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Do the Canucks need to shop for defensive help in free agency this summer?
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Jun 9, 2026, 14:20 EDTUpdated: Jun 9, 2026, 14:18 EDT
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In the infancy of a full-blown rebuild, the Vancouver Canucks have a decision to make. Should they be shopping for veteran help on the blueline when the National Hockey League free agent window opens on July 1st? Or should they move forward with the players they already have on their roster and in their system?
The Canucks shipped Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars at the NHL Trade Deadline, and it feels as if the team would simply be chasing his replacement if they elect to spend on a free agent. As it stands, the Canucks have veterans Filip Hronek and Marcus Pettersson, along with youngsters Zeev Buium, Tom Willander, Elias Pettersson, and Victor Mancini, on the roster, with Kirill Kudryavtsev and Sawyer Mynio pushing for opportunities at the NHL level.
Bringing in an experienced blueliner at this stage complicates matters for the young defenders looking to grow their games. However, the organization may want to add to its defensive depth by bringing in a mentor who can help the inexperienced group level up.
If the season were to start today, it’s quite likely the Canucks would pair Zeev Buium with Filip Hronek and Tom Willander with Marcus Pettersson. That gives them two pairs with the desired left-right handedness and two duos featuring promising youngsters with solid veterans. 
This is where things get interesting. Both Elias Pettersson and Victor Mancini struggled at times last season. The Canucks have to decide if it makes sense to pair them together, live with their mistakes and hope they both take strides this season. Alternatively, they could see what Kirill Kudryavtsev looks like in a third pair role, likely ahead of Mancini on the depth chart.
The club also has a decision to make regarding pending restricted free agent Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who appeared in just 31 games last season and very much fits the description of a depth player in a challenging defensive environment.
It seems almost certain the Canucks will not make a play to retain the services of veteran Derek Forbort, who dressed for the first two games of the season and was never seen in uniform again after undergoing hip surgery.
While the Canucks may wish to move forward with a relatively young blueline, surely new head coach Manny Malhotra will want his team to be competitive. As long as Hronek and Marcus Pettersson are healthy and in the lineup, the Canucks will have two experienced d-men to lean on. However, in the event that one or both get injured, the Canucks will find themselves scrambling and putting young defenders in positions they’re probably not ready to handle. Developing players at the NHL level doesn’t mean overplaying them. It means putting them in the best positions to succeed as often as possible. 
With Hronek and Buium, the Canucks appear set on the power play. Hronek finished last season manning the point on the top unit, but at some point, it seems the 20-year-old Buium will grow into that role on a full-time basis.
On the penalty kill is where the Canucks may be interested in adding a reinforcement. As a refresher, the club finished dead last in the NHL, killing penalties at just 71.5% last season. That needs to be addressed. A healthy Derek Forbort likely would have made a difference, and Marcus Pettersson needs to have a bounce-back in that area of the game.
But if the Canucks could check two boxes with one player, it would seem to make sense to look at pending free agents to see if they can find a high-character veteran who could add penalty killing utility.
Players like Jamie Oleksiak, Jeremy Lauzon, Trevor Van Riemsdyk, Andrew Peeke, Ryan Shea and Logan Stanley all killed penalties for their teams last season and are heading to the open market. Is there a player (or players) in that group that should pique the club’s interest?
The Canucks are in a position to overpay on short-term deals to attract free agents to join a last-place team. However, the organization’s priority this offseason has to be to ensure it doesn’t dole out term on deals that will block the pathway for young players over the long haul.
It seems that with a distinct need to beef up the penalty kill, the Canucks ought to be putting feelers out on free agent defencemen this summer. But they have to make sure they are smart about their signings and only discuss short-term contracts that can help the club advance the rebuild.
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