Former Canucks who are still UFAs

In the NHL’s annual game of musical chairs — better known as free agency — the music is winding down and a handful of players are still standing. A number of those stragglers are former Vancouver Canucks looking for new homes.

In this week’s edition of Bored Hockey Fans Trying to Entertain Themselves, we’ll look at some of these free agents, why they still haven’t signed, and what their careers might look like from here on out.

#6 — Braden Holtby

Although he wasn’t the best goalie the Canucks have ever had, Braden Holtby spent many years as one of the most trusted netminders in the league during his time with the Washington Capitals. That trust is proudly displayed in his trophy case in the form of a Vezina Trophy, a Jennings Trophy and Stanley Cup ring. He was also named a First-Team All-Star in 2016 and a Second-Team All-Star in 2017.

Needless to say, Holtby is experienced and he knows what it takes to succeed. He was much more successful this past season with the Dallas Stars than he was with the Canucks. Over 24 games, he maintained a .913 save percentage and a 2.78 goals against average — a huge bounce back from what he achieved the previous year.

So, why has Holtby not signed a contract yet? The answer is simple: he’s hurt. A lower-body injury suffered in March forced him to miss the last bit of the season. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic recently reported that he’s likely to miss the entire season and retirement is a possibility.

It’s a shame that Holtby is not ready to play, as the Vegas Golden Knights are in desperate need of a solid goaltender with the news that Robin Lehner is expected to miss the entire season. Golden Knights fans saw first-hand how effective Holtby can be when they faced him in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. Of course, after that Vegas probably wouldn’t take him even if the only other option was strapping a shooter tutor to the net. But if they did pick him up, it would make for a great story.

#3 — Travis Green

Alright, he’s not exactly a UFA, but Travis Green is a free agent in the coaching market, so we’ll include him on this list.

Aside from the 2021-22 season, Green had a successful run as the head coach of the Canucks. He orchestrated their playoff run in the 2020 bubble and he earned a two-year contract extension the year after that. It’s unfortunate that things ended poorly for him in Vancouver, but most see his last season as an anomaly to an otherwise solid coaching resume.

Unfortunately for Green, the coaching market was flooded with qualified individuals this year and all the jobs were snatched up quickly. He spoke to a number of teams in the off-season, including the Dallas Stars. But for whatever reason, he didn’t end up with a job.

Green hasn’t explicitly released his plans for this off-season, but he will likely take a break, re-group, and attempt to secure another coaching job next season.

#2 — Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel

Yes, these are three separate players, but they have been lumped into the same category for some time now. They’ll likely face similar fates this year, so we’ll keep them in the same category for the purposes of this article.

The $12 million that the Canucks spent on Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel this year bought the Arizona Coyotes 29 points. The Coyotes needed players to fill out their roster so they traded Oliver Ekman-Larsson (who also has a massive contract) and Conor Garland for them. These three guys did exactly that — and nothing else.

Eriksson is 37 years old, Beagle is 36, and Roussel is 32. They’re not exactly promising young rookies anymore, and they haven’t contributed anything significant to their teams in a number of years. Additionally, Beagle and Roussel have both missed significant portions of the last few seasons due to injuries. It’s likely that all three players retire from professional hockey this year. However, another option for them is Europe.

#1 — Tyler Motte

It boggles my mind that Tyler Motte was not thrown a wad of cash and a multi-year deal the minute free agency opened.

The 27-year-old forward is perfect for a bottom-six role — a role that must not be overlooked, as the Tampa Bay Lightning proved in their recent success. He kills penalties, he blocks shots, and he pots fancy goals when you least expect them.

Rick Dhaliwal recently reported that four to five teams are seriously considering Motte, but that financial issues have prevented a deal from coming to fruition thus far.

Motte will certainly have a contract by the time the season starts, the only question is where. After all, if you’re Connor Bedard’s favourite player, someone will sign you.