Canucks: 3 defencemen they can sign to the league minimum

The Vancouver Canucks are still in need of a depth defenceman, so here are three players they can sign to the league minimum.

The Vancouver Canucks’ blueline depth has taken a significant hit following the offseason departures of Troy Stecher and Chris Tanev.

If any the team’s top four options get injured, then they might be forced to play an experienced rookie or Jordie Benn, who struggled mightily in a bottom pair role last year.

Vancouver has recently shown interest in Travis Hamonic, but it seems unlikely the Canucks will sign him since he’s likely to ask for a contract worth more than the league minimum, which the team probably can’t afford due to their internal cash crunch (per The Athletic, subscription required).

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However, there are still many intriguing free agents left on the market who could be signed for $700,000 and provide depth to the Canucks’ backend, with three in particular who seem like good fits.

Slater Koekkoek

Slater Koekkoek was linked with Vancouver earlier in the offseason, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the team is still interested in signing him. Koekkoek is a defensive defenceman who shoots left but is capable of playing on both sides, which will be especially useful since we’re still not sure which rookie will make the team.

He can also be used on the penalty kill, which is an area in which the Canucks need to improve in. This is especially important since Vancouver lost their most often used penalty killer last season in Tanev and hasn’t been able to find a suitable replacement for him yet.

Michael Stone

Michael Stone was once a top-four calibre defenceman, but recent injuries have largely robbed him of his previous abilities. He once possessed a decent offensive game, as shown by the 36 point season he had with the Arizona Coyotes five years ago.

At this point in his career, Stone is most suited as a seventh defenceman rather than an NHL regular, but he’s still able to fill in adequately similar to Oscar Fantenberg last season. He doesn’t have much offence left in him but can be a physical defensive presence for the team.

Yannick Weber

A former Canuck, Yannick Weber has spent the past four years playing on a deep Nashville Predators blueline, and has mostly been adequate on their third pair. Like Stone, his offensive game has deteriorated recently, but he’s still capable of providing a veteran presence on the bottom pairing next to a potential rookie.

Weber also isn’t the defensive defenceman that the other two options are, but he makes up for it with his skating and puck-moving abilities. He also shoots right, which could fit well alongside Olli Juolevi, who seems like the favourite to make the team out of camp considering he was chosen to play limited minutes in the playoffs against the Minnesota Wild.

These players are all most suited to be a seventh defenceman rather than a regular, but they’re still better than nothing considering the cash crunch that Vancouver is operating under. Let me know in the comments which player you’d like the team to pursue!