Five signings have added to the Vancouver Canucks depth this March. Only one – Aidan McDonough – is a new arrival, and none are considered top-end players for the team. So why do they get our attention? Glad you asked!
Vancouver Canucks Get Deep(er)
The signings we’re focussing on are Guillaume Brisebois, Christian Wolanin, and Phillip Di Giuseppe. That they were done mid-season is a change from the typical operating procedure of previous management groups.
You can easily lump them in with the pre-season signings of Nils Åman and Sheldon Dries. They are contributing more than expected this season, though the team needed to be forced into playing them.
McDonough has the added cachet of being a fairly recent draft pick, as does Kirill Kudryavtsev, who won’t likely be with the team for a couple of seasons yet. While McDonough is going to get some playing time with the parent club this season, that’s the nature of college signings rather than necessity.
Kudreyavtsev, likewise, isn’t going to be in serious consideration for the Vancouver Canucks for a couple of seasons yet. Neither player has experienced the pro game at any level just yet beyond McDonough’s sampler.
What’s The Difference
Early on in 2022-23, the Canucks brought in some veteran NHLers for their bottom six. Jack Studnicka, Dakota Joshua, and Riley Stillman hadn’t yet found their places with the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, and Toronto Maple Leafs respectively. But they all had NHL experience, and the price tag was low – in cap and trade cost.
Curtis Lazar was a local guy who dreamed of playing for the local team, inking a cheap, three-year deal. Alas, neither he nor Stillman worked out, but getting pen to paper was a low-risk move for the Canucks depth.
Åman was another low-risk signing. He couldn’t reach terms with the Colorado Avalanche, so Vancouver swooped in. While he hadn’t played a single game in North America, at least he was playing pro. If he – or any of the other signings mentioned here – started in Abbotsford, no big deal.
For the record, Åman didn’t start in Abbotsford. Still played there for a bit, but most of the year has been with Vancouver. Same with Sheldon Dries, also expected to be little more than an occasional callup. Dries, always a good AHL producer, was lured with a high AHL salary; Åman with opportunity.
More interesting is what’s happened with the other three: Brisebois, Wolanin, and Di Giuseppe.
Good Soldiers Get Paid
One way for wealthy teams to use that wealth on talent is in the AHL. There’s no cap limit there, though the limit of 50 NHL contracts still applies. Di Giuseppe signed on with the Canucks – despite being told he’s here to lead the AHL team – because of his salary.
He didn’t play a single minute in the NHL last season, but signed on for another go-around anyway.
Brisebois has been waiting for his chance for seemingly ever. To say he took the long way around is an understatement. Still, eight years after his draft and six years as a pro, he has his first NHL goal. A good shot, but a beautiful poster.
As for Wolanin, he’s another 2015 draft pick who has toiled through four NHL team’s systems. He’s had a breakthrough in Abbotsford, leading AHL defencemen in scoring despite only playing 49 games. He may finish with the team lead, currently sitting 10 up on Linus Karlsson.
Wolanin’s NHL games this season have come since February 18th. Twelve of Brisebois’ 15 have been since February 23rd with the other three in October. All of Di Giuseppe’s have been since January 25th.
Coincidentally, the Canucks record since February 23rd is 12-4-0. When called to fill in, they have all three performed admirably. And all three have been rewarded for it.
The Canucks Depth is Pockets
Wolanin’s new deal is for two years and pays $500K in the AHL. Brisebois is getting two at $375K, and Di Giuseppe’s contract mirrors Wolanin’s. All three are at a modest – by NHL standards – $775K when they play in Vancouver.
The Canucks depth – embodied in these three players – comes at a financial cost, of course. For all their current success, they are going to be spending most of their careers at the AHL level. Those are expensive AHL players!
The additional cost is on the upper limit of contracts a team is allowed to have at one time. That’s true of all teams, so an eye needs to be kept on having space for prospects and free agents to sign on.
But when they are needed, they are able to do the job. No team can get away from injury all season long, and when the Canucks are ready to actually compete? Signings like these are exactly what is needed.
Call them NHL-AHL “tweeners” or “Quad-A players” or “Black Aces” or whatever you want. These players aren’t here to replace the stars, obviously. But for a few games they might be the difference between making it to the next level or not.
Main Photo: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
