The Canucks should target Micheal Grabner in free agency

A former member of the Vancouver Canucks, Micheal Graber will soon hit the open market and Jim Benning should attempt to bring him back to the Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks No. 1 priority in free agency is to shore up the blueline, but adding speed to the bottom-six of forwards isn’t out of the question. Former Canuck, Michael Grabner could be the perfect fit if the money makes sense.

The final season of his three-year $10.05 ($3.35 annually) million dollar contract has recently been bought out by the Arizona Coyotes, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a worthy third line contributor. The 11-year NHL pro might not score at an elite rate anymore, however, blazing speed is still the best attribute in his wide array of talents. That’s definitely something that’s been missing from the Canucks lineup.

At 33-years-old, Grabner is still considered to be one of the fastest skaters in the National Hockey League. You can really notice it once he gets going, especially when he has extra ice to work with on the penalty kill (Another position that needs upgrading). His first few strides are explosive and after that, there is no catching him. He’s gone, and the only person who can stop him is the goaltender.

You can’t forget that the Austrian is a workout machine when it comes to lifting weights. You could easily say he’s one of the best in-shape competitors the NHL has to offer. His attention to physical fitness and healthy eating really helps keep him one step ahead of the opposition, and a strong mentality like his would be a welcome addition to help mentor the young core of Canucks’ players.

Grabner is a five-time 20 goal scorer and back in 2011, he beat the opposing goaltender 34 times. He’s seen his goal totals dip on back-to-back seasons but both times he missed several games due to injury. Let’s not forget that he’s still only two years removed from a 27-goal season proving that he still has rockets for skates and a little bit of gas left in the tank to be an effective middle-six contributor.

According to Rick Dhaliwal of TSN, a lot of teams are interested in acquiring the speedster. Maybe he would be interested in a return to the team that drafted him? A chance to play with Elias Pettersson might be enough to get his attention.

Keep your eyes on The Canuck Way for everything Canucks-related! The NHL Draft is just days away now and free agency will be soon to follow.