Since the playoffs started, the Canucks have been dealt a various number of issues, from injuries to suspension and inexplicable low-end performance from top players.
Before game five of the second round, Elias Pettersson had had a really tough playoff season. His name headlined lots of articles about it, and he'd been taking the heat. One thing that surely went under the radar with Nikita Zadorov's excellent play in the post-season is Filip Hronek's clear regression since the regular season ended.
The Canucks' second-best defenceman during the regular season, his overall play hasn't been atrocious, but it certainly hasn't been up to the $8M the market claims he wants. According to Satiar Shah, the latest reports suggest that Hronek could play through an ‘'elbow issue''.
Hronek managed a career-high 48 points during the season, playing massive minutes for the Canucks alongside captain Quinn Hughes. In 11 playoff games thus far, Hronek has yet to register a point.
Hronek will be a restricted free agent on July 1st, and since Elias Pettersson re-signed, he's been the Canucks' top re-signing priority. His play during the regular season indeed helped him plead his case for a vital pay raise, but his post-season play will not factor to his advantage.
