Filip Hronek might stick around Vancouver longer than trade rumors suggested, and for good reason.
Matt Sekeres said on Sekeres and Price this week that Hronek isn't going to lose his trade value over a year or two, giving Vancouver room to actually be patient.
The idea is simple: mine some mentorship from Hronek before handing the keys over fully to Vancouver's younger defensemen.
Hronek put up 49 points in 82 games this season, adding 8 goals and 41 assists, production that still holds real value across the entire league.
Vancouver's kids need the runway right now. Zeev Buium posted 26 points in 76 games as a rookie but finished at a rough minus-33, still very much learning the position.
The panel didn't hedge on the framing, calling this the best of both worlds if Vancouver plays it patiently.
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Why waiting to trade Hronek could pay off later
Tom Willander is in the exact same boat, adding 21 points in 70 games this season while also finishing at a minus-23 in his own rookie year.
Vancouver finished 25-49-8 for just 58 points this season, dead last overall, exactly the kind of season that makes patience with young defensemen the clearly smarter play.
Trading a $7,250,000 veteran mid-rebuild just to speed up a teardown ignores what he can actually teach the group learning behind him right now.
New coach Manny Malhotra also benefits from having a steady veteran presence on the back end while he sorts out what his younger group can actually handle.
Hronek's value isn't going anywhere fast.
Whether Vancouver actually holds him that long, or cashes in the moment a real offer comes, is still the real question nobody can answer yet.
Should the Canucks keep Filip Hronek around to mentor their young defensemen?
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