Vancouver Canucks: 3 defencemen the Canucks need to sign
The Vancouver Canucks are preparing for a big summer, which could include the departure of long-time Canuck Alex Edler. We look at three impending free agent defencemen whom the Canucks should consider signing on July 1st.
Nothing lasts forever. Pavel Bure left the Vancouver Canucks and played for another team. Trevor Linden retired. Daniel and Henrik Sedin set new franchise records, and have also retired.
The current Vancouver roster features just two players from their 2011 Stanley Cup Final run and, while Chris Tanev has a year remaining on his current deal, the next few weeks could potentially see the only other remaining survivor of that team depart. Who here remembers what it’s like to watch a Canucks team without Alex Edler on it?
While it’s still likely that Edler does end up receiving a contract extension, the only recent word on the street is that the two parties remain apart in both term and the sticky issue of protection. If the Canucks refuse to provide Edler with a no-trade clause, he’ll likely depart — and this team would then be short of a quality top four defenceman.
With this in mind, it’s a good time to take a look ahead to July 1st, where there is a small crop of quality defencemen available in free agency that could help the Vancouver Canucks get over the loss of Edler.
Make no mistake: If general manager Jim Benning is not able to re-sign Edler, he will simply have to be in the market for a replacement top four defenceman. This Canucks team won’t go far relying on Quinn Hughes alone.
1: Jake Gardiner, a replacement for Edler?
If Alex Edler does not re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks and instead departs for free agency, then Jake Gardiner would be a good candidate to take the majority of Edler’s minutes. A lefty, Gardiner could match Edler’s production levels and provide a steady pair of hands in the Canucks’ top four while also staying healthier than Edler has managed over recent seasons.
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Now aged 28, Gardiner will be hitting free agency on July 1st thanks to a combination of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ cap constraints, and the raw deal he’s received from Toronto Maple Leafs fans and media over the years.
Last year’s first-round playoff exit was apparently entirely his fault, while this year’s is still down to (mainly) him and Nazem Kadri. There is no chance Gardiner will want to hang around and be lambasted by people who don’t appreciate what he can bring to a team.
What does he bring to a team, I hear you ask? Firstly, he brings scoring. Gardiner went 3-27-30 in 62 games for the Maple Leafs this season, with a steady plus-19 rating and a Corsi For percentage of 52.2.
His previous two seasons saw him post 52 and 43 points respectively, again both with positive Corsi and plus/minus. He’s a very good top four defenceman, who figures to be on the receiving end of a long-term deal somewhere around the $5.5 to $6 million mark.
Would that kind of deal appeal to Canucks fans? He’s missed just 26 games in the last five seasons, the same number Edler missed this season alone, and has played 75 or more games in six of his eight NHL seasons. Edler has only managed 75 or more games in four of his 13 seasons with the Canucks.
If Edler leaves, Gardiner is the perfect replacement — and a healthy one at that.
2: Anton Stralman, a new nice guy?
With the retirement of Henrik and Daniel Sedin, the possible departure of Loui Eriksson and the potential for Edler to sign elsewhere this summer, this leaves a huge vacancy for resident Swede/Really Nice Guy.
That void could be filled by Tampa Bay Lightning rearguard Anton Stralman who — aged 33 by the start of next season — could be the Canucks’ lead veteran on the blue line for a couple of years while players like Quinn Hughes, Olli Juolevi and Josh Teves become established NHL players.
Stralman is a dependable blueliner, not flashy in any kind of way, but a steady, reliable presence for any team. He has played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and, for the last five years, the Lightning.
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With the Lightning looking to reset and go again after their historic sweep at the hands of the Blue Jackets, Stralman could well be a cap casualty. The Canucks would be smart to consider his acquisition.
Granted they’re missing Anton Stralman and Victor Hedman. But this is wild and will be regarded as one of the biggest collapses in NHL history.
— High Wrap Hockey (@HighWrapHockey) April 17, 2019
While Stralman missed 35 games this season to injury, he missed just 21 games over the previous six seasons. He’s a 30-point defenceman who plays a tidy game, makes few mistakes, and could be the perfect foil for someone like Quinn Hughes to flourish in a more attacking role. Think Dan Hamhuis. He’s also a righty, which would allow Quinn Hughes to play on his natural left side.
What Stralman would cost on July 1st is anyone’s guess, but I’d estimate a two or three-year deal around the $4.5 million he receives now would be enough to bring him to Vancouver. Would he be a more preferable option for Canucks fans than Jake Gardiner?
3: Tyler Myers, a tall option
When I say tall, that still doesn’t give enough of an idea of just how tall Tyler Myers is. At 6-foot-8, he’s essentially a giraffe on skates – but boy would he bring a unique skill set to this Vancouver Canucks blueline.
Those hockey fans with longer memories will remember Myers bursting onto the NHL scene back in 2009-10 with a monstrous 11-37-48 rookie season for the Buffalo Sabres. That performance earned him the Calder Trophy that season, and he looked destined for huge things. Sadly for Myers, he was playing for the Buffalo Sabres, one of the few franchises more frustrating for its fans than the Canucks.
The totals he set for goals, assists, points, plus/minus, power play goals and blocks remain his career highs — he is not the second coming of Bobby Orr that people wondered if they were seeing.
That’s not to diminish what Tyler Myers does bring to the table now. Approaching his 30th birthday, he’s a veteran of 635 NHL games and is now a reliable 30-point defenceman. He doesn’t lay opponents out using his size — his career-high for hits is just 107, just six more than Alex Biega managed in 41 games this season — but due to his exceptional reach he’s a difficult opponent to get past.
He’s around the league average in terms of Corsi, so wouldn’t let the team down especially. The addition of Myers’ height and reach would be something the Canucks have not had in eons.
Would Vancouver Canucks fans be happy to see Tyler Myers arrive in Vancouver on July 1st, laden with a long-term deal around the $5.75 million mark?
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The market for free agent defencemen isn’t as deep as the market for forwards this summer, which is a frustration for the Vancouver Canucks as it means that adding a meaningful blue liner is likely to have to come via either the draft or via trade. However, these three options would all add something to the team — let us know if any take your fancy, or if we’ve missed a better option.