Insider: "Double-Digit Teams" In On Pending Canucks UFA Dakota Joshua

After putting up his career-season at just the right time as he's set to become a UFA, Dakota Joshua is in for some heavy demand on the free agent market if the Vancouver Canucks aren't able to re-sign him by July 1st.

Insider Rich Dhaliwal is wondering why the Canucks haven't yet locked up the bruising power forward.

A lot of people are surprised the Canucks have not done a deal (yet) with this guy.
If he hits the market there could be double-digit teams after this guy. And still, crickets with what's happening between Joshua and the Canucks.

Fellow insider Elliotte Friedman has heard similar things, that there is a "really good market" for players like Joshua, though he does feel that "Vancouver does want to keep him in a perfect world."

Unfortunately, as we all know, there's nothing perfect about this world, and Friedman feels that the real problem for the Canucks is that "the market has gone farther than they're willing to go (on contract numbers for Joshua)... Potentially significantly farther than where they're willing to go."

The 6'3", 206-pound forward is coming off a two-year deal with an $825,000 AAV and is in for a raise to well over the $3 million a year mark. He popped 18 goals and 32 points in 63 games, while handing out 245 hits.

One prominent Atlantic Division team is already known to have great interest in Joshua, so the Canucks have a big decision to make over the next two weeks.