Unlike Zeev Buium, who was also a part of the haul the Canucks received for their former captain, Öhgren has not signed an extension with the Canucks yet.
The Canucks only have until September 16th if they would like to give Öhgren the same treatment they gave Buium - an eight-year extension. After the 16th, the NHL switches to a maximum of seven years. However, an eight-year extension with the Canucks winger seems unlikely at this point.
A bridge deal seems like the type of contract that would satisfy both parties. With a bridge deal, the Canucks don’t make a massive commitment to a player who is still unproven at the NHL level, while Öhgren gets a chance to earn his next big contract.
When I think of term and dollar amount for an Öhgren extension, I think two to four years with an AAV of around $3 million. If things work out for him developmentally and he secures a spot in the Canucks’ top six with solid two-way play, the young winger could be looking at a nice raise on his following contract.
Öhgren showed some extremely promising flashes of an effective top-six winger with his powerful strides, work ethic, and sneakily quick shot near the end of the 2025-26 campaign, playing on a line with Marco Rossi and Brock Boeser.
Liam also doesn’t shy away from getting to the dirty areas of the ice and crashing in on the forecheck. Öhgren could quickly become one of those players opponents hate playing against.
At the end of the day, I do think Öhgren is worth the gamble. The Canucks don’t need to make a massive commitment to him right now, and a short-term bridge deal gives both sides some security. If Öhgren can continue to develop and turn those flashes into consistent NHL production, the Canucks could end up with a really valuable top-six winger on their hands that fits the timeline of this club.
