Adding at least one (but ideally multiple) defenders with the stature and temperament to play with some snarl is a must-have for Vancouver this offseason. Vancouver only has four defenders currently signed to one-way NHL contracts - among them Jack Rathbone - so the club might reasonably be expected to add multiple players on the back end. Tocchet’s “north-south” stylistic preferences require more heft than Vancouver currently possesses on defence, and his admiration for the Vegas Golden Knights’ sizeable blue line predates Vegas’ championship run. Size on the back end: In addition to needing solid, high-IQ defensive play on the back end, the Canucks are also going to need to add some beef to their blue line.We’ve looked at the club’s best options on defence in unrestricted free agency, although there’s likely to be more upside and less expensive pieces available on the trade market. This offseason, the club’s needs on defense have been enhanced even further due to Ethan Bear’s injury - the club announced last week that Bear is out six months as he recovers from shoulder surgery - and the Ekman-Larsson buyout.Ī variety of depth options, from Group VI unrestricted free agent Noah Juulsen to journeymen Christian Wolanin to long-serving organizational depth defender Guillaume Brisebois and college free agent Akito Hirose, performed well down the stretch for Vancouver, but the team needs more reliable bodies on the back end. Dating back a decade now, the Canucks franchise has struggled mightily to construct a serviceable NHL blue-line group. ![]() Top-four calibre defensemen (x2): This particular item on the shopping list is an annual inclusion. ![]() Ranking the best UFA defenseman targets for the #Canucks: Īnd the best UFA third-line centre targets: A couple of weeks back we ranked and profiled the club’s best unrestricted free-agent targets at third-line centre. The need to upgrade in this spot is clear, it was accentuated further by the success that teams like Vegas and Florida enjoyed in the Stanley Cup playoffs and upgrading in this area was spotlighted by both Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin and head coach Rick Tocchet specifically on locker room clean-out day. The club’s most frequently used third-line centre last season was first-year pivot Nils Åman, who acquitted himself well and improved as the season went along, but despite his size and speed, Åman struggled mightily in the circle, has limited offensive pop and profiles more as a fourth-line defensive specialist than as a middle-six two-way beast going forward.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |