Canucks: Defenceman Jalen Chatfield signs 1-year deal
Defenceman and prospect Jalen Chatfield agrees to terms on a one-year two-way contract with the Vancouver Canucks.
By staying relatively quiet on the free agency front this offseason, general manager Jim Benning has shown that the Vancouver Canucks are ready to put some faith into their prospects. That’s become even more apparent now with the extension of defensive prospect, Jalen Chatfield.
The dollar figure on the deal is yet to be announced but according to TSN’s very own Canucks insider, Rick Dhaliwal, the 24-year-old right-shot blueliner has put pen to paper and agreed to a one-year two-way contract with the Canucks.
Canucks have agreed to a 1 year - 2 way deal with RFA Jalen Chatfield.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) December 9, 2020
This news comes after speculation that Chatfield could be the Canucks’ best available option to fill in for the recently departed Chris Tanev. Although Chatfield has never played an NHL game, the two players play a very similar defensive style — one the Canucks’ coaching staff may want to try and replicate.
Chatfield hasn’t been a name many Canucks’ fans get all that excited about, but he’s a player that management can rely on if they find themselves down a couple of defenders due to injury. He isn’t flashy in the slightest, but he plays a hard defensive game and he could turn out to be a good sixth or seventh NHL defender.
Having spent three seasons with the Utica Comets now, Chatfield has played 142 games and he’s registered a total of two goals and 15 assists. Clearly not the best defenceman on the Comets, but the kind of defensively responsible player that the Canucks felt they could call up last season. You know, the kind of player a team will call up for the purpose of being a healthy scratch, but in an emergency situation, he’s defensively sound enough to play in a pinch if you need him to.
“He’s kind of a cross between Tanev and Stecher because he takes away time and space and has excellent mobility. He can get back and transition the puck up ice fast and he’s smart defensively. And he can be physical and get in your face.” said Benning when he talked to The Province.
The new deal brings Chatfield one step closer to his NHL debut but with guys like Olli Juolevi, Brogan Rafferty and Jack Rathbone all fighting for the same vacancy, it’s still going to be an uphill battle for Chatfield.
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Regardless, this signing is a win-win situation. Chatfield gets the extension he deserves and management adds more stiff competition to a position in need. What are your thoughts Canucks Nation?