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Where each ex-Canuck signed in NHL free agency
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Photo credit: © Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Arielle Lalande
Jul 3, 2026, 15:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 3, 2026, 01:25 EDT
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With July 1st now come and gone, the first two days of frenzy of NHL free agency have wrapped up. The Vancouver Canucks elected to pass on making any big splashes with UFA’s or trades, but they made a handful of moves to position themselves in the midst of their current rebuild.
Vancouver played it safe and reliable, and did not hand out contracts with either term or dollar amounts that raised any eyebrows. The same cannot be said for every team across the league, though – several teams managed to either attract or gamble on players the Canucks have previously parted ways with. 
How exactly do the contracts of former Canucks measure up to the deals they played on while in Vancouver? Let’s take a look at how ex-Canucks* fared when they hit the market on day one of free agency. 
*Not including: pending free agents who signed extensions ahead of July 1st, like former Canuck Troy Stecher.

Andrei Kuzmenko

Pittsburgh Penguins – 1 year, $5 million AAV
Kuzmenko was not a star in Vancouver beyond his breakout season, but he is certainly memorable. After going undrafted, the banana-eating-on-the-bench Russian winger played 124 games with Vancouver between 2022 and 2024, putting up 95 points. Kuzmenko was sent to the Calgary Flames at the 2024 trade deadline, then to the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2025 deadline, only to play seven games before he landed with the L.A. Kings for two years. Kuzmenko has never come close to his production from the 2022-23 season with Vancouver, where he put up 74 points. The Penguins have never been one to turn down a project – this signing also allows Kuzmenko to join the rivalry against his very brief former team, the Flyers. 

Brendan Gaunce

Boston Bruins – 2 years, $875,000 AAV
After being a highly-ranked prospect ahead of the 2012 draft, Vancouver drafted Brendan Gaunce in the first round at 26th overall. However, Gaunce never quite panned out at the NHL level as a centre or winger, with 117 total games up with Vancouver. By the time he was an RFA in 2019, the Canucks elected not to qualify him. Gaunce has bounced around since then, predominantly in the AHL, with four total years with the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. Back in 2018, CanucksArmy’s own Stephen Roget predicted that his NHL career might be at its end – perhaps true, but as a reliable AHL call-up option, Gaunce has played 97 NHL games over six seasons since then. 

Curtis Douglas

Seattle Kraken – 2 years, $1.25 million AAV
Curtis Douglas was a Vancouver Canuck for exactly 14 games, and technically was up until July 1st. Douglas is another tale of a player with an unconventional path to the NHL. The massive 6’9” right-shot centre was drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2018 in the fourth round at 104th overall. After spending time with the Senators, Marlies, and Roadrunners in the AHL, he had a 29-game stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. Vancouver picked him up at the trade deadline after Tampa placed him on waivers. Although his time in Vancouver was incredibly brief, he’s a memorable player who notched his first NHL goal here. He can probably do more than be limited to an enforcer role thanks to his size – although that has never stopped him from dropping the gloves. 

Ian Cole

Chicago Blackhawks – 1 year, $4.75 million AAV
This veteran defenceman is now in the twilight years of his career at 37, after playing for St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Colorado, Minnesota, Carolina, Tampa, Vancouver, and Utah since being a first-round draft pick in 2007. A classic defensive defenceman, Cole played just one season with Vancouver but was an integral piece on the back-end during the team’s flash-in-a-pan 2023-24 season, including 13 playoff games. The Canucks reportedly tried to re-acquire Cole on July 1st, but were outbid. Cole was a two-time Stanley Cup champion in Pittsburgh, and he brings experience to a young Chicago team, but certainly at a price. 

Ilya Mikheyev

Tampa Bay Lightning – 4 years, $3.85 million AAV
Mikheyev’s infamous tenure with the Canucks had potential but was derailed by injury. Similarly to his countryman Kuzmenko, Mikheyev was undrafted but joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2019, where he would stay until 2022. That summer, he signed a four-year deal in Vancouver. He would suffer an ACL injury in the 2022 preseason and, somewhat controversially, played through the regular season before being shut down to undergo surgery in January of 2023. The previously speedy forward never quite looked the same after this severe injury and was eventually dealt to Chicago in June 2024, where he has since bounced back offensively to the 20-goal mark he had prior to coming to Vancouver. 

Jack Studnicka 

Philadelphia Flyers – 2 years, $875,000 AAV
Originally drafted in the second round by the Boston Bruins in 2017, this forward played 52 games with Vancouver and nine games down in Abbotsford over a little more than a calendar year. Originally a piece back in the Michael DiPietro trade back in 2022, Studnicka was later shipped out to the San Jose Sharks midway through the 2023-24 season. Studnicka has mainly seen action with the AHL affiliates of San Jose, L.A, and Florida since then, but did play 19 games with the Panthers last season, so maybe he’ll be reunited with Rick Tocchet with the big club in Philadelphia for a stretch sometime in the next two years.

