The Canucks have dipped their toes in the UFA market again, signing depth defenceman Patrick Weircioch to a one-year deal worth $650,000. A show me deal at the league minimum.

The 6’5″ and 202 lbs blue liner just completed one season with the Colorado Avalanche where he earned $800,000.

Wiercioch was someone that Canucks Army has advocated over the years as a target for depth on the Canucks’ blue line. He has the ability to generate shots at an above average level while being fairly reliable on the defensive side of the game. In a third pairing role, you could do a lot worse than Wiercioch.

The benefit of the deal is that it is short and is league minimum. If Wiercioch is unable to secure a spot out of camp, he would likely clear waivers and become a call-up option when injuries hit. But you could expect him to secure a 5/6/7 spot and give the Canucks a big defender who has good underlying numbers.

The Canucks will have a good balance of size and puck-moving defencemen next season.