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Canucks Assign Linus Karlsson To AHL

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The Canucks have made a roster move prior to tonight’s game against Carolina as the team announced (Twitter link) that forward Linus Karlsson has been assigned to AHL Abbotsford.

The 24-year-old was recalled a week and a half ago, getting into two games with Vancouver to bring his season count to three.  He has been held off the scoresheet in those three contests while logging 10:26 per game.  Karlsson has been quite productive in the minors, however, picking up three goals and a dozen helpers in 17 appearances at that level.

Karlsson is in the final season of his two-year, entry-level deal that he signed in 2022 following a strong showing with SHL Skelleftea.  He’ll be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights this summer.

Yesterday, it was reported that center Pius Suter is nearing a return to Vancouver’s lineup after missing the last three weeks with a lower-body injury.  This roster move could be the precursor to activating Suter off injured reserve either later today or in the near future.

Latest On Pius Suter

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Vancouver Canucks forward Pius Suter has not been in the team’s lineup since a November 12th victory over the Montreal Canadiens. That could soon change, as Rink Wide Vancouver’s Jeff Paterson reports that Suter was on the ice in a regular jersey for Canucks practice today, rather than a non-contact one.

Signed to strengthen the Canucks’ bottom-six center depth, Suter has been uneven in Vancouver. His offensive numbers are well below expectations, but with Suter as a regular face in their lineup the Canucks won far more often than they lost. The Canucks have fallen off a little bit, and have won just five of their last ten games. Perhaps the return of Suter, who scored 15 goals and 36 points in 2021-22, can help them return to their winning ways.

Latest On Ethan Bear

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While some teams are starting to look to the trade market to see what options are out there to help their respective back ends, there is still a free agent blueliner of some note that’s available.  CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal provided (Twitter link) an update on Ethan Bear, suggesting that the rearguard is two to three weeks away from signing.

The 26-year-old was expected to re-sign with Vancouver after last season but after he suffered a shoulder injury at the Worlds in the spring, the Canucks opted to non-tender him.  However, despite that and their recent acquisition of Nikita Zadorov, Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver is one of the teams showing interest in the defenseman.

Bear played in 61 games with Vancouver last season after being acquired from Carolina in an early-season trade, notching 16 points along with 82 blocks while logging 18:32 per game.  His best season came back in 2019-20 with Edmonton when he had 21 points in 71 contests while averaging nearly 22 minutes a game which put him tenth in Calder Trophy voting.  Since then, however, Bear hasn’t been able to get back to that top-four form consistently.

Dhaliwal suggests that Bear’s eventual contract is likely to be a one-year agreement worth around $1MM prorated.  That’s low enough for most teams to fit into their cap structure, especially since teams would likely be sending someone making $775K or more down to make room for Bear on their roster.  Not surprisingly, there appear to be several teams interested in Bear with Dhaliwal suggesting five or six are in the mix for Bear at this point.

While Bear isn’t likely to have a significant impact after being out for so long, he’d still represent a low-risk, low-cost upgrade to a team’s defensive depth.  Accordingly, getting that type of asset for free midseason will be a nice piece of business for whoever manages to land him.

Matt Irwin Sent Down To Abbotsford

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  • Matt Irwin’s stint with Vancouver was short-lived as he has been returned to AHL Abbotsford, per the AHL’s Transactions Log. The 31-year-old signed with the Canucks in free agency but he wound up clearing waivers in training camp, resulting in Irwin seeing his first minor league action since the 2016-17 campaign.  He has two assists in 13 games with Abbotsford so far.

Latest On Nikita Zadorov

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Although Nikita Zadorov has yet to make his debut for the Vancouver Canucks, talk has already begun on his longer-term future with the club. The pending unrestricted free agent defenseman would be open to extending his contract with the team, according to his agent, Dan Milstein. Milstein said in an interview with CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal that he and the Canucks “will sit down and exchange thoughts,” adding that “hopefully there is a deal” to be had on a new contract.

Zadorov, 28, is currently playing on a $3.75MM cap hit. Whether or not he can match that kind of yearly outlay on his next contract will likely depend on how he fits into Vancouver’s overall defensive structure and coach Rick Tocchet’s system. Without much offense to speak of in his game, it’s fair to wonder whether Vancouver can afford to offer Zadorov a pay raise. With Filip Hronek on pace to score 79 points and in need of his own contract extension, the Canucks may not have the kind of room to pay Zadorov on a market-rate contract.

Nikita Zadorov Traded To The Vancouver Canucks

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The Calgary Flames have traded defenseman Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2024 NHL Draft fifth-round pick and a 2026 NHL Draft third-round pick.

Zadorov’s move to Vancouver comes in response to a formal trade request submitted on November 11th, following a shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Zadorov has appeared in 21 games with the Flames this season, recording six points, 23 penalty minutes, and a -6. He was in his third season with the club after Calgary acquired him through a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Calgary signed Zadorov to two contracts, including a two-year, $7.5MM contract signed in 2022 that Zadorov is in the final year of. The 28-year-old defenseman carries a $3.75MM cap hit through the remainder of the season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

Vancouver will become the fifth team that Zadorov has played for throughout his 11-year career. He was originally drafted 16th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, making his NHL debut at the end of the 2013-14 season. The defender played his rookie season in 2014-15, notching 15 points, 51 penalty minutes, and a -10 in 60 games. The Sabres traded Zadorov to the Colorado Avalanche in 2015 alongside J.T. Compher and Mikhail Grigorenko, in the trade that brought Ryan O’Reilly to Buffalo.

