One pending free agent the Canucks can steal from their Pacific Division rivals in the 2024 offseason

With nearly $25 million worth of cap space, the Vancouver Canucks could have enough saved up to further improve their already elite lineup. Sure, general manager Patrik Allvin will need to be mindful of the team’s finances after he potentially re-signs players like Dakota Joshua, Vasily Podkolzin, Tyler Myers, Filip Hronek, Arturs Silovs, and perhaps even Nikita Zadorov, and not all of the names mentioned will come cheap. 

This will leave Allvin with far less cap space to work with than the currently projected number, but it also doesn’t mean he won’t have the finances to ink one more big-name (or small-name) free agent and bring them to British Columbia. 

Allvin may not even need to look far, as there are some compelling players in the Pacific Division who could be up for grabs in the 2024 offseason. 

Jakob Silfverberg, Forward/Anaheim Ducks

Starting off with one team that just didn’t have much selection, the Anaheim Ducks would have had a prime name here in Adam Henrique had he not been traded to Edmonton. As a consolation prize, Ducks alternate captain Jakob Silfverberg brings more experience to British Columbia if he doesn’t return to Anaheim for a 12th season. 

It would be tough to see the rebuilding Ducks bring him back unless he is more than willing to help oversee a team in transition. But the aging Silfverberg has yet to win a Cup, and an organization like the Vancouver Canucks is in much better shape to contend next season than Anaheim. 

Since Vancouver is more than proficient in scoring, the Canucks would use the defensive forward on the lower lines, and bottom-six minutes is what we have seen from Silfverberg this season. That said, he would have no issues with accepting lesser ice time in British Columbia if he jumped to a division rival. 

And he would be a major help in the defensive zone since, despite Anaheim’s pedestrian play defensively, Silfverberg’s on-ice save percentage at 5-on-5 is an incredible 95.4. He’s also logging a Corsi For of 51.4 with just two weeks left in the season for what has been a bad hockey team. 

Mark Pysyk, Defenseman/Calgary Flames

Like the Ducks, the Calgary Flames didn’t have much to go on, but one older player spending time in their AHL ranks caught my eye. As recently as 2021-22, Mark Pysyk was gracing the third-pairing in the Buffalo Sabres defensive rotation, but a major injury kept him from playing in 2022-23 for the Detroit Red Wings, whom he signed with in the summer of 2022. 

Pysyk wouldn’t be a game-changer, but he would provide organizational depth or even fare as a seventh defenseman in Vancouver’s eventual 2024-25 rotation. His final year as a full-time NHLer in Buffalo was still promising, as he logged 17:49 of average total ice time in 68 games, blocked 85 shots, and logged 21 takeaways. 

Pysyk contributed on the short-handed unit that season, and the journeyman was a better puck mover than some may have given him credit for. He also spent a lot of time helping who were then the pedestrian Sabres play respectable hockey in the defensive zone, with a 92.9 on-ice save percentage at 5-on-5. 

Pysyk isn’t a player you want to see dress full-time for the Canucks, but he will make the most of his ice time. And if there is no room on the big club, he would also make a sound mentor for the up-and-coming AHLers. 

Adam Henrique, Forward/Edmonton Oilers

Okay, so we’ve talked about two names on this list who could be sensible but not potential standout free agent signees this offseason. But what about the supposed rental in Edmonton who is Adam Henrique? Henrique is 34, and he won’t be in a position to ask for the same AAV that he had in Anaheim, meaning he could go to a championship contender for a discount if the Oilers don’t win it all this year. 

Going into the offseason, Vancouver is in much better shape from a salary cap standpoint than Edmonton, meaning Henrique is almost certainly a rental here. This would leave a contender who could have more cap space, like the Canucks, to sign and bring him onto what could be the highest-scoring team in the NHL. 

Henrique would add more depth to an already elite unit of forwards in Vancouver, and his 22 goals through 76 games this season show he’s still going to find the net often. Interestingly, most of those goals came with a less-than-stellar Anaheim Ducks team, so just imagine what he would do in Vancouver with the talent they have. 

As a bonus, Henrique would give the Canucks another asset in the faceoff circle, and like his former teammate Jakob Silfverberg, he would also bring a significant defensive presence. 

Cameron Talbot, Goaltender/Los Angeles Kings

Arturs Silovs is most likely the backup next season, and he may be a shoo-in if he keeps playing the way he has despite not facing the best teams in the league. If they don’t intend to promote Silovs to the NHL full-time, Cameron Talbot would make for an incredible consolation prize if he signed on for a season. 

Although there is a realistic chance he returns to the Kings, there shouldn’t be a contending team out there with just one surefire goaltender that won’t bid for the aging goaltender. Talbot is having one of his better seasons with a 0.915 save percentage, three shutouts, a 2.48 GAA, and a 0.625 quality starts percentage. 

No, he’s not faring as well in the xGA vs. aGA at even strength, having allowed eight goals over xGA, but it’s been about the only real flaw in his game this season. Talbot is facing just 27.98 shots on goal per game, a lower number overall, but he’s stopping what he’s supposed to be stopping. 

If Talbot stays consistent for the rest of the season and during the playoffs, if the Kings (most likely) make it, the Canucks should at least make an inquiry if he’s available. Overall, it would also be a win for Arturs Silovs as it would give him one more year in the AHL to fully hone his ability. 

Alexander Barabanov, Forward/San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are another team that didn’t have a major selection, but Alexander Barabanov could still slide in on an affordable deal following what will have been a rough season with the San Jose Sharks. In 2021-22, Barabanov looked like a player on the rise after he logged 39 points in 70 games before he parlayed that into 47 points in 68 contests. 

But the 2023-24 season has seen him play in just 46 games through April 8th, and he has just four goals and 13 points on the season. Theoretically, a few teams could feel that Barabanov fits their respective systems and that they will sign him to a more luxurious deal, but there is also a good chance he goes for a more reasonably-priced amount. 

If he’s there for the taking at a more reasonable price, Patrik Allvin would be wise to make an inquiry if he believes the 29-year-old could fill a spot on the bottom-six. He won’t be much of a scorer, but Barabanov has some fair defense, including the will to land a few checks and steal the puck - he had 40 takeaways during that breakout 2021-22 campaign. 

He would also be a good asset on the second power play unit or used as insurance for the man advantage should injuries hit the Canucks. 

Tomas Tatar, Forward/Seattle Kraken

One of the more consistent and well-traveled players in the league today, Tomas Tatar, would make for a dynamic bottom-six winger in Vancouver. Tatar isn’t the player in Colorado and currently Seattle that he was in New Jersey last season, but he’s still capable of contributing. 

He brings solid defense, even if that wasn’t always the case in Colorado this season - 88.4 on-ice save percentage at 5-on-5, but that has since changed with 95.3 percent in the same category and situation with the Kraken. 

Offensively, he’s been on the ice for 20 goals for in Seattle vs. just 11 against, and his Corsi For remains over 50 percent. If Vancouver’s system were to fit him more in the way that Seattle’s has as opposed to Colorado’s, Tatar would be a good option for Patrik Allvin to seriously consider. 

If he fit the same way he did while in New Jersey, then watch out - Tatar had a possession quality of 20.7 at even strength with an xGF of 57.5 at even strength. That said, he may not have been a productive player with every team he’s played for, but when placed into the correct system, Tatar is still one of the league’s better role players.