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Vancouver Canucks Free Agency: Top 5 Right Wingers to Target

By David Joun

Feb 25, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo (21) skates during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo (21) skates during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 25, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo (21) skates during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports /

Look at how much cash the Vancouver Canucks have for spending this offseason.

The Vancouver Canucks promised this hockey-voracious city a busy offseason highlighted by the potential of the NHL Entry Draft and the influx of youth as the veterans vacate the lineup one by one. The future will be brighter this offseason, undoubtedly.

But why wait for the future if one can win right now?

That is the question that the Canucks will address when NHL-proven players hit the open market on July 1st. GM Jim Benning is ready for the occasion. 82 games removed from a disappointing offseason highlighted by the exit of Zack Kassian and Nick Bonino, the Vancouver GM is ready to spend.

Benning is ready. Are you?

Here at The Canuck Way, we are going to prepare you for the big day, the Free Agent Frenzy by analysing the top free agents the Canucks could sign to bolster the roster and win while growing a new core through the draft.

What the Canucks Need

What the Canucks need on the right wing for the short term is a great scoring right winger for the Sedin Twins to play with, now that the Radim Vrbata experiment has come to an end. Otherwise, the only potential need down the right may be depth and grit that was lost with the injury to Brandon Prust. The uncertain status of RFA Emerson Etem also underlines that need for depth.

A note of clarification here — Derek Dorsett ended up playing left wing to end the season, and that is the only reason I referred to Prust as a right winger in the previous paragraph. Prust is a natural left winger.

Depth Chart (2016-17 ~ TWO RFAs + $4.5 million)

  1. Jannik Hansen (2 years, $2.5 million AAV)
  2. Anton Rodin (1 year, $0.95 million AAV)
  3. Jake Virtanen (2 years, ELC)
  4. Emerson Etem (RFA)
  5. Alex Grenier (RFA)

Although the lineup is not as crowded down the right as it is to the left, the pieces are solid. Hansen has made himself a big, versatile piece in Vancouver while Jake Virtanen projects to progress after a rookie season of two tales. Key addition and X-Factor is Anton Rodin, the returning Canuck property who (essentially) had to conquer Sweden’s HL to prove himself worthy of a second shot at the NHL.

With a couple of young RFAs that need to be signed, the right wing position is one that Canucks could choose to address in free agency. However, with top prospect Brock Boeser ready to jump to the pro ranks in short order, be surprised if the Canucks sign a non-elite, top-six calibre winger to a long-term deal.

So what is out there for the Canucks? Here are the top five right wing options available to the Canucks at this year’s free agency!

Next: No. 5: DALE WEISE

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