Canucks Army Free Agent Profiles: Brian Campbell

When you think Brian Campbell, you probably think of his massive contract that the Blackhawks handed to him in 2008 after solid seasons in Buffalo and a strong showing in his limited time in San Jose. He was serviceable in Chicago, but he fell out of favour and many wondered if he would be the victim of a buyout. However, he was sent to Florida in a way for the Panthers to get above the cap floor and has quietly put together some strong campaigns in Sunrise. His familiarity with newly acquired Erik Gudbranson (did you hear about that deal?) and his veteran experience, which includes a Stanley Cup ring with the 2010 Blackhawks, could prove valuable as the Canucks take the next step.

Players are better when they have a player like Brian Campbell on the ice, plain and simple. He’s not being brought in for his goal scoring abilities, but he doesn’t waste possession with the puck. He generates a lot of shots typically, and the CF% the players around him gets significantly better when he’s on the ice. As you can see, he’s a high top 2 defenceman when it comes to useful possession, which would be a welcome addition to the Canucks blueline. He doesn’t get the team in penalty trouble either, as he is a former Lady Byng award winner for staying out of the box. He’s been around the block a few times, too. He made his NHL debut in the ancient season of 1999-2000 and has since played 1000 games.

Despite everything I’ve lined up here so far, I don’t think there really is one. Consider the Canucks backend will be made up of Edler/Tanev and Gudbranson/Hutton for certainty, while you have Sbisa, Pedan, Tryamkin among others fighting for spots in the lineup. The only reason to bring Campbell in would be to slot him alongside Gudbranson for familiarities sake, but demoting Ben Hutton to the 3rd pairing doesn’t make much sense in the long run. 

Considering the cap hit Campbell will surely fetch on a short-term deal, it makes more sense for the Canucks to target forwards with the cap space they do have rather than tie it up with another pricey defenceman (adding to Edler, Tanev and Sbisa).