Amidst a day of exciting free agent action across the league, a few more players are headed out West to help round out the Vancouver Canucks organization heading into next season.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Canucks announced they have agreed to terms on two-way contracts with forwards Mackenzie MacEachern and Joseph LaBate, and defenceman Jimmy Schuldt.
MacEachern joins the Canucks organization on a two-year contract, coming as a free agent out of the St. Louis Blues organization, who originally drafted him in the third-round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The 31-year-old played 40 games with their American Hockey League affiliate, Springfield Thunderbirds, last season. The 6’2″, 193 lb. winger scored 12 goals and 32 points, with 54 penalty minutes. He last played in the NHL in the 2023-24 season, registering one point in eight appearances with the Blues.
LaBate meanwhile signed for just one year, returning to Vancouver after he was originally drafted by the Canucks in 2011. He appeared in 13 games with the Canucks during the 2016-17 season, and has since been a regular player in the AHL with a handful of organizations. The 6’5″, 225 lb. forward made his return to the NHL this past season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, tallying one point in six games. He spent the rest of last year with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, with 21 points in 51 appearances.
On the blue line, Schuldt will join Vancouver on a two-year deal from the San Jose Sharks organization. The 6’1″, 203 lb. defenceman spent most of last season with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, producing 21 points in 64 games played. Hailing from Minnetonka, Minnesota, Schuldt also played eight games with the Sharks last season. This was his first NHL appearance since one match with the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018-19 season, who originally signed him as an undrafted free agent.
The three veteran players won’t be game-breakers for Vancouver and are likely to start their year in Abbotsford, considering their two-way contracts. Regardless, they offer size, depth, and veteran experience for this organization heading into next year.