Through free agency, the Vancouver Canucks strengthened their roster. With players like Danton Heinen, Kiefer Sherwood, and Jake DeBrusk, the organization increased front-end speed. With Nikita Zadorov gone, they also increased the size of the blue line by adding Derek Forbort and Vincent Desharnais.
With Tyler Myers, Carson Soucy, Desharnais, and Forbort standing taller than 6-foot-4, the Canucks blue line possesses size. In the bottom two pairings, though, the blue line is devoid of another puck-moving defenceman. The team need to have another puck-moving defender farther down the lineup with Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek at the forefront of their game. The team can also use its $1.015 million in cap space to sign one of the free agents that are still available. These three puck-moving defensemen are still available for the club to sign as free agents.
Shattenkirk, Kevin
Tocchet likes veterans, and the Canucks have a seasoned blue line, which is why Kevin Shattenkirk fits in well with the team. The 35-year-old has a lot to offer with his offensive skill set, 14 years in the NHL, and a Stanley Cup winning record. He is a right-shot defenseman as well.
Shattenkirk, who just signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Boston Bruins, will also be available at a low cost. This summer, the Canucks have already signed three former Bruins, so it won’t come as a surprise if they sign another. He just finished a 61-game season with six goals and 24 points. In 952 games, he has 484 points and 103 goals.
The Justin Schultz
Another right-shot blueliner the Canucks might consider is Justin Schultz, who is a year younger than Shattenkirk but has Cup-winning experience. The 34-year-old, who was born in Kelowna, British Columbia, offers a strong puck-moving skill set.
Schultz began his career with the Edmonton Oilers, where he participated in 248 games over four seasons, registering 101 points and 28 goals. He was choosing between the Oilers and the Canucks as a free agent after the NCAA. It is therefore not impossible for him to play in Vancouver after moving back to British Columbia.
The Oilers moved him to the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2015–16 season, and he went on to win two Stanley Cups there. He was a member of the team for five seasons. In 234 games, he recorded 113 points and 22 goals. With the team, Schultz participated in his first NHL playoffs and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017. Before recording a career-high four goals and thirteen points in twenty-one games during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he finished with four points in fifteen games during the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Before signing with the Seattle Kraken for their first two seasons, he played for two seasons with the Washington Capitals. In 143 games with the team, he scored 60 points and scored 14 goals in total. In 14 postseason games, he scored 10 points and scored three goals.
Schultz might play with Soucy, his former defensive partner in Seattle, if he signs with the Canucks. When necessary, the team will be able to use Myers in the third pairing thanks to this.
Calen Addison
Oppositely to an experienced defenseman, the Canucks may want to consider a young unrestricted free agent named Calen Addison. A week into his free agency, a once-promising defensive prospect who made an impression in his first full NHL season, finds himself without a team.
The skillful offensive defenseman was selected by the Penguins with the 53rd choice in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft, but in 2020, they moved him to the Minnesota Wild. In 62 games during the 2022–2023 season, Addison recorded 29 points and three goals. But after just 12 games in the 2023–24 campaign, the Wild traded him to the San Jose Sharks due to his defensive shortcomings.
With the Canucks coaching staff and player development department, Addison is a player who is worth a shot. Adam Foote, the club’s assistant coach, has done a fantastic job of enhancing the blue line and assisting players in achieving their personal best. He is therefore the ideal guy to mentor Addison and help him develop into a superb defenseman in all aspects.
A young blueliner and two veterans are available.
The Canucks have a few alternatives when it comes to adding a puck-moving defenseman. Both Shattenkirk and Schultz offer offensive prowess and Cup-winning experience. Addison, on the other hand, is a youthful athlete who excels offensively but has defensive shortcomings. Working with the Canucks coaching staff, he might prove to be a steal of a signing even though he carries the highest risk.
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