June 6th, 2024
Alex Rickman
As our offseason coverage continues, we now look to defencemen to see who the Canucks could target to shore up their ranks at a discounted rate on July 1st. With Filip Hronek, Nikita Zadorov, Tyler Myers, and Ian Cole all set to hit free agency on July 1st, the Canucks may have to look to the free agent market in order to remain competitive in what promises to be a challenging Western Conference next year. So who could potentially be brought in to give the Canucks some relief on the blue line?
Brenden Dillon
Hailing from Surrey, rumours have been swirling that Dillon would be open to joining his hometown Canucks as a free agent this summer. Dillon strikes me as a perfect replacement for the outgoing Ian Cole, fitting the same profile as Cole but with a less error-prone game. Dillon’s offensive upside is very low, and at 33 he is due to begin regressing sooner or later, but on a reasonable contract to play behind Quinn Hughes and Carson Soucy as your third left-handed defenceman, the local product would be a steady option for the Canucks.
Jani Hakanpää
Hakanpää is little more than a third-pairing defensive defenceman, providing little to no offensive production. However, if the Canucks are merely looking for a player who can bring a sturdy defensive game and physical presence to their bottom pair, they could do far worse than to add the hulking Finnish blueliner. At 32 years old and having never provided much more than third-pairing ability, Hakanpää is not a player I would wish to see the Canucks commit more than about 1x1 to. However, if the Canucks are in need of an Ian Cole replacement or an upgrade over a player like Noah Juulsen or Mark Friedman, Hakanpää could be their guy.
Henri Jokiharju
This one comes with a bit of a caveat, as Jokiharju is a restricted free agent and could well be qualified by Buffalo. However, Jokiharju’s qualifying offer may be more than what the Sabres are prepared to offer the sometimes error-prone blueliner, so it isn’t impossible to imagine a world where he hits the open market on July 1st. Jokiharju is prone to making some major defensive mistakes but also has shown a lot of positives to his game that could give a team like the Canucks a reason to take a chance on him for the right price. The Canucks coaching staff have also shown a strong ability to help defencemen avoid making costly mistakes, so perhaps a chance to work with Rick Tocchet and Adam Foote could allow Jokiharju to clean up his game and reach his full potential. It would take some luck for the Canucks to have the chance to sign him, but if he becomes available, this may not be a chance the Canucks can pass up.
Ilya Lyubushkin
Lyubushkin has been dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the trade deadline twice in the last three years, and it isn’t hard to see why the Leafs keep bringing the Russian defenceman back. Lyubushkin brings very little to the table offensively and will hardly wow you with his skill, but he is as steady of a third pairing defenceman as you could ask for. Lyubushkin would be no more than a sixth or seventh defenceman on a contending team like the Canucks will want to be but would be an upgrade over the sometimes questionable Noah Juulsen. At 30 years old, it’s nearly impossible to imagine a world where Lyubushkin progresses his play anywhere beyond the level of a bottom-pairing blueliner, but if the Canucks are simply looking for a guy to help stabilize the back end of their defence, Lyubushkin could almost certainly be that player for a year or two.
Alec Martinez
The three-time Stanley Cup champion may not be the player he once was but could bring veteran leadership and grit to the Canucks bottom pair as a low-risk Ian Cole replacement or Juulsen upgrade. Martinez at this stage in his career is not a player I would rely on to be more than a sixth defenceman, but for the near minimum salary he is likely to command, the experience he can bring to any team he joins may make it worth giving him a chance on a bottom pair. The hero of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final in a Canucks jersey may not be the stud defenceman that he once was, but if he can find his legs as a depth piece in blue and green, Martinez could thrive in Vancouver during the twilight of his career.
Troy Stecher
Am I blinded by nostalgia from the 2020 playoff bubble, or would a high-energy player like Stecher thrive as a seventh defenceman back on his hometown Canucks? It’s hard to say until we see it happen, but very few in Canucks Nation would not welcome a return for Troy from Richmond. Stecher has struggled to reach the same level he played at for the Canucks since leaving in free agency following the 2019-20 season, but maybe a return to his hometown team that gave him his first chance at being an NHL player could bring back the Stecher that Canucks fans fell in love with during his tenure here. Stecher and fellow local product Noah Juulsen are similar in terms of quality, with neither being a clear upgrade over the other as it stands, but the prospect of having two local boys in your ranks is an exciting thought for a franchise who seem to have had a lack of BC boys in important roles throughout their history.
Depending on what happens with Filip Hronek and Nikita Zadorov, the Canucks may be in need of a better defenceman than any of the ones listed here. However, the Canucks will also likely be in need of one or two cheaper players to fill out their depth, so moves for players from this list could prove to be necessary if the Canucks are to have the depth needed to push for a Stanley Cup. Internal options, such as Cole McWard or Jett Woo, may also be considered to fill spots openings in the roster, but if the Canucks are to look for replacements in free agency, these are just a few of the many players who could be in consideration to help shore up Vancouver’s blue line.