be part of it.”
Walsh’s words sounded much more affirmative about Hronek’s future in Vancouver than the recent comments from Pettersson’s agent, J.P. Barry.
Perhaps Barry’s more subdued comments about Pettersson’s future in Vancouver represent good news for Canucks fans, considering that this team needs to heavily consider trading players in their prime for future assets.
Because if neither Pettersson nor Hronek has the desire to move, their most valuable trade assets remaining are guys like Conor Garland, Marco Rossi, and Marcus Pettersson.