Free agency in the NHL -- perhaps moreso than the other major sports -- almost always kicks off with bad contracts being given out by general managers that are either out to lunch, unable to honestly assess where their team is in its cycle, or just have money to burn.
In Vancouver, the Canucks management is apparently all three of those things, based on the $36M contract given to Loui Eriksson. This is not a knock on Eriksson, a 30 goal scorer that has proven the ability to light the lamp. Eriksson is a known commodity, a goal scorer that can play a top line role and doesn't play an overly physical game -- which should help him age well. He does, however, have a history of concussions. Criticizing this signing has much more to do with where the Vancouver front office thinks its team truly is on the NHL totem pole.
After a fast start last season, regression caught up with the Canucks and they were exposed as one of the worst teams in the NHL. Could they use a goal scorer? Like just about every other team, of course. Is it wise to sign a free agent to a long-term, high value deal? Not for Vancouver, an aging team that won't embrace a rebuild and has little foundational pieces to build around moving forward.
The Sedin twins, two generational talents, will turn 36 shortly before the season starts. Though they can still play at a high level, they aren't getting any younger and will not be able to carry the team. The prospect pool is thin due to bad trades and general mismanagement, and Eriksson figures to be on an island in short order. The defense is one of the worst units in the league, and in net, Ryan Miller is past his prime and stealing valuable playing time from Jacob Markstrom (who himself is a placeholder for Thatcher Demko).
In the highly competitive Western Conference, Vancouver is extending the pain of being irrelevant by signing free agents and not tearing everything down. Unlike Toronto and Buffalo, two franchises that correctly assessed the need to build a foundation by staying in the basement, there are no superstar, can't-miss prospects walking through the door any time soon (though, again, Thatcher Demko is a highly regarded goalie prospect).
Loui Eriksson is a head-scratching move on first thought, but it makes sense when considering that the Canucks have not identified themselves honestly yet. They are the sixth oldest team in the league, had the fourth worst Corsi-For% at five-on-five last year, and finished with the third fewest points in the league. The Canucks have not made acquisitions to rebuild the franchise the way even division peers Arizona and Calgary have, and bringing in a 30 year old goal scorer with term and a high AAV is just not what this team needs right now.
Fantasy Slant
Thankfully, fantasy values and real-life values are often incongruent. Eriksson, a key piece of Boston's deal to trade Tyler Seguin to Dallas, is a respectable goal scorer. He put up 30 goals last year seeing a majority of his playing time with David Krejci, and he should have no problem adjusting to playing with gifted setup man Henrik Sedin.
The Canuck top line could very well go under the radar more often than not most nights in DFS, so don't let Vancouver's inevitable poor record keep you away. In fact, it could be a good thing as the game flow will often dictate a positive direction for Eriksson and the Sedins. Don't let Eriksson fall too far in seaon long leagues either -- he should have no problems giving your team 25 goals and 20 assists with some power play point contributions, though plus/minus will likely be a liability.