{"id":129966,"date":"2022-06-29T10:01:49","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T14:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=129966&preview=true&preview_id=129966"},"modified":"2022-06-29T09:35:49","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T13:35:49","slug":"last-word-on-hockey-vancouver-canucks-off-season-nhl-draft-day-contract-signings-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2022\/06\/29\/last-word-on-hockey-vancouver-canucks-off-season-nhl-draft-day-contract-signings-free-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"Vancouver Canucks Mid Off-Season Check-in: The Moves, the Signings, and the Possibilities to Come"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are over and the Colorado Avalanche have been crowned<\/a> the 2022 Stanley Cup champions. All of the hardware has been distributed at the NHL awards ceremony. The focus on hockey now turns to two big July NHL off-season events: The NHL Draft and free agency day.\u00a0 In the upcoming weeks, look to the Vancouver Canucks to make big moves to improve their team for the upcoming 2022-23 season.<\/p>\r\n

Draft Day and Free Agency<\/h2>\r\n

Draft day (actually two days, running July 7-8) is more than just picking prospects. A gathering league-wide of NHL general managers and front office staff. It’s not only where the future of a team\u2019s success is sculpted, but where teams make deals. Leading up to the draft, teams often make smaller moves. Contract extensions, back bench shuffling, minor deals, and a key signing. The Canucks did this in in inking<\/a> Andrey Kuzmenko. However, come draft day there are inevitably one or two big (if not blockbuster) trades made. These are often in exchange for a high pick or two. A week later is free agency day, where any players whose contracts are expired are up for grabs. This often becomes a free-for-all for teams hurrying to sign the best player before the new season begins.

So how do the Canucks stand to possibly improve with all this potential upcoming flurry of transactions? What have they done up and until to improve their roster and staff for next season?<\/p>\r\n

Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\r\n

Canucks Off-Season Moves So Far<\/h3>\r\n

Spencer Martin<\/h4>\r\n

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin has certainly not been sleeping in the off-season, The signings he has made offer a hint of what may be coming in July. Stretching back to before the season ended, the Canucks signed backup goalie Spencer Martin<\/a> to a two-year, one-way deal. This was good news for those who don\u2019t like the looks of the Canucks regular backup Jaroslav Halak. <\/a>Despite a few key performances filling in for a fatigued Thatcher Demko<\/a> late in the season, he comes with a hefty contract. Martin also impressed in his appearances, quickly becoming a fan favourite with his shimmering chrome mask. With his signing look for the Canucks to try to move Halak and free up cap space in the off-season. This is provided he waives his no-trade clause.<\/p>\r\n

Signing Some Swedes<\/h4>\r\n

Next, Allvin signed a trio of 22-year-old Swedes to entry-level contracts. It started with power forward Linus Karlsson. The San Jose Sharks drafted Karlsson in 2018 and the Canucks acquired him the following year. He comes off a solid rookie season in Sweden and looks to bolster the team\u2019s bottom six for a great price. Adding more depth comes the unsigned Nils Aman. He was drafted originally by the Colorado Avalanche. Aman brings potential toughness and a solid two-way game to the Canucks checking lines if he can crack the roster.<\/p>\r\n

Also signed was defenseman Filip Johansson, a first round, 24th overall pick by the Minnesota Wild in 2018. Allvin seemingly swooped in to sign Johansson, whom the Wild saw as a bust after coming off poor offensive numbers in Sweden. However, many tout as having great two-way and defensive potential. It seems for the time being that Canucks organization is happy to see the young defenceman remain playing in Sweden to develop.<\/p>\r\n

The Big Move<\/h4>\r\n

The big signing however was\u00a0 for the 26-year-old old Kuzmenko. The Canucks won the sweepstakes in courting and signing<\/a> Kuzmenko, who comes off a stellar year in the KHL. He placed second among all scorers for the season. The Russian is quick, good with the puck, and seems ready to fit it nicely in the Canucks bottom six this coming season. The best part of signing Kuzmenko may come from a financial standpoint for the team. His entry-level contract makes him a low-risk-high value addition to the roster.<\/p>\r\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>