Linden Vey, RW:
Free Agent Status: Restricted
Should He Be Re-signed? No.
The good news for Linden Vey is that he has played well since being recalled from the Utica Comets to bolster the roster in the wake of numerous injuries — most recently to Brandon Sutter, Jannik Hansen, and now Henrik Sedin.
The bad news for Vey is that this has come six months too late. With a healthy Sutter, the addition of Markus Granlund, and the continued development of Jared McCann, Vey will be a casualty of both the Canucks’ glut of centremen, and of his own inconsistent play.
The silver lining for Vey is that he has played well enough in his last few games that another NHL team could very well sign him as a depth player.
Will Benning Re-sign Him? Maybe.
Not so fast! If Vey continues his strong play to close out the season, he might convince Benning to sign him to another short-term, inexpensive contract. The GM, after all, did give up a second-round pick to acquire Vey.
Willie Desjardins seems to have regained a lot of trust in Vey, giving him first line and first powerplay duty in the absence of Henrik Sedin. And the “Medicine Hat Tiger connection” appears to be a real factor in Canucks decision making since Desjardins took over as head coach.
While Linden Vey is far from indispensable, he may do enough to convince the Canucks that he is still valuable enough to keep.
Next: Sven Baertschi