The deal to Vancouver is the fifth trade that Zadorov has been a part of, including the trading of the draft pick used to select the defenseman – which was swapped between the Minnesota Wild and Buffalo in the deal that sent Jason Pominville to Minnesota. Zadorov has not joined a new team by any other means other than a trade.

Canucks Reassign Cole McWard

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The Canucks assigned defenseman Cole McWard to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks on Thursday, per an announcement from GM Patrik Allvin.

Vancouver signed McWard, 22, to a two-year entry-level contract in April. The undrafted free agent signing out of Ohio State University joined the team immediately, recording one goal in five games and burning the first year of the contract. He did not crack the Canucks roster out of training camp in 2023-24, though, and was assigned to Abbotsford to begin the season.

There, he started off his minor-league career with a goal, three assists, four points, and a +5 rating in 15 games before earning a recall from Vancouver last week. With Carson Soucy sidelined with a foot injury, the Canucks have been rotating players on their bottom defense pairing, including McWard, Mark Friedman, Akito Hirose, Noah Juulsen, and now Matt Irwin, who the Canucks recalled from Abbotsford yesterday and will make his season debut tonight against the Golden Knights.

McWard was rostered for three games during his recall but only played in one, logging one shot on goal in 9:05 of ice time against the Ducks on Tuesday. The right-shot defender, who remains waiver-exempt, will now resume a regular role in the minors. He will be a 10.2(c)-designated RFA at the end of the season, meaning he is ineligible to elect salary arbitration and ineligible to sign an offer sheet.

Canucks Recall Matt Irwin and Linus Karlsson, Send Akito Hirose Down

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Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin shared that the team has recalled Matt Irwin and Linus Karlsson, while sending defenseman Akito Hirose to the AHL.

Irwin is the only one of the trio to not yet appear in the NHL this season. He’s instead spent 13 games in the AHL, scoring two points and recording 10 penalty minutes. Irwin is in his first season with the Canucks organization, signing a one-year, two-way, $775K contract with the team on July 1st. Vancouver becomes the seventh franchise that Irwin has been a part of throughout his 11-year career. The 36-year-old defender was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Jose Sharks following his sophomore season at the University of Massachusetts in 2010. He has totaled 461 career NHL games, scoring 93 points and recording 211 penalty minutes. He’s also appeared in 262 AHL games and scored 121 points. This season marks the first time that Irwin has played in the AHL since 2016-17 when he appeared in four games with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Karlsson has only played in one NHL game this season, going without a point but recording a +1. He’s also managed 17 AHL games, where he’s scored 15 points, a mark that ranks second on the Abbotsford Canucks. Karlsson joined the Canucks via trade from the San Jose Sharks in 2019, with Vancouver sending Jonathan Dahlen the other way. Karlsson signed his entry-level deal with Vancouver last season. The 24-year-old Karlsson was originally drafted in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Sharks.

These roster moves swap Irwin into the seventh defenseman role that was previously held by Hirose. Hirose has played in three NHL games and 11 AHL games this season and is still looking for his first point of the year in either league. The Canucks signed the 24-year-old at the end of Minnesota State University-Mankato’s 2022-23 season. He appeared in seven NHL games last year, scoring three points, and made his AHL debut this season.

Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Anthony Beauvillier

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks are expected to acquire forward Anthony Beauvillier from the Vancouver Canucks. Friedman believes that the Canucks will receive a fifth-round pick in return from Chicago in return. The Canucks have been desperate to free up cap space and have been reportedly shopping Beauvillier for weeks but haven’t been able to make a move until today.

The Blackhawks were looking for depth after Taylor Hall went down for the season due to injury and Corey Perry’s contract was terminated earlier today. Beauvillier’s cap hit is just a tick higher than Perry’s at $4.15MM, none of which was retained in this trade. He is in the last year of his deal, meaning that Chicago isn’t making a long-term commitment by acquiring the 26-year-old.

For his part, Beauvillier has been a solid contributor throughout his NHL career, although he has become overpaid in recent seasons due to the flat salary cap. He had a career-high 40 points last season scoring 18 goals and 22 assists in 82 games. Over the past six seasons, Beauvillier has remained consistent, posting at least 28 points in each season.

For the Canucks, they unburden themselves from an expensive contract for the remainder of this season and gain some much-needed breathing room under the salary cap. The Canucks desperately need help on their blue line and will likely take those savings to try and find some help on the back end

Setback For Pius Suter, Hasn't Resumed Skating Yet

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  • Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet provided an update to reporters including Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor (Twitter link) that center Pius Suter is dealing with a lower-body injury that is taking longer to recover from than originally expected. He had a setback a week ago and has yet to resume skating.  Suter, who has four goals in 15 games this season, was placed on IR last week.

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