Canucks Army Roundtable: Digging for Gold
7 years ago
We are getting into the middle of Summer now, and hockey topics have surely taken a step back. The big ticket free agents are off the table, and most of the hockey stories are revolving around rookies (mostly Auston Matthews.)
That being said, there are still some free agents on the market, and perhaps the Canucks could find a diamond in the rough among the bunch. Perhaps they could fill out their bottom half a bit more with some smaller, one-year contracts. I polled our writers to see what they would do.
Question: Who out there in the Free Agent pool would you like to see the Canucks take a chance on?
JD Burke
I’d like to see the Canucks take a flier
on Kris Versteeg. He’s not the flashiest option out there, but he can
contribute sparingly in all phases of the game and has scored at a near
42 points per 82 game pace for the last two seasons. That’s a really
strong pace and commensurate with what you might be able to reasonably
expect from a strong second line player.
on Kris Versteeg. He’s not the flashiest option out there, but he can
contribute sparingly in all phases of the game and has scored at a near
42 points per 82 game pace for the last two seasons. That’s a really
strong pace and commensurate with what you might be able to reasonably
expect from a strong second line player.
Jackson McDonald
I’ve been beating this drum for weeks, but
I’d still love to see the Canucks go after Brandon Pirri. 25-year-olds
that can play any forward position and have scored 20+ goals in a season
just don’t find themselves on the open market… well, ever, really. Pirri
would be a perfect fit on the second or third line, at any position
really. He’s also right in his prime and fits into the age range that
the Canucks should be looking at.
I’d still love to see the Canucks go after Brandon Pirri. 25-year-olds
that can play any forward position and have scored 20+ goals in a season
just don’t find themselves on the open market… well, ever, really. Pirri
would be a perfect fit on the second or third line, at any position
really. He’s also right in his prime and fits into the age range that
the Canucks should be looking at.
Always90Four
Well, our curator Matt is right; not much in
the pool but I still like Raffi Torres.
the pool but I still like Raffi Torres.
At the very least, he does
something that keeps the Canucks relevant in the media for a chunk of
the season and we defend his honor.
something that keeps the Canucks relevant in the media for a chunk of
the season and we defend his honor.
I think Tyson Barrie would be
nice but the whole RFA thing is too spooky for me. I want Benning to go
after some semi-unproven NHL talent in Madison Bowey and Damon Severson.
He does it, I stop saying it.
That’s the deal.
nice but the whole RFA thing is too spooky for me. I want Benning to go
after some semi-unproven NHL talent in Madison Bowey and Damon Severson.
He does it, I stop saying it.
That’s the deal.
Dylan Kirkby
I think there’s some intriguing forward
talent that the Canucks could target on the cheap to round out their
middle 6 – Brandon Pirri, Jiri Tlusty, and Jiri Hudler are all, in my
mind, somewhat underrated players who can provide valuable contributions
on the cheap.
talent that the Canucks could target on the cheap to round out their
middle 6 – Brandon Pirri, Jiri Tlusty, and Jiri Hudler are all, in my
mind, somewhat underrated players who can provide valuable contributions
on the cheap.
Tyler Horsfall
I would also like to see Kris Versteeg. He
fits the need of a top six left winger and does everything fairly well.
Not only does Versteeg make the team better on the ice, he also has won
the Stanley Cup twice and having a player of his skill and experience
rubbing elbows with the younger group of Canucks in the locker room
would be beneficial to the franchise moving forward.
fits the need of a top six left winger and does everything fairly well.
Not only does Versteeg make the team better on the ice, he also has won
the Stanley Cup twice and having a player of his skill and experience
rubbing elbows with the younger group of Canucks in the locker room
would be beneficial to the franchise moving forward.
Taylor Perry
The nice thing about signing a player later
on in free agency is that they usually have less negotiating leverage.
The downside is that they usually aren’t as good. So you can
occasionally get a decent player on a very agreeable contract. Although
the pickings are slim – very slim – I would say throwing a one year
deal at Tomas Fleischmann carries with it very little risk, especially
for a team like the Canucks that needs all the help it can get to score
goals. Fleischmann, in the right situation, could probably still net
around 15 for any team that signs him. He’s only 32, and it’s very
likely a team will pick him up at some point this summer for a little
forward depth. For one year, why not the Canucks?
on in free agency is that they usually have less negotiating leverage.
The downside is that they usually aren’t as good. So you can
occasionally get a decent player on a very agreeable contract. Although
the pickings are slim – very slim – I would say throwing a one year
deal at Tomas Fleischmann carries with it very little risk, especially
for a team like the Canucks that needs all the help it can get to score
goals. Fleischmann, in the right situation, could probably still net
around 15 for any team that signs him. He’s only 32, and it’s very
likely a team will pick him up at some point this summer for a little
forward depth. For one year, why not the Canucks?
Matthew Henderson
I have to say, I’m in full agreement with Dylan on this one. Brandon Pirri especially intrigues me, as a guy that has fallen out of favour with a couple teams but in the right opportunity he could turn into a valuable player for the team. Hudler and Tlusty on cheap one-year deals could provide some veteran experience to an expected young team.
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