The NHL free agency is creeping up behind us with little time to spare. The NHL expansion draft, the NHL entry draft and free agency is expected to happen in the span of one week later in July. The NHL will be filled with trades, signings and picks during that week. General managers will look to improve their teams, and lucky enough for teams with cap space, the free agency market is stocked up on some great players.

Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning promised the fan base and the ownership a playoff appearance in the upcoming 2021-22 NHL season. Benning also promised trades, buyouts and free agency signings to improve his team.

In this article we’ll go over five players that the Canucks and the management should target in this upcoming free agency class. We will explore some players that can’t be good fits and options for the Canucks.

Before we actually start, we need to recognize Vancouver’s issues and the spots that need to be fixed. There are many holes to be fixed, but goaltending isn’t one. The Canucks are set on goaltending because they have Holtby and Demko. If Seattle takes Holtby, the Canucks don’t need to find a new goalie as Mikey DiPietro is ready to make the step up.

The Canucks need a right -handed defenseman and they also need a lot of shutdown defence. They also need to pick up a top six winger that can help out the Canucks in the dirty areas of the offence. To add to that, the Canucks need to improve their bottom six including a third line centerman and a winger that can play in the middle in the third and fourth line. Therefore in this article we will be targeting, as the Canucks should, players that can play these positions.

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Blake Coleman

Position: Centerman/Left Winger

Age: 29

2020-21 Stats: 55-14-17-31

2020-21 Team: Tampa Bay Lightning

2020-21 Contract: 1.8 Million

Role in Vancouver: 3rd Line Centerman

Contract Prediction: 2 Years, 4 Million per. 8 Million total

Blake Coleman is in urgent need of a new contract. Blake is obviously looking for a contract that can give him his highly deserved raise. Making only 1.8 million dollars, Coleman has split time on the third and fourth line in Tampa this season. Coleman was acquired by the Lightning before the 2020 NHL playoffs from the New Jersey Devils, and later won the cup in the bubble with Tampa.

The Canucks need a type of player like Coleman. It’s a tad unrealistic with his asking price, but the Canucks would love a guy like him. He’s an offensive powerhouse who can also play shutdown defence in his own zone. He’s played on the PK in Tampa and has done a great job at it. The Canucks need a player who can get points while being able to play a bottom line and kill penalties at the same time. Coleman would be a great fit in Vancouver but the only issue with bringing Coleman to Vancouver would be the cap. Vancouver is currently going through a lot of cap issues, so affording to get Coleman could be a big problem on its own. Coleman wants his pay raise, there’s no doubt about that. And he deserves it especially after this exceptional season. Coleman wants to find a new place to play in for a long time, but the Canucks can’t afford to keep him in Vancouver for a long time. Two years would be Vancouver’s best bet even though both sides would prefer a four to five year deal.

If Coleman signs for a short term, that being the two years suggested, maybe one year, he can ask for a bit less money wise than him asking for a long term contract that costs more. The Canucks could play Coleman on their third line as a centerman with stints on the first and second line. Coleman’s advanced analytics are also quite impressive as well. Whatever team gets Coleman will improve drastically. That’s why the Canucks need a guy like Blake, and how can you go wrong with the guy that’s literally him?

Coleman would be a great fit in Vancouver, and if the Canucks could take this glorified bottom six player for a short term deal that pays him reasonably, it could make a big difference for the upcoming season and change the team’s performance.

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David Savard

Position: Right Defenceman

Age: 30

2020-21 Stats: 54-1-5-6

2020-21 Teams: Columbus Blue Jackets/ Tampa Bay Lightning

2020-21 Contract: 4.25 Million

Role in Vancouver: First Line Right Defence

Contract Prediction: 3 Years, 2.5 Million per, 7.5 Million Total

David Savard is undoubtedly one of the better defencemen that are entering this free agency market. Savard has spent most of his 10 season career in Columbus as their go-to defensive defenceman until the 2021 NHL trade deadline when he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a first round pick.

…or technically to the Sharks and then the Lightning.

It’s unrealistic to see the Bolts keeping the 30 year-old, but because they know how to cheat the system I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way to latch onto Savard.

I understand that it seems like the Canucks are eating off the leftovers on Tampa’s plate (signing Coleman and Savard), but these guys are great hockey players who the Vancouver Canucks could use immediately.

Savard’s offensive talent is practically nonexistent, but that’s not what Vancouver should be looking at. Instead, they need to realize that Savard’s defensive skill is some of the best we’ve recently seen in the NHL. To prove this, we need to look at his advanced analytics and also his basic stats.

It’s obvious that Savard’s offensive skill isn’t there as he played 54 games this season and had only 1 goal and 6 points. His defensive partners have been fellow shutdown defencemen (which is how you shouldn’t play defensive defencemen), and just like any other defenceman in the NHL, if Savard can play with a high-scoring defenceman partner (nudge nudge, Quinn Hughes) he can up his offensive stats but also remain that stay-at-home guy for the team. Something similar to Chris Tanev.

If the Canucks somehow land Savard, which seems unlikely because of cap and because Savard will most likely sign with an American team, the contract has to be under four years. This shouldn’t be up to debate.

