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Mikael Granlund Reportedly Refused to Sign With One Specific Canadian Team Despite Offering Most Money
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Anaheim Ducks came away winners of the Mikael Granlund sweepstakes in free agency, but he reportedly turned down a Canadian team with the highest bid.

Mikael Granlund signed a three-year, $21 million deal with the Anaheim Ducks after turning down the offer of extra years and money from the Vancouver Canucks.

Vancouver made him afour-year, $24 million proposal, but could not get close to Anaheim's $7 million cap hit annually, according to 'The Fourth Period'.

'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 suited up for the San Jose Sharks last year, leading his team with 45 points in 52 contests. Since coming to Dallas via trade, he recorded 21 points in 31 games and 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 18 playoff games.

His best was in Game 4 of Round 2 against Winnipeg when he had a hat trick and led the Stars to a 3-1 win. He took Dallas to the Western Conference Final and averaged over 17 minutes of ice time per game.

Granlund has over 900 games of NHL experience

A veteran of more than 900 NHL games and three 60-point seasons in his past four years, Granlund provides a degree of veteran presence to a Ducks franchise that has not appeared in the playoffs since 2018.

At the same time, the Canucks are continuing to rebuild their roster from last year's abysmal 2024-25 campaign.

They locked up cornerstones Brock Boeser (seven years), Conor Garland (six years), and Thatcher Demko (three years), which was a sign of stability.

The team's path, now, is to boast a balanced roster with stars like Demko, Boeser, and Elias Pettersson, GM Patrik Allvin said.

Vancouver recently acquired Evander Kane througha trade, hoping to use his offense to bring them back into the playoffs.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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