Canucks appear to be targeting NCAA UFA defencemen

It’s the time of the year, where reports and rumours are hard to keep up with.

With the NHL trade deadline less than a month away, there are plenty of storylines going around. But one that I like to keep a close eye on are teams targetting free agent prospects.

For someone like myself, it can be hard to determine which players are standing out and who will generate interest. Simply because I can only watch so much hockey and comb through so many numbers, instead focusing more on the current Canucks prospects and 2018 draft eligibles.

This is why NHL teams employ multiple regional scouts – so that they can keep an eye on players that might’ve slipped through the cracks. Then zero in on the ones that standout.

The unrestricted free agent market in the NCAA has become a bit of a hotbed for teams, as they all look for those players that followed different development paths but have excelled at the collegiate level. You likely won’t find game breakers through this avenue, but it is a good way to supplement the depth of your organization.

The Canucks did well with Troy Stecher. But for every Stecher or Chris Tanev, there is an Eric Walsky, Griffen Molino, or Michael Garteig. Not to put those players down, but there is risk to signing these players. It is worth adding that the Canucks have done fairly well as an organization though.

Last week, Rick Dhaliwal had reported two players that the Canucks have interest or are following:

Brogan Rafferty is a defenceman who went from the USHL to the NCAA last year. He was generating quite a bit of interest after his 24 points (2-22-24) in 40 games last year. He has taken a step back offensively with only 9 points in 24 games this season, but it appears that at least the Canucks are interested in the 6’1″ and 190 lbs defender.

Max Veronneau is the only forward from these reports that the Canucks are linked to. He is having a good season with Princeton University, with 9 goals and 16 assists in 20 NCAA games. He was a name mentioned by Elliotte Friedman in the December 11th edition of 31 thoughts, as someone generating quite a bit of interest. Veronneau is 6’0″ and 180 lbs.

Earlier today, Dhaliwal added a couple more names to the list:

Brady Keeper is in his freshman season with the University of Maine, where he has 6 goals and 9 assists in 26 games. He is a mobile puck carrier who has a decent shot. He measures in at 6’2″ and 195 lbs.

Lastly, Zack Whitecloud is a 6’2″ and 209 lbs defender from Brandon, Manitoba. In his sophomore season with Bemidji State University – he has 3 goals and 11 assists in 26 games this year. Whitecloud is a good puck mover and a decent skater.

Both Keeper and Whitecloud are right handed.

All these players are unable to be signed until they complete their NCAA season. The Canucks currently have 45 contracts on the books for this season, so once these players seasons are done, they are able to burn a year of the entry-level contract.

What is clear, is that the Canucks are targetting defensive prospects. It can be a symptom of the UFA market, but being linked to three UFA defencemen this early is an indicator that the organization is targetting these types of players.

This is likely done due to the lack of depth in the prospect ranks on the backend. Olli Juolevi is almost certainly seeing NHL action next year, and if Philip Holm is still around, he will be graduating to the NHL. Among their CHL prospects who may graduate next year, it’s only Cole Candella (who they may not sign), and Matt Brassard.

They do have players like Guillaume Brisebois and Jalen Chatfield down on the farm, who are progressing well, but the organization likely sees this as an area of weakness and want to add more options there.

There is still plenty of time between now and when the NCAA season winds down, but this is something to keep an eye on for the organization. If they can add some 22-23-year-old defencemen from the NCAA, it could go a long way toward fixing the depth issues for next season. There are no guarantees that any of these players will work out or that the Canucks will be able to convince them to sign with Vancouver, but we can see where the organization appears to be looking.