The Vancouver Canucks made enough positive moves during the start of free agency, to come up with a roster comparable to this past season. To the point in fact, that The Athletic is predicting they will have at least as good a season in 2024-25.
However, we also accept that the Canucks roster is also not ideally set. How could it be when there is a salary cap in place, as well as other teams competing with you for players, whether it be via a trade, free agency, and so on.
Along these lines, it's been mentioned repeatedly of late, that the Canucks need at least one more puck-moving blue-liner aside from Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek. Without one, it's been suggested coach Rich Tocchet may have to consider splitting up his top two defencemen for this very reason.
Now it's one thing to split up your top two defencemen out of choice, but another matter entirely when it comes down to a need. The thing is though, there is no need to split Hughes and Hronek up, when there is a more than reasonable solution still hanging around in free agency.
A seemingly ideal fit for the Canucks
We are talking specifically about Oliver Kylington, who is one of the top free agents remaining overall, never mind just among defencemen. He fits the profile of just what the Canucks are looking for, as an excellent puck-mover with an intriguing offensive skill set, who has the upside of a top-four blue-liner.
Kylington should also be affordable for the Canucks, with AFP Analytics projecting him to sign a one-year deal worth $1,182,720 in 2024-25. They may only have $1,015,833 million of cap space available for next season as things stand, but this is before you factor in another $2.5 million for fellow defenceman Tucker Poolman, who will once again be on Long-Term Injured Reserve for the final year of his current deal.
With all of this in mind, you can be forgiven for asking what the catch is? If the 27-year-old is such an intriguing two-way talent, why has he yet to sign a new contract with anyone?
Fair or not, it comes down to Kylington missing all of the 2022-23 season and the first half of the 2023-24 campaign with the Calgary Flames, due to a private personal matter. While his absence couldn't be helped, the timing was still unfortunate for all concerned in respect of having just completed his best NHL season yet, in 2021-22.
Regardless, there is still considerably more positives than negatives, when it comes to the 2015 second round draft pick. And given the projected salary he will command in 2024-25, he isn't really much of a gamble for the Canucks when it comes to the financial compensation.
The Canucks need another puck-moving defenceman and Kylington fits the bill for them. General manager Patrik Allvin and the rest of the front office need to be smart and make a move for him, before it's too late.