Savard is already showing signs of aging as his point production has fallen off like a train off rails, and he’s already passed his career peak. Savard is 30 years old; he isn’t getting any younger and you can’t risk locking up a guy like him for a long time. Especially if it carries a cap hit of over 2 million as those contracts usually end up costing the team problems in the long run.

Savard’s asking price could be around the 2 million to 5 million range this off-season which is reasonable. If a GM signs Savard to a short deal, one year lets say, Savard could ask up to as much as 5 million. If it’s a longer term, let’s put it up to 5 years, he could ask for just a mere 2 million dollars. In the end, he makes his money. Depending what team you are, you can make your choice with the term and money. For example a team like Tampa can’t risk locking him up for longer than one year.

The Canucks are in a tough position, but locking up Savard to three years is reasonable especially if it comes at a 2.5 million dollar cap hit. Savard could get ice time with Hughes and he’ll help out in the defensive play. Plus, newly hired assistant coach Brad Shaw could help bring prime Savard back into place because Shaw worked with Savard previously in Columbus, and the reason Savard got so good at his D zone play was because of Brad Shaw. Reuniting the two in Vancouver could work out greatly for both parties.

•••

Jamie Oleksiak

Position: Left Defenceman

Age: 28

2020-21 Stats: 56-6-8-14

2020-21 Team: Dallas Stars

2020-21 Contract: 2.14 Million

Role in Vancouver: First Line Right Defenceman/ Second Line Left Defenceman

Contract Prediction: 2 Years, 2 Million per, 4 Million Total

If you want a massive shutdown defenceman who shows up in big games, look no further than Jamie Oleksiak who is expected to hit the market on July 1st. Oleksiak is one of the most underrated defensive defencemen in the NHL and the fact that he’ll be looking for a cheap contract in free agency says a lot about his character. He knows what he’s capable of, but he’s willing to take less to win.

This is a perfect opportunity for the Canucks to pounce on him this free agency like a tiger on its prey.

Standing at six foot seven, Oleksiak spent his 10th NHL season being one of the most effective players on the Dallas Stars roster this season. Although throughout his career Oleksiak never put up high numbers, he managed to score 6 goals as a defensive defenceman on a struggling Dallas Stars team and still have a defensive overall percentage of 91 overall.

Jamie Oleksiak is a purebred defensive genius. He can kill penalties, steal opportunities from others and land a big hit or two using his gigantic body.

If the Canucks could land Oleksiak in free agency, that would be a massive difference-maker going forward. He’s played with two different teams in his career and isn’t a big fan of losing. He’s played on the Dallas Stars who have notoriously been a good regular season team (and also a pretty decent playoff team) and also with the Pittsburgh Penguins who have been one of the best teams of the 2010s. Oleksiak would be the ultimate fit with Quinn Hughes. Oleksiak could save Hughes’ butt in every single way if they play on the same line. Some of those ways that he could do that are his defensive play and also the size. When you have a tiny offensive player like Hughes, you must have a big veteran guy who can help that small player out. Defensively and physically. Defensively we already know that Oleksiak has mastered that and Hughes would be a good pairing, but Oleksiak can defend Hughes once someone starts to get chippy at Quinn. Oleksiak is massive and players are afraid of him. Some players have said that they wouldn’t want to mess with him because Jamie can mess them up. High school bully type of thing. You’d want to play with Jamie Oleksiak rather than against him.

Oleksiak would be a golden fit in Vancouver and more notably with Hughes. Benning has the opportunity to sign this 28 year-old defensive genius for a short term, cheap deal. I fully expect teams to be calling Jamie’s agent on July 1st, and I sure as heck hope one of the teams will be Vancouver.

•••

Jaden Schwartz

Position: Left Winger

Age: 28

2020-21 Stats: 40-8-13-21

2020-21 Team: St. Louis Blues

2020-21 Contract: 5.35 Million

Role in Vancouver: First Line Left Winger/ Second Line Right Winger

Contract Prediction: 3 Years, 4.5 Million per, 13.5 Million Total

After a disgruntling season in St. Louis, I highly doubt the Blues have the cap space and also time to keep Schwartz. Jaden Schwartz has been on the Blues his entire 10 season career, and also won the Stanley Cup with them back in 2019. Schwartz has been a fantastic career second liner that consistently put up 50 point seasons. Although he’s always been a great player, these last couple seasons in St. Louis have been very iffy.

This season Schwartz played only 40 games due to injury and recorded only 21 points and 8 goals. Jaden didn’t do so well, but at least he put up some points. In a full 82 game season he would have put up around 41 points. In 2019-20 Schwartz had 57 points in 71 games, so that showed he still had his skill deep inside of him. The reason this season’s success was questioned was because the year previous he had only 36 points in 69 games. Schwartz has struggled with injuries his entire career, but only recently they have been riling up happening more and more often. When signing a player like Schwartz, you want to make sure he’s at 100%, because if he isn’t it may be a deal breaker. You don’t want to be wasting time and money on a player who will spend his time on the LTIR.

