Vancouver Canucks Sign Five Players
Outside of the big signing of Ilya Mikheyev, the Vancouver Canucks have added depth all over the roster today. The team has signed Curtis Lazar to a three-year contract worth a total of $3MM, Wyatt Kalynuk to a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL salary of $750K, Collin Delia on a one-year, one-way contract worth $750K, Dakota Joshua on a two-year contract worth a total of $1.65MM, and Phillip Di Giuseppe on a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL salary of $750K.
On Lazar, the biggest signing of the group, general manager Patrik Allvin released the following statement:
Curtis is a valuable addition to our group. He grew up a Canucks fan, was raised in BC, and already has a strong connection to our club. He is a responsible 200-foot player who can line up at centre or on the wing. Curtis brings energy, an ability to kill penalties and takes draws from the right side, which will be extremely valuable for our team.
Lazar will likely receive regular minutes in Vancouver, after proving he could handle them for the Boston Bruins this season. In 70 games, the 27-year-old scored eight goals and 16 points while racking up 186 hits. He’ll replace a player like Tyler Motte, who was traded away at the deadline, in bringing energy to the fourth line every night.
Joshua, meanwhile, was getting a good bit of attention in free agency because of his performance with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the Calder Cup playoffs. The 26-year-old forward had 15 points in 18 games, an impressive total given he hadn’t ever brought that kind of offense to the table in the past. His deal suggests he’ll also be in the mix for NHL minutes, though that is sort of a lottery ticket for the Canucks given how little experience he has to this point. Joshua has played in just 42 regular season NHL matches.
There was a time when Delia looked like he might be the next starting goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks but now he appears to be nothing more than some minor league depth. In 32 career appearances at the NHL level, he has a .904 save percentage and just nine wins. With Spencer Martin installed as the full-time backup, Delia shouldn’t be spending much time with the Canucks this season.
Kalynuk, 25, could though, if he can show that the early promise he had in 2020-21 was for real. The former University of Wisconsin standout played 21 games for the Chicago Blackhawks that season and had nine points but was limited to mostly minor league work this year. There are a lot of names ahead of him on the Vancouver depth chart but it’s not like all of them are consistent performers.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Ilya Mikheyev
The Vancouver Canucks have made a big depth splash, signing forward Ilya Mikheyev to a four-year deal worth $4.75MM per season. Mikheyev signs in Vancouver after a successful run with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team he signed with as an undrafted KH free agent.
Mikheyev’s 2021-22 season was a bit of a breakout year, as he scored 21 goals in 53 games, showing that he could effectively utilize his speed and nose for the puck to score goals. While many Maple Leafs fans may gripe about Mikheyev’s finishing ability, he was an impactful scorer at the KHL level and now seems to be figuring out how to be a scorer in the NHL.
At $4.75MM with four-year term, this signing is not without risk. Mikheyev’s breakout season proved he could be worth $4.75MM at his best, but it’s fair to question if Mikheyev is going to play like a player worth nearly $5MM for the duration of the deal with consistency. Mikheyev struggled with injuries last season and only has 146 NHL games to his name, which isn’t a massive NHL track record. But that lack of experience can work both ways, as the Canucks clearly believe Mikheyev has more to his game than he’s shown so far.
With this signing now on the books, all eyes are on J.T. Miller and a potential trade that could be involving him. Now that Mikheyev has been added, the Jim Rutherford/Patrik Allvin era of Canucks hockey is starting to take shape.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Andrei Kuzmenko
July 13th: Kuzmenko’s agency, Gold Star Hockey, has now officially announced the signing.
June 20 3:50 pm: The deal is now official, the Vancouver Canucks announcing it via press release.
June 20 12:30 pm: The chase for the latest Russian free agent has ended, and the Vancouver Canucks have won. According to his agent Dan Milstein, Andrei Kuzmenko has agreed to sign with the Canucks to begin his career in North America. The free agent forward had interviewed with several teams after his eye-popping 2021-22 campaign for SKA St. Petersburg. Milstein notes that contract details are still being worked out. Because of his age and playing status, Kuzmenko will be limited to a one-year entry-level contract.
Kuzmenko, 26, had 20 goals and 53 points in just 45 regular season games, before then adding another 14 points in 16 postseason contests. He was named to the First All-Star Team at the end of the year and had teams falling over themselves trying to land his services for next year. Importantly, it will for now be only that one year, as Kuzmenko was limited to a one-year deal and will be an unrestricted free agent at the expiry of the contract.
That will limit the risk for the Canucks but also give him complete control over the direction of his NHL career, should it last longer than some of the other highly-touted Russian forwards in recent history.
