Last offseason, Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning signed a trio of forwards in order to establish more grit and toughness in the lineup.
He signed Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel and Tim Schaller to multi-year deals. The former landed a four-year contract worth $12 million, having just won a Stanley Cup championship with the Washington Capitals.
The Beagle signing came under fire for multiple reasons. It was a lot of term and cash for a player that was turning 33 in October, with limited offensive upside. Beagle had never scored more than 30 points in a season, after all.