Although Schwartz has been inconsistent in his last three seasons and has suffered many injuries, I think the Canucks should absolutely target him in free agency. A chance to play with Pettersson and Boeser, or Horvat and Pearson, can revive his 50 point self and bring him back to that consistency he once had. I don’t see the Blues giving Schwartz more years and more money because it’s obvious it’s time for both sides to move on. Schwartz needs a change of scenery to get himself back to his younger self, and the Blues will explore more options in free agency, maybe someone like Tomas Tatar or Gabe Landeskog.

With the Saskatchewan native’s career in St. Louis most likely coming to a close, he’ll want to play on a team that could appreciate his role more and give him the credit he deserves. Vancouver is the perfect option for Schwartz because if he ends up on the roster one way or another, he automatically reserves his spot as a top six forward. Many teams that will target him in free agency will likely start him out on the bottom six due to his recent performance issues, but since the Canucks are desperate and ready to give their all, I would think they give a guy like Schwartz a chance on the top six. It doesn’t have to be Schwartz, but realistically if you can end up with a guy who clearly is capable of getting 50 points a season in free agency for four and a half million bucks, I don’t see why you won’t make that push. If Schwartz does agree to the money term of 4-5 million, most likely somewhere in the middle of that, I would expect him to ask for a long-ish term.

Jaden Schwartz isn't exactly a qualified veteran, but he’s got the skill set to be one. He’s a cup champ, he’s played on all sorts of lineups, he’s played on a rebuilding and winning team, and he’s already 10 years deep into his hockey career. As a 28 year-old, Schwartz has played 560 career games and has recorded 385 points. That’s half of a thousand, which is a lot more games than many NHLers. Schwartz obviously has a lot left in the tank, sadly not in St. Louis though. I fully expect Schwartz to look for a fresh start elsewhere in free agency this season, and I do hope the Canucks make some sort of push for him because he could play well on Horvat’s or Pettersson’s line.

•••

Alexander Wennberg

Position: Centerman

Age: 26

2020-21 Stats: 56-17-12-29

2020-21 Team: Florida Panthers

2020-21 Contract: 2.25 Million

Role in Vancouver: 3rd Line Centerman

Contract Prediction: 2 Years, 1.8 Million per, 3.6 Million Total

Another viable option for Vancouver’s third line is Florida Panthers centerman Alex Wennberg. Wennberg was originally drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2013 NHL entry draft, but never lived up to his potential… well, kind of.

Wennberg started his career off as hot as a flamethrower, recording 20 points in his rookie season, 40 in his sophomore season and 59 in his third. That’s when he signed an extension with Columbus that saw the Blue Jackets buy him out in 2020. Wennberg was shockingly bought out by the Jackets and he was a hothead free agent immediately. He was 25 and still had lots of potential. GMs like young players with bright pasts. Wennberg was previously a great player, so teams wanted to give him another chance. He ended up signing a one year deal with Florida which saw him net 29 points in 56 games. He was a good option for them for a cheap price and it worked out okay.

I don’t think that the Panthers will extend him, therefore meaning I predict that he will enter the free agency market. Unlike Blake Coleman, Wennberg will be a very cheap option for the Canucks or any other team looking for a 3rd line centerman. Wennberg could be a good fit in Vancouver because if he signs here he knows his position here and he instantly knows his goal. A third line centerman doesn’t need to put up points, but what a lot of GMs don’t realize and many fans either don’t realize, is that Wennberg’s charts are pretty sweet. He’s good in many aspects of his game and if he can play down the middle and have Höglander and Podkolzin as his wingers, it could be a cheap and powerful third line.

Wennberg will most likely be asking for under 2 million dollars and above 1.5. Wennberg probably doesn’t want to take another one year deal because I’d expect he wants to find a more permanent home. Wennberg may not get a contract offer that sees him get more than two years, but that doesn’t mean he won’t accept an offer at all. Wennberg will probably sign a two year deal just above 1.5 million this off-season and Vancouver would be a great fit for him. Vancouver would be able to offer him his wanted contract and I wouldn’t be shocked if he said yes. The Canucks have a great past of Swedes and Wennberg could be intrigued by that. If Benning manages to lock up this 3rd line caliber player for a decent term with a good payroll, it could help out the Canucks in the long run. I do warn people, I Wouldn't expect many points from him. Maybe a couple big goals, but no more than 35 points.

•••

Free agency isn’t waiting for anyone, and with the time ticking down the Canucks will have to recruit more players. Benning said he would explore options such as trading and signings, but if the trading fails to work out, free agency is all that’s left.

The Canucks don’t have a lot of money, and that’s when free agency becomes an issue. Jim Benning wants to make the playoffs this year and he doesn’t care whether that impacts the team’s future poorly or well. The main goal is to make the playoffs for him. This upcoming free agency has many great options for Vancouver, but these 5 listed above seem to be the best fits. Not always will free agents work out, but if Vancouver wants to make a safe bet to winning and succeeding, these players will do the trick. Jaden Schwartz and David Savard could be risks, but that’s why you’re signing them to 3 year deals and not 6 years like “you-know-who”.