A very skilled forward that has been a strong contributor for years, Kuzmenko’s game improved dramatically this season, to the point where he was one of the most dominant offensive forces in the league. Just five of his goals came on the powerplay, and he did all of his damage while averaging fewer than 17 minutes a night. It will be interesting to see what kind of opportunity he is given in Vancouver and whether or not he can bring that kind of production overseas.
The Canucks, led by president Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin, have put an emphasis on adding talent to the organization from non-traditional avenues such as undrafted international and college players. This is a major win for that direction, though it still remains to be seen how much of an impact Kuzmenko can really make at the NHL level.
Rutherford: Canucks Won't Look To Re-Sign Chiasson, Richardson, Or Sutter Early In Free Agency
- Canucks president Jim Rutherford told CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal (Twitter link) that the team will not be looking to re-sign pending UFA forwards Alex Chiasson, Brad Richardson, and Brandon Sutter right away but could circle back at some point this summer. Chiasson had 13 goals in 67 games last season, a decent return on a league minimum deal while Richardson won over 58% of his faceoffs in 2021-22. Sutter, meanwhile, missed all of last season with long COVID symptoms and there’s no word yet on whether or not he’ll be able to play in 2022-23.
Latest On J.T. Miller
It’s sweepstakes time at the Bell Centre. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the Vancouver Canucks and J.T. Miller‘s representatives met in Montreal yesterday and are still far apart on any potential contract extension. Darren Dreger of TSN adds that the “Miller watch” is now at full speed, with the Canucks’ asking a lot in any trade talks.
With the entire league gathered in Montreal for tomorrow’s draft, talks between teams can happen quickly, meaning the Miller story is a developing one. The Canucks already reached an extension with Brock Boeser and have had productive talks with Bo Horvat, meaning moving on from the 29-year-old Miller might be the most prudent option.
Still, he’s also an incredibly important piece of the team that is signed for this year and could help them push toward the postseason in 2022-23. Keeping him, at least until it becomes clear whether or not the Canucks are playoff contenders, could also be a lucrative option.
Coming off his career-high 99-point season, Miller is the kind of player that almost every team in the league could use. Versatile enough to play center or the wing, physical enough to contribute at a high level in the playoffs, and skilled enough to line up beside your team’s best, there are likely countless suitors for his services if Vancouver is making him available.
That level of talent could bring back a huge haul for the Canucks–especially if an extension is involved with the acquiring team. Of note, that couldn’t actually be signed right away, as he won’t be eligible for an extension until July 13 when he officially has just one year remaining on his contract.
Canucks Notes: Hunt, Petan, Lammikko
After playing in 50 games for the Vancouver Canucks this season, Brad Hunt is set to hit the open market and check out his options around the league according to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV. The 33-year-old undrafted defenseman had 17 points and averaged more than 15 minutes a night, filling in on the powerplay at times.
While he may not be a household name, Hunt’s NHL experience–208 games over the last five seasons alone–should draw some interest as a depth option around the league. The presence of Jack Rathbone as the next young puck-mover for the Canucks and Travis Dermott‘s midseason acquisition essentially makes Hunt disposable, as they have more than enough options on the left side.
Here’s more on the Canucks from Dhaliwal:
- The Canucks will not be re-signing Nic Petan. The 27-year-old forward is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent later this month, after playing in 18 games this season for the Canucks. It’s been a long, unsuccessful grind for Petan at the NHL level, playing 154 total games over parts of seven seasons, and not more than 18 in a single year since 2016-17.
- Contract talks are ongoing between Vancouver and Juho Lammikko, one of the team’s few remaining restricted free agents. Lammikko, 26, had seven goals and 15 points in 75 games for the Canucks this season, after the team acquired him from the Florida Panthers in the Olli Juolevi deal. Coming off a one-year, $750K contract, Lammikko is eligible for arbitration and is one year away from UFA status.
Latest On Vancouver Canucks Offseason Plans
- Moving out west, Friedman looks at the Vancouver Canucks in light of the Brock Boeser extension, believing the two sides having a deadline played a role in the deal. He adds that there should be a path to a Bo Horvat extension as well, but a J.T. Miller trade is still likely. Though an extension with Miller isn’t impossible, Friedman believes it’s too difficult and Vancouver will try to get more than what the Minnesota Wild received in exchange for Kevin Fiala: the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft and prospect Brock Faber. That package may not be hard to eclipse for a player like Miller, who has taken off since arriving in Vancouver, recording 217 points in 202 games. However, it’s worth noting that Fiala was an impending RFA while Miller has one more year at $5.25MM before becoming a UFA and is a little over three years older than Fiala.