Jiří Patera

Boston Bruins – 1 year, $850,000 AAV
The Canucks have lost out on one member of their goaltending pool to free agency. Patera, a Czech native, was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, their debut entry draft. He joined them in 2020 and remained with their system until 2024, signing with the Canucks as a free agent in the offseason on a two-year deal. There was a brief “Reverse UNO” situation, though; the Boston Bruins claimed Patera off the waiver wire, where he spent four days and played zero games, before the Canucks picked him up off the waiver wire again. Technically, Patera is going to his second stint with the Bruins after 37 total games with Abbotsford and one game up with Vancouver – a high-scoring affair against the Florida Panthers from last fall. 

Lane Pederson

L.A. Kings – 2 years, $875,000 AAV 
This is a “blink-and-you’ll-have-missed-it” Canucks player. Pederson is a sturdy right-shot AHL centre who has also played within the Arizona, San Jose, Carolina, Columbus, Edmonton, and Philadelphia organizations. 
  • Fun fact #1: He was a part of the original trade package that sent Brent Burns – the current oldest player in the NHL – to Carolina after 11 years in San Jose. 
  • Fun fact #2: Lane Pederson is the brother-in-law of former Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn, who may or may not also appear on this list.
The Hurricanes sent Pederson to the Canucks in 2022, where he had an astounding 24 points in just 18 games with Abbotsford, earning him a call-up to play 11 games with Vancouver. The Canucks placed him on waivers with the intention of returning him to Abbotsford in January 2023, but Columbus claimed him. Pederson will likely be with the Ontario Reign to start his tenure with the Kings, and it’ll have to be seen whether he gets the call for any NHL action this year. 

Luke Schenn

Vancouver Canucks – 1 year, $2.25 million AAV
The return of the prodigal defenceman – veteran defensive defenceman Luke Schenn has returned to Vancouver for a third stint with the club. Schenn has become a fan favourite Canuck, despite just 139 games played over three non-consecutive years, and he’s remembered in Vancouver for his excellent character, locker room leadership, and commanding physical style of play. He had 18 games in Vancouver in 2019 and seven down in the AHL. After two pandemic-era Stanley Cup wins with Tampa in 2020 and 2021, Schenn returned to Vancouver in free agency, where he would remain for the better part of two seasons before his trade to Toronto at the 2023 deadline, where he had been drafted fifth overall back in 2008 and played for four years. Now 36 and nine NHL teams into his career, Schenn is a welcome veteran presence for a young rebuilding Canucks team.

Noah Juulsen

Colorado Avalanche – 2 years, $1.1 million AAV
Noah Juulsen was a Vancouver Canuck: a commonly known fact. Noah Juulsen was once a first-round draft pick: a well-known yet rarely understood fact. 
Juulsen, a right-handed bottom-pairing defenceman, was selected by the Montreal Canadiens 26th overall in 2015, but spent the bulk of his career as a Canuck. Juulsen was born in Surrey, making him an affordable, depth defenceman and hometown player – hard to deny. After a brief stint with the Florida Panthers after he was picked up on waivers, Juulsen was traded to Vancouver in 2021, a deal which included Vancouver’s infamous former fifth-overall pick Olli Juolevi. He twice re-signed in Vancouver at league minimum before testing free agency last summer. He played on a one-year, $900,000 deal in Philadelphia last season, so the term and money in Colorado are a little puzzling but a great situation for the player. Maybe reuniting with ex-Canucks coach and Flyers legend Rick Tocchet in the city of brotherly love had something to do with his confidence – and contract – boost. 

Sam Lafferty

Florida Panthers – 1 year, $850,000 AAV
Sam Lafferty’s deal on July 1st went a little bit under the radar – then again, so did Sam Lafferty while he was in Vancouver. The right-shot centre was a fourth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014, with whom he stayed until 2022, when he was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks. From there, he was flipped to Toronto, where he had his second-most successful career year split between the two teams. His trade to Vancouver ahead of the 2023-24 season saw him put up his most successful season, with 24 points in 79 games. The Canucks sent Lafferty back to Chicago at the end of that season in the Ilya Mikheyev deal, but Lafferty did not sign, opting to go to the Buffalo Sabres on a two-year deal instead. The Sabres sent him back to Chicago after a year, where he spent last season, his original contract with the Sabres expiring this week. If you’re keeping track, Lafferty has been dealt to the Blackhawks three times, and overall, has been traded in packages that have included first-round, second-round, fourth-round, fifth-round, and sixth-round picks. Maybe in a few years, he’ll be traded back to Chicago for a seventh-round pick, rounding out the pattern. 

