Vancouver Canucks 2025 NHL free agency grades for every signing

The Vancouver Canucks have missed the playoffs for four of the last five seasons. They have often narrowly missed out on a playoff spot in recent years, and after a tumultuous 2024-25 campaign, in which they traded JT Miller, the team needed to make moves in NHL Free Agency. They did make some moves, but it may not be enough to get them back to the dance.

The Canucks opened the summer with a trade. They would bring in Evander Kane in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers. They also traded away Arturs Silovs, who was the AHL playoff MVP, to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Meanwhile, with limited cap space, the team lost players in free agency. They would lose Phillip Di Giuseppe to the Winnipeg Jets. The winger played 20 games with the team last year. They would also lose Noah Juulsen to the Philadelphia Flyers. The major loss was Pius Suter, who headed to the St. Louis Blues. He played in 81 games last year, scoring 25 goals with 21 assists last season. That placed him fifth on the team in points last season.

Even with limited cap space, the Canucks were able to make nine signings in this free agency period. Still, it may not be enough to get them over the hump and back into the playoffs.

Brock Boeser returns to the Canucks

It was expected that the former first-round pick of the Canucks in 2015 would not re-sign with the club. Still, the team was able to re-sign Brock Boeser to a seven-year, $50.75 million contract. After playing at the University of North Dakota, he would join the NHL in 2016-17 for nine games, scoring four goals with one assist. Since then, he has been a consistent presence for the team. In the last eight seasons, he has scored 45 or more points in each season.

His peak was 2023-24, when the American forward scored 40 goals and added 23 assists. He also had a solid postseason that year, playing in 12 games, scoring seven goals, and adding five assists. In 2024-25, he would take a step back, but still manage 25 goals with 25 assists. His production in even strength situations took a major decline as well. At a cost of $7.25 million per season, this would be a slight overpay based on his production. Meanwhile, he will be 35 when this contract ends. Regardless, losing Boeser was something that the Canucks could not afford, and getting him signed will make most Vancouver fans happy.

Brock Boeser contract grade: B

Vancouver extends Conor Garland

Conor Garland was set to become a free agent in the summer of 2026, but the team was able to re-sign him to a six-year, $36 million deal. Although this does not impact the salary cap in 2025-26, it does in 2026-27. The cap will go up next summer, but the team is already in cap trouble this summer, and that will not change much next summer with only one major contract coming off the books. Garland will get a raise from $4.95 million to $6 million next year, which increases him from taking up 5.2% of the cap space to 5.8%.

This was another situation where the Canucks could not afford to lose a player. With Suter and Miller both leaving in the last year, keeping the production of the American-born winger was vital. The former 2015 draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes would break into the NHL in 2018-19, playing in 47 games, scoring 13 goals, and adding five assists. In the summer of 2021, his restricted free agent rights were traded to the Canucks. He has been a consistent producer for the team. From the 2021-22 campaign through 2024-25, he has missed just seven games, while scoring 46 or more points in each season.

Conor Garland contract grade: B+

Thatcher Demko gets a deal from the Canucks

Like Conor Garland, Thatcher Demko was also slated to be a free agent in the summer of 2026. Demko will stay with the Canucks on a three-year deal worth $8.5 million per season. The American-born netminder was the 36th overall pick of the Canucks in 2014. He would break into the NHL in 2019-20, playing 27 games with a 3.06 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. He was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2023-24, playing 51 games and going 35-14-2. He had a 2.45 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in that season.

There would be a step back in 2024-25. Demko played in just 23 games, sporting a 2.90 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage. It was the worst season of his NHL career. The goaltender should rebound this year, but this was a major cost against the cap starting in 2025-26. He took a $3.5 million raise over his already solid salary. This places the Canucks with $13 million of their salary cap tied up in their two goaltenders. Considering the fact that they had a solid goaltender in the AHL, a contract of this value was not necessary.

Thatcher Demko contract grade: C

The team adds to the blue line

Pierre-Olivier Joseph is joining the Canucks on a one-year deal. He was the 23rd overall pick of the Coyotes in 2017. The blue liner would never play with Arizona, being traded to the Penguins, where he would make his NHL debut. He would sign with the St. Louis Blues in the summer of 2024, but be traded back to Pittsburgh during the season. Overall, he has played 194 NHL games, with eight goals and 32 assists.

At a cost of $775,000, this is a solid signing. He is slated to be the seventh defender on the roster and should see time this year in the NHL. He can play on both sides of the defense and is a solid shot blocker. The Canadian does not close great and will not add a ton to the offensive side of the puck, but as a third-rotation defender who will most likely just see time due to injury, this is a solid option.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph contract grade: B+

Two prospects get new deals

Nikita Tolopilo and Jett Woo are both returning to the Canucks organization. Tolopilo is a goaltender out of Belarus who joined the Canucks organization in 2023-24. He would play in the AHL, sharing time with Silovs. In his last two years in the AHL, he has been solid, going 40-27-3 with a 2.75 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. He also saw time in the NHL this past season, playing two games with a 2.15 goals against average and a .885 save percentage. With Silovs gone, Tolopilo could be the new netminder for the Abbotsford Canucks, and would also be the primary call-up option if Demko or Kevin Lankinen went down with injury.

Woo was the 37th overall selection of the 2018 draft by the Canucks. He has yet to see NHL minutes, but is a solid AHL player. From 2021-22 through 2024-25, he has played in 267 games with 21 goals and 62 assists. Woo is a solid offensive threat from the blue line, but his speed and positioning are what make him attractive. He is just 24 years old and still developing his game, but could become a bottom-rotation NHL defenseman in due time.

Nikita Tolopilo contract grade: A-

Jett Woo contract grade: B-

The rest of the signings

The Canucks also came to terms with forward Mackenzie MacEachern, forward Joseph LaBate, and defenseman Jimmy Schuldt. MacEachern is a 31-year-old American-born forward who has spent time with the Blues and Carolina Hurricanes. He has played in 123 NHL games with 11 goals and nine assists.  With their current AHL system filled with young prospects, he does bring to the team someone with NHL experience in case he is needed as an injury call-up.

The same is true for LaBate. LaBate is 32 years old but with less NHL experience. LaBate did spend 13 games with the Canucks in 2016-17, but did not record a point. He also spent time with the Blue Jackets in 2024-25 with one assist in six games. Schuldt is a defenseman who has nine games of NHL experience, most recently in 2024-25 with the Sharks. Neither of the final two signings should see NHL time, but they could add veteran experience to the farm system.

Grade for AHL Depth Signings: C+

Final grade on the Vancouver Canucks 2025 signings

The return of Boeser to the Canucks was a major signing for Vancouver. They could not continue to compete without his scoring presence. The Canucks also did a solid job in extending Garland. Still, the Demko signing may come back to haunt them. Having as much money as they will wrapped up in two goaltenders could hinder them down the road. They also had a solid backup goaltending option in the AHL if they lost Demko, and still do with Tolopilo. Joseph does not help the defense much, but is a solid signing for depth. The team did a good job with the depth pieces overall, but did not make enough major moves to overcome some losses. This team will look similar to the one that has missed the playoffs in four of the last five years, but should be a postseason bubble team in 2025-26.

Final grade for the Vancouver Canucks' 2025 free agency class: B-