11 bottom-six forward UFAs for the Vancouver Canucks to consider as they fill out their roster
2 hours ago
This article is brought to you by bet365!
We just kind of ran out of time.
When the Vancouver Canucks were eliminated back on May 20, 2024, those of us in the local media looked ahead and thought that it was going to be a long haul until the beginning of the actual offseason.
And, in a sense, it has been a long haul. Rounds Two and Three of the Stanley Cup Playoffs took more than a month to complete.
Yet we still find ourselves here, now, less than a week away from the buyout period, the entry draft, and the Free Agent Frenzy all having begun and concluded. All of a sudden, it’s coming at us fast.
A few weeks back, we were wondering how we were going to fill the time. Now, it’s a bit of a scramble to get all the pre-offseason previews over and done with before the real action starts. For the Canucks this summer, the real action primarily concerns free agents. So, let’s take one last look at the upcoming market.
We’ve already covered potential signings at RHD, LHD, for Elias Pettersson’s wing specifically, and at centre.
Those lists, theoretically, could cover the potential departures of players like Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Ian Cole, Tyler Myers, and Teddy Blueger.
But there’s also at least one bottom-six, fourth line forward departing in the form of Sam Lafferty. And with that whole section of the lineup being largely unsettled, there’s probably a desire to bring in multiple new bodies to compete for a spot.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a new list of potential bottom-six or fourth line forward additions set to be available on the UFA market. Here, we’re not looking for any one trait in particular, but speed, energy, physicality, and defensive responsibility are all considered major pluses.
Note: We covered a few other potential names here, like Riley Tufte and Kole Lind, in our previous article on Group VI free agents. Read their write-ups there!
Kevin Stenlund, Florida PanthersC, 27, 6’4”, 211lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $1 mil | 81 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 12:36 | 49.0% |
We wrote a little about Stenlund in our article on UFA centres, and since then he’s become a Stanley Cup Champion. He’s an enormous, low-maintenance player who puts in a workmanlike effort at both ends of the ice and keeps things simple. Stenlund is a whiz at faceoffs and passingly physical, but excels more at grinding down minutes and opponents with his steady, steady play.
As a proven reliable asset, the bidding on Stenlund could get a little silly come July 1. If he’s available for anything around that $1 million cap hit he currently carries, however, the Canucks should be very interested.
Brandon Duhaime, Colorado AvalancheRW, 27, 6’2”, 200lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $1.1 mil | 80 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 10:52 | 46.7% |
The Canucks have already been linked to Duhaime in speculation, so there may be something there. Duhaime has the holy trinity of size, speed, and a willingness to combine those two skills as he careens into opponents with reckless abandon. He’s a classic energy-producing, shift-disturbing fourth line antagonist, and it’s made him a hot commodity around the NHL.
Duhaime went to Colorado for a third round pick at the deadline. How does that translate into UFA offers moving forward? If he’s available for anything less than $2 million, expect a lot of teams to be interested. Anything more than that runs a serious risk of a poor return, what with 20 points being Duhaime’s career high…in the AHL.
Jordan Martinook, Carolina HurricanesLW, 31, 6’0”, 196lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $1.8 mil | 82 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 14:39 | 61.3% |
Martinook has been around for a while, and had previously rounded out his game into that of the perfect bottom-six winger – full of energy, always willing to battle in the corners and front of the net, and dedicated to covering his own end. But Martinook didn’t really start scoring like this until the last couple of years in Carolina, and now he’s hitting free agency.
Martinook almost looks more like a potential Joshua replacement than a fourth liner, and may be worth considering in that role. But with the results he’s had the past two years, Martinook may be in line for a considerable salary increase via free agency, and there are reasonable doubts about his ability to put up numbers in another system.
Sam Carrick, Edmonton OilersC/RW, 32, 6’0”, 200lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $850K | 77 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 12:13 | 46.0% |
Another Cup finalist hits our list. Carrick is a long-time professional battler who just broke into the NHL full-time a couple seasons ago, and who spent time in the AHL as recently as last season, but who seems to have carved out a semi-permanent NHL spot for himself moving forward.
Carrick wasn’t an every-night player for the Oilers, but when he was on the ice, he was banging and crashing into opponents and raising the temperature of games. That he’s able to play all three forward positions is considered a nice bonus, as is Carrick’s general defensive responsibility. He’s not someone anyone should go over $1 million for in terms of salary, but he’s a useful addition at that price.
Tyler Motte, Tampa Bay LightningRW, 29, 5’10”, 192lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $800K | 69 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 12:27 | 48.6% |
Do we even need to do a writeup here? Vancouver fans know Motte well from his five seasons with the Canucks, and during that time, he became one of the most popular fourth liners in recent memory. Motte has a motor, and though a few horsepower have come off of it of late as he’s battled constant injuries, Motte is still more than capable of playing a high-energy, ultra-responsible fourth line game for any NHL team.