Teddy Blueger 

Toronto Maple Leafs – 2 years, $2.5 million AAV
Another player who was a Canuck up until July 1st, Blueger is a more recognizable name on this list thanks to his comparatively long tenure with the team. It was reported ahead of July 1st that Blueger would test the waters of free agency, so his new contract did not come as a surprise to most. After he began his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Blueger became a Stanley Cup champion with Vegas in 2023. Blueger signed with Vancouver on a one-year deal in the offseason and then to another two-year deal – all in all, he played 185 games as a Canuck. A solid bottom-six centre/winger, the Latvian winger is looking to provide the Leafs some solid depth as they try and bounce back from a disappointing season. 

Vincent Desharnais

Washington Capitals – 4 years, $4.2 million AAV
Before Vincent Desharnais brought his massive 6’7” frame to the Canucks, he was terrorizing Vancouver from elsewhere in the Pacific Division. Desharnais’ status as a huge right-handed defenceman has made him attractive to teams looking to build up their back end, but he had to work to make it in the NHL. Already 20 and passed over in the draft twice, when he was finally a seventh-round draft pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2016, Desharnais played with Providence in the NCAA and spent time in the AHL and ECHL. After wrapping up his time with Edmonton, Desharnais signed a two-year contract at $2 million a year in Vancouver. He played 34 games with the Canucks before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a package that saw Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor as the return – which was in part to flip a draft pick the Canucks received from the New York Rangers for J.T. Miller. Speaking of flipping, the Penguins flipped Desharnais just six weeks later to the San Jose Sharks, where he stayed until he became a free agent this week. 

Zack MacEwen

Toronto Maple Leafs – 2 years, $875,000 AAV
Canucks legend Zack MacEwen is bouncing back from a New Jersey Devils season lost to ACL surgery to bolster the Maple Leafs’ depth. This scrappy forward went undrafted and first signed with the Canucks as a free agent in 2017. In total, MacEwen played 155 AHL games and 55 NHL games with Vancouver until 2021, including a memorable stint during the pandemic bubble. He would have stayed a Canuck, too, if he had not been claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers in October 2021. He would go on to play one season with the L.A. Kings and two seasons with the Ottawa Senators. MacEwen took a step back from hockey in 2025 to grieve his father, Craig, who unexpectedly passed in 2020 while MacEwen was with the Canucks organization. In his honour, MacEwen and his family founded the My Biggest Fan Foundation to financially support families with children in hockey. Former CanucksArmy contributor Cory Hegott had the chance to speak with Craig back in 2018 about MacEwen’s game and relentless path to the NHL. A hard worker and always willing to drop the gloves, Zack MacEwen’s bound to be well-liked by fans whenever he lands with new teams – Toronto, you’re next up.  

Bonus: ex-Abbotsford Canucks

These players might have played in the preseason for Vancouver. Still, they contributed meaningfully to the organization thanks to their work in Abbotsford – and all were included on the Calder Cup-winning roster from 2024-25. 

Jett Woo

Anaheim Ducks – 2 years, $875,000 AAV
  • Position: RD
  • Draft: Vancouver Canucks – 37th overall, 2nd round, 2018
  • Abbotsford/Utica tenure: 2020-2026, 310 games, 30 postseason games
  • Last team: San Jose Barracuda

Sammy Blais

Ottawa Senators – 2 years, $925,00 AAV
  • Position: LW
  • Draft: St. Louis Blues – 176th overall, 6th round, 2014
  • Abbotsford tenure: 2024-25, 51 games, 23 postseason games
  • Last team: Montreal Canadiens/Laval Rocket

Danila Klimovich

Philadelphia Flyers – 1 year, $850,000 AAV
  • Position: Winger
  • Draft: Vancouver Canucks – 41st overall, 2nd round, 2021
  • Abbotsford tenure: 2021-2026, 281 games, 22 playoff games
  • Last team: Abbotsford Canucks

Bonus: July 2nd signings

These ex-Canucks were not part of the first day of the free-agent frenzy, but did sign deals on July 2nd.

Erik Gudbranson 

Columbus Blue Jackets – 1 year, $1.75 million AAV (re-signed)
  • Position: RD
  • Draft: Florida Panthers – 3rd overall, 1st round, 2010
  • Canucks tenure: 2016-2019, 139 games
  • Last team: Columbus Blue Jackets 

Cole McWard 

Toronto Maple Leafs – 2 years, $875,000 AAV
  • Position: RD
  • Draft: Undrafted 
  • Canucks tenure: 2022-2025, 6 Vancouver games, 130 Abbotsford games (124 regular-season games, 6 playoff games).
  • Last team: New York Islanders/Bridgeport Islanders

Aidan McDonough 

Buffalo Sabres – 1 year, $850,000 AAV
  • Position: LW
  • Draft: Vancouver Canucks – 195th overall, 7th round, 2019
  • Canucks tenure: 2022-2024, 6 Vancouver games, 58 Abbotsford games
  • Last team: Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins
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