Vancouver Canucks: Top 5 Remaining Free Agents to Target
By David Joun
No. 1: Lauri Korpikoski
Lauri Korpikoski may be the perfect Vancouver Canuck in waiting for Jim Benning. The former Pheonix Coyote has all the attributes the Canucks are looking for and now is a free agent after being bought out by the Edmonton Oilers to make room for Milan Lucic.A player still on the younger side of 30, Korpikoski’s addition to the lineup will make the lineup Willie Desjardins’s dream.
A player still on the younger side of 30, Korpikoski’s addition to the lineup will make the lineup Willie Desjardins’s dream.
Position: Forward
Height / Weight: 6-foot-1, 193 lbs
Age: 29
2015-16 Stats: 71 GP — 10 Goals — 12 Assists — 22 Points
2015-16 Salary: $2.7 million
Expected UFA Salary: $1.8 million
Korpikoski is best known for his speed which he uses to his advantage in defensive scenarios. He is versatile enough to play all three forward positions and showed improvement in the faceoff department last year by winning 52.9 percent of his draws.
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Used 57.4 percent of the time in the defensive zone, he has a big frame that he can contribute to the Canucks. He can also kill penalties without a problem and provides energy in a bottom-six checking role.
His speed and his release make him a threat offensively, too. His skating is so smooth that he can drive hard to the net with ease. He can provide decent secondary scoring, even from below the dots.
But most recently, the Oilers bought him out. The Oilers of all teams. The main reason seems to that the defensive acumen is leaving him. Unless this is the case, Korpikoski could be a big steal out there waiting for the next chapter of his career.
Suggested Line:
L. Korpikoski – B. Sutter – A. Rodin
L. Korpikoski – B. Sutter – J. Hansen
That’s a great third line. All are speedy players with hands that can shoot and set up chances, with Sutter and Korpikoski providing size that Rodin does not have.
The second suggestion is an all-speed, all-check, shut-down line. It has the potential to be a deadly speed line that scores in bunches while defending the most crucial of leads. Loui Eriksson’s addition sure makes this easy.
I really like Korpikoski. If he can prove that he is defensively aware enough even in his 30’s, he could be a steal at under two million dollars per season. He will be affordable right now, let me tell you.
Next: ANALYSIS: GM Jim Benning Working the Depth in Free agency
The best of the players may be off the market, but Jim Benning still has players left that he could target in the coming days and weeks of July and perhaps even August.