Which remaining UFAs might the Canucks still be monitoring?

Specifically, Drance told of the Canucks’ continuing to monitor the status of a handful of remaining UFAs, though he also noted that the team aimed to move out some roster and cap space before it made anymore signing – something that was in keeping with our assessment of their cap situation.

In full disclosure, when we wrote this article originally, that was all still speculative. We even wrote that it wasn’t clear yet whether the Canucks needed to clear out cap space to sign a new UFA, or if they were looking to clear out cap space by trading a veteran and then aiming to replace that veteran with a cheaper UFA.

Well, either way, it’s no longer speculative. On Thursday afternoon, the Canucks announced that they’d traded Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fourth round pick, a move that opened up both a roster spot and a full $3.25 million against the cap.

With that cap now cleared, it’s only natural to wonder which of the drastically diminished UFA class of 2025 the Canucks are now planning to spend that money on…and we’ve got some guesses on that below.

Jack Roslovic, formerly of the Carolina Hurricanes

28, C/W, 6’1”, 198lb

We’re a little sick of writing about Roslovic at this point, and hope somebody signs him soon.

Easily the top free agent left on the market, Roslovic has been scoring at a roughly 40-point pace for a few seasons running now, and carries with him the versatility to play all three forward positions – though he seems to be much more productive and defensively sound on the wing.

In fact, we might go as far as to say that Roslovic is the only player on our list that we’d guarantee has already received multiple competitive offers from multiple teams. (Well, probably LD Matt Grzelcyk, too, but he’s way off the Canucks’ radar.) Clearly, Roslovic is waiting for a better fit, whether that be in terms of contract or roster.

We know this Vancouver managerial team has been interested in Roslovic for a while, with his name coming up in trade rumours at previous stops in Columbus, New York, and most recently Carolina. Now that he’s available for free, presumably that interest continues.

Roslovic would slide neatly enough into the Canucks’ top-nine, especially now. If the Canucks really traded Joshua to make room for a specific UFA, as opposed to just by preference, we almost have to assume it’s Roslovic.

Victor Olofsson, formerly of the Vegas Golden Knights

RW, 29, 5’11”, 180lb

The only other forward UFA on the market who might be demanding anything approaching a high price is Olofsson, who has scored as many as 28 goals in a season as recently as 2022/23.

By all accounts, Olofsson is quite literally just a shooter, capable of piling up goals, especially on the power play, but not able to contribute in many ways beyond that. He’s fine enough as a PP mercenary on a deep forward roster like Vegas, but one really struggles to see what he’d add to a Canucks’ roster that already has some big shooters like Brock Boeser and Evander Kane.

As opposed to Roslovic, we’d be genuinely surprised if Olofsson is the one the Canucks had their eyes on. 

Joel Kiviranta, formerly of the Colorado Avalanche

LW, 29, 5’11”, 185lb

How has a player who scored 16 goals last season on a league-minimum contract not been picked up yet?

The reality is that Kiviranta is not the sort of player who can typically be counted on for this amount of offence – his famous Game 7 hat-trick aside. The 16 goals doubled his previous career high, and they did come along with a preposterous 19% shooting percentage that will almost certainly not be replicated.

That said, Kiviranta still found ways to keep himself on the contending Colorado roster for most of the past two seasons, and that speaks well to his overall usefulness. He’s more typically a bottom-six forward with some jam and drive. What is probably happening here is that Kiviranta is hoping someone will crack and pay him based on his one-off season, and thus far no one has. We don’t think the Canucks should be the team to do it. But if his salary demands ever come down at all – back down to near league-minimum – he’d be an intriguing add with more potential than the average fourth liner.

Luke Kunin, formerly of the Columbus Blue Jackets

C, 27, 6’0”, 197lb

In the ongoing search for centre depth, Kunin is probably the most centre-y centre left available. Already on his seventh NHL season, the former 15^th overall selection in the 2016 Entry Draft has never come close to living up to those expectations, and has not ever cracked 20 goals, either. But he has developed a nice as a rough-and-tumble bottom-six grinder who can occasionally put up offence.

Kunin was a dreadfully bad deadline acquisition for the Blue Jackets, going pointless in 12 games, which has probably cooled the market on him. But chances are he’ll find a home somewhere eventually. With Joshua gone and centre depth still at a minimum, Kunin could be a cheaper and more versatile replacement that adds a little extra grit to the lineup.

Robby Fabbri, formerly of the Anaheim Ducks

C/W, 29, 5’11”, 185lb

In terms of the offensive talent left in the UFA ranks, Fabbri has to be high on the list. He scored 18 goals and 32 points in just 68 games last year, both post-rookie highs, but has also seen his overall career terribly sidetracked by injuries.

Fabbri could no longer be considered anything close to a top-six solution. Nor is he typically viewed as ideal for deployment in the bottom-six. But if a team were looking for affordable offence – something in the mold of Daniel Sprong last year – they could certainly do worse than taking a flyer on Fabbri, who will make a quarter of his previous salary if he’s lucky.

Brock McGinn, formerly of the Anaheim Ducks

LW, 31, 6’0”, 191lb

McGinn is another player with a decent production history who has been besieged by injuries in recent years. He’s got into just 65 NHL games over the past three seasons, including just 26 last year. That said, McGinn has a reputation as a defensive workhorse and expert penalty killer, and those attributes are always welcome in a lineup. There is a connection, with Jim Rutherford having drafted McGinn way back in 2012. In some ways, McGinn could be looked at as an obvious Joshua replacement on the cheap.

Luke Glendening, formerly of the Tampa Bay Lightning

C, 36, 5’11”, 190lb

If the Canucks do wind up moving Teddy Blueger in addition to Joshua, and if they want some veteran coverage at centre, they could do worse than the ultra-reliable Glendening. Sure, he’s lost a few steps at this point, but Glendening has always been a smart and economical player that can squeeze a lot out of his limited talents. He wouldn’t be signed as an everyday player, but someone who can cover injuries and provide a touch of leadership. This might be more PTO territory.

Klim Kostin, formerly of the San Jose Sharks

C/LW, 26, 6’4”, 232lb

You’ve got to love the profile of a giant former first round pick who can hit, fight, and shoot with the best of them. Kostin has never delivered on his considerable promise, topping out at 11 goals and 21 points in a season. Nor has he ever found a way to adapt his game into being a full-time fourth liner.

But the tools are definitely there, and Kostin has some attributes to him that are just not all that common in hockey. He might be worth a decent look on a PTO to keep camp extra-competitive, if nothing else, or if there’s a desire to replace some of Joshua’s physicality.

Jakob Lauko, formerly of the Boston Bruins

C, 25, 6’1”, 193lb

One more depth centre for the road?

It is the Year of the Rat in the NHL, and Lauko has developed a reputation as a decently effective agitator. He’s an adequate two-way fill-in guy in most senses, but perhaps the extra sandpaper could make him a little more interesting than the average replacement-level depth.