A homecoming would be affordable at this point. The Canucks may ultimately be looking for a more physical Lafferty replacement than what Motte can offer, but aside from that trait, he’s still got everything they are looking for.
Ryan Lomberg, Florida PanthersLW, 29, 5’9”, 187lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $800K | 75 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 9:32 | 50.0% |
Here is the smallest player on our list, by far.
Here is also the toughest player on our list, by far.
Lomberg is a phenomenon. Despite his size, he’s become a downright feared personality in the league for his willingness to mix it up with anyone, regardless of their size or skill level.
Lomberg played most of the way through for the Florida Panthers, including in their Cup-clinching Game 7. He’ll never be a gamebreaker, but he’s progressed his skills to the point that he can tread water at 5-on-5 long enough to allow him to make an impact…usually on an opponent. There are few more prominent pests left in the NHL than Lomberg, and he’s the kind of player who both knows and loves his role.
So long as the Stanley Cup ring doesn’t inflate his ego or his asking price too much…
Yakov Trenin, Colorado AvalancheLW/C, 27, 6’2”, 201lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $1.7 mil | 76 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 14:34 | 51.5% |
Trenin is a player perhaps most famous for buckling Zdeno Chara with a hard right hand during his rookie season.
But, really, that’s not Trenin’s game. He’s better understood as a versatile bottom-six presence who can play any position and really do it all, including land hits, forecheck, backcheck, set up plays, and even score semi-regularly.
It isn’t too much of a surprise that the Avalanche were willing to give up a third rounder and a prospect for Trenin at the Trade Deadline. Word is they’d like to keep him around, but he may be looking for a pay raise via the market instead. If he’s seen as a potential Joshua replacement on a third line, he may be worth that increased salary to the Canucks. If not, he won’t be.
Kasperi Kapanen, St. Louis BluesRW, 27, 6’1”, 194lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $3.2 mil | 73 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 14:23 | 45.8% |
Jim Rutherford knows Kasperi Kapanen. The Penguins drafted Kapanen shortly after Rutherford took over in 2014. Then, Rutherford traded him a year later as part of the package paid to acquire Phil Kessel. Then, five years later, Rutherford traded a first round pick and some random prospects in order to get Kapanen back.
Since then, however, Kapanen has floundered a bit. He played fine enough in St. Louis, and his speed remains a major selling point, but his scoring production has deteriorated to the point that he’s guaranteed to take a pay cut as a UFA.
For his skating, his penalty killing, and perhaps the possibility of his reigniting that scoring touch, Kapanen may be worth a flyer. The good news is that if anyone is prepared to make that judgement call, it’s probably Rutherford.
Kiefer Sherwood, Nashville PredatorsRW, 29, 6’0”, 194lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $775K | 68 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 12:10 | 52.2% |
Canucks fans know this name. Sherwood was noticeable throughout Vancouver’s first round matchup against the Nashville Predators, and that was usually because he was slamming into someone.
Old-school energy is what he provides, and that should be no surprise coming from someone named after a hockey stick. He doesn’t do anything particularly well, but made great strides at both ends of the ice since joining Nashville. This looks like it was a career season, and those numbers might not be replicated, but at the very least Sherwood is now established as a full-time NHL player.
Michael Amadio, Vegas Golden KnightsC/W, 28, 6’1”, 204lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $763K | 73 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 13:24 | 49.7% |
Amadio is the exact kind of player the Canucks like to poach in free agency – someone who has had their skill and development repressed by being bogged down in another organization’s jam-packed depth chart.
Amadio sure looked like he was ready to break out in Vegas, but never really got an extended chance. That scoring potential, combined with his size, makes him a potential Joshua replacement. But his on-ice decision-making and versatility also mean that, if he doesn’t break out like Joshua did, Amadio can still be useful as a multi-purpose fourth liner. If the bidding stays low on him, Amadio is worth several looks.
Stefan Noesen, Carolina HurricanesRW, 31, 6’1”, 205lb
| 2023/24 Cap Hit | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Avg. TOI | Corsi |
| $763K | 81 | 14 | 23 | 37 | 11:52 | 60.9% |
A full 13 years later, Noesen is finally delivering on the promise that saw him drafted 21st overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Kind of, anyway. Considered a bit of a bust, Noesen worked hard to diversify and grunge up his game to the point that he was able to establish himself as a fairly consistent fourth line presence.
Then, in 2021/22, Noesen fell out of the NHL, spending most of that season with the Chicago Wolves. Just when it looked like his big league career was over, Noesen broke back onto the Carolina roster for 2022/23, put up a career-high 36 points, and then followed that up with 37 this past year.
The good news is that all those fourth linery skills that Noesen developed are still present, even with his newfound scoring prowess. The bad news is that someone is probably going to hand him a hefty contract based on that scoring, and it might not be something he can replicate outside of Carolina.
Call Noesen someone to consider if the bidding stays reasonable, and one to abandon if it doesn’t.
Recent articles from Stephan Roget
