The Vancouver Canucks improved their roster in free agency. The organization added speed up front through the likes of Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and Kiefer Sherwood. They also added size to the blue line with the departure of Nikita Zadorov in Vincent Desharnais and Derek Forbort.
The Canucks blue line has size, with Tyler Myers, Carson Soucy, Desharnais and Forbort standing above 6-foot-4. However, the blue line lacks another puck-moving defenceman in the bottom two pairings. With Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek playing their best together, the club should have an additional puck-moving defender down the lineup. Additionally, the club has $1.015 million in cap space and can spend it on one of the remaining free agents. Here are three puck-moving defencemen the club can still sign in free agency.
Kevin Shattenkirk
The Canucks have a veteran blue line, and Tocchet favours vets, which is why Kevin Shattenkirk is a good fit for the club. With 14 years in the NHL and Stanley Cup-winning experience paired with his offensive skillset, the 35-year-old has much to offer. Additionally, he is a right-shot defenceman.
Shattenkirk will come at a cheap price point as well, coming off a one-year, $1 million deal with the Boston Bruins. The Canucks have already added three former Bruins this offseason, so if the club signs another, it won’t be a surprise. He is coming off a six-goal and 24-point season, playing 61 games. He has 103 goals and 484 points in 952 games.
Justin Schultz
A year younger than Shattenkirk but with Cup-winning experience, Justin Schultz is another right-shot blueliner the Canucks could target. The 34-year-old is a Kelowna, B.C. native and provides a solid puck-moving skillset.
Schultz started his career with the Edmonton Oilers, playing 248 games over four seasons and scoring 28 goals while posting 101 points. As a free agent coming out of the NCAA, he was deciding between the Canucks and the Oilers. Therefore, returning to B.C. and playing in Vancouver isn’t out of the question.
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In the 2015-16 season, the Oilers traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won two Stanley Cups. He played five seasons with the club. He scored 22 goals and posted 113 points in 234 games. Schultz made his first NHL playoff appearances with the club, winning the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017. He posted four points in 15 games in the 2016 Stanely Cup Playoffs before posting a career-high four goals and 13 points in 21 games during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He signed with the Washington Capitals and played two seasons before signing with the Seattle Kraken in their first two seasons. He combined for 14 goals and 60 points through 143 games with the club, along with three goals and 10 points in 14 playoff games.
If Schultz joins the Canucks, he could play alongside Soucy, his former d-partner in Seattle. This will allow the club to play Myers on the third pairing when needed.
Calen Addison
Going in the opposite direction of a veteran defenceman, Calen Addison is a young unrestricted free agent the Canucks can take a look at. Once a promising defensive prospect who impressed in his first full NHL season, he finds himself without a team a week into free agency.
The Penguins drafted the smooth-skating offensive defenceman with the 53rd pick in the 2018 second round but traded him to the Minnesota Wild in 2020. Addison played 62 games in the 2022-23 season, scoring three goals and posting 29 points. However, he struggled in the defensive end, and the Wild traded him to the San Jose Sharks after 12 games in the 2023-24 season.
Addison is a player worth taking a swing at, especially with the Canucks coaching staff and player development department. Assistant coach Adam Foote has done a great job improving the club’s blue line and helping players perform at their best on their own end. Therefore, he is the perfect person to help guide Addison and build him into an all-around great defenceman.
Two Veterans and Young Blueliner Available
The Canucks need to add a puck-moving defenceman and have some options. Shattenkirk and Schultz bring Cup-winning experience, as well as an offensive skillset. Meanwhile, Addison is a young player with impressive offensive abilities but struggles in the defensive end. Although he might be the biggest risk, he could turn out to be a steal of a signing while working with the Canucks coaching staff.
