The team has been trying to reach a new deal with the bruising Russian blue liner since the end of the season, but have reached an impasse, Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said Friday.
The 29-year-old defenceman contributed five goals and nine assists across 54 regular-season games for Vancouver, then added another four goals, four assists in 13 playoff appearances. Allvin and his staff have been busy in recent days, inking three pending unrestricted free agents to new deals and moving another player to open up cap space.
On Thursday, the Canucks signed veteran defenceman Tyler Myers to a three-year contract with an average-annual value of $3 million and big winger Dakota Joshua to a four-year deal with a $3.25 million AAV."We want players that are committed and want to be part of a winning team and a winning culture," the GM said.