Unlikely Canucks Buy Out Jason Dickinson
- The Canucks are unlikely to pursue a buyout with center Jason Dickinson this month, notes Thomas Drance of The Athletic (subscription link). Vancouver acquired the 26-year-old last summer with the hope that he could be a quality third-line center, signing him to a three-year deal that carries a $2.65MM cap hit. However, Dickinson managed to put up just five goals and six assists in 62 games this past season, numbers that aren’t close to justifying that cap hit. But since a buyout cost wouldn’t yield considerably higher savings than waiving and demoting him, the Canucks may be better off keeping him around or flipping him for another player that’s similarly underachieving.
Vancouver Canucks Extend Brock Boeser
The Vancouver Canucks announced Friday that the team has agreed to terms on a three-year extension with winger Brock Boeser, worth $6.65MM per season. The contract carries a total value of $19.95MM and will take him to unrestricted free agency in 2025. Per CapFriendly, Boeser will have a limited no-trade clause in 2024-25, allowing him to name a 10-team no-trade list.
General manager Patrik Allvin gave the following statement on Boeser’s signing:
We’re very happy to have worked out a new deal for Brock. He is a very talented player and has been an effective goal scorer throughout his entire career. We look forward to seeing his game progress in the years to come. Now that his contract is in place for three seasons, Brock can shift his entire focus to on-ice performance.
The 25-year-old first-round pick has solidified a spot in Vancouver’s top six, looking to become an important scoring option for them for years to come. However, Boeser’s production took a step back in 2021-22, registering 23 goals and 23 goals for just 46 points in 71 games. He’s still yet to hit his career-high of 29 goals again, set in his rookie season in 2017-18. It’s that lack of scoring development that’s led the Canucks to explore trading him, mainly because Boeser was due a qualifying offer worth $7.5MM. With the Boeser able to settle on a cheaper cap hit, though, a reunion between the two parties became a possibility.
Boeser’s production did increase drastically once Bruce Boudreau took over behind the bench, though, a good sign for optimist Canucks fans. If Boudreau’s system can help him regain the play-driving ability that had previously made him an effective scorer, he can suddenly become a solid primary scoring option in Vancouver. If not, the team will likely have to settle on him as a secondary scoring option in order to be a contender in the Western Conference. With the team willing to commit over $6.5MM per season in an already tricky salary cap situation, though, they’re obviously banking on Boeser reaching his ceiling.
Canucks Hire Mike Yeo And Jeremy Colliton, Flyers Hire Brad Shaw
The Canucks have filled out their coaching staff for next season. The team announced that they have hired Mike Yeo as an assistant coach. He takes over for Brad Shaw who is leaving Vancouver to become an associate coach with the Flyers. Meanwhile, Vancouver has hired Jeremy Colliton as their new head coach with AHL Abbotsford, replacing Trent Cull who has been promoted to an assistant coach in Vancouver. GM Patrik Allvin released the following statement about the moves:
We’re pleased to have solidified our Coaching staff for next season with the promotion of Trent Cull and the additions of Mike Yeo and Jeremy Colliton. These individuals bring a lot of hockey experience and knowledge to the group. We would like to thank Brad Shaw for his contributions to the club and wish him the best of luck in Philadelphia.
Yeo most recently served as the interim head coach of the Flyers after taking over 22 games into this past season when he took over for Alain Vigneault. The 48-year-old also has head coaching experience with Minnesota for parts of five seasons and also spent four years with St. Louis, three of those as head coach so he will give head coach Bruce Boudreau some experience behind the bench. Over Yeo’s head coaching career, his teams have compiled a 263-217-62 record.
Yeo replaces Shaw in what basically amounts to a coaching trade with Shaw taking Yeo’s old spot on Philadelphia’s bench alongside their new head coach John Tortorella. The 58-year-old has no shortage of coaching experience with 17 seasons under his belt, five of those coming with Columbus where he worked with Tortorella so it’s not surprising that Shaw has decided to work with him again.
Colliton was Chicago’s head coach for parts of four seasons but was let go early in 2021-22. He then joined Hockey Canada for some of their international tournaments and briefly served as Canada’s head coach at the Olympics when Claude Julien was injured. This will be the 37-year-old’s second stint running an AHL bench having been in charge of Chicago’s farm team in Rockford for parts of two seasons before getting the job with the Blackhawks. He takes the place of Trent Cull who will get his first NHL coaching opportunity after spending 18 years between the OHL and AHL. He had been with Vancouver’s farm team for each of the last five seasons.