Free agents Zadorov and Hronek pose massive questions for Canucks' blueline future (2024)

As well as the Vancouver Canucks’ defence corps played in 2023-24, there is a very real chance it could have a drastically different makeup in 2024-25.

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In the second of a three-part series, we look at the Canucks’ defence — who is in the fold, who might be on the way out, and who is up in the air.

Head coach Rick Tocchet pushed his squad hard last season, building them into a top defensive outfit, creating a very steady environment for the team’s goalies to play behind.

But strong play means big raises, and in at least two cases, that seems likely.

Let’s take a dive into the Canucks’ defensive inventory.

Under contract and going nowhere

Quinn Hughes, Carson Soucy, Noah Juulsen

It’s not exactly a long list of for-sure returnees, but obviously having Hughes for three more seasons at least sets a window for General Manager Patrik Allvin to work within.

He is going to have one of the best defencemen in the game on a solid-value contract through 2027. There are going to be lots of questions to be asked about how to assemble the roster between now and then, but Hughes is going to be a constant.

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That’s excellent.

Also excellent is Carson Soucy. The lanky blueliner was as good, maybe even better, as expected in his first season in Vancouver. He was so solid, maybe you’ve forgotten he had two long injury-list spells this past season.

Obviously the Canucks will hope he can be healthier next year, since he was a vital component of their defensive play, especially on the penalty kill.

He was asked to play second-pair minutes this season, and he did well. Might he be handed a younger, more dynamic partner next year? Or will Tyler Myers find his way back? More on Myers in a moment.

Noah Juulsen had a remarkable season in his own way. Early on, he was a true spare part and many wondered when he would be sent back to AHL Abbotsford. But he buckled down, rebuilt his game with the help of the coaches and became a solid option as the team’s No. 7 defenceman.

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He is sure to be back in the role next year.

The free agents

Filip Hronek (restricted), Ian Cole, Mark Friedman, Tyler Myers, Nikita Zadorov

So, if you look at this list, there are a pair of hot-topic names, a pair of wily veterans, and a spare part.

Mark Friedman, the spare part, is the easy one. Maybe the Canucks grab him on a cheap deal. The fact he is a right shot is to his benefit. But he played just five times after Christmas, and one of those times was as a spare part forward, so there’s not exactly a must-have element to him.

Hronek and Nikita Zadorov are the names everyone is talking about. The Canucks have had chats with both players’ agents, not for a while. The likelihood that both are back seems low and you wonder if even one will be.

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Hronek is a restricted free agent, so the Canucks control most of the story. They can make a qualifying offer to retain his rights, but he does have arbitration rights and it’s expected he would win a one- or two-year contract worth at least $7 million per season if he did.

Are the Canucks prepared to pay him about as much as Quinn Hughes? He’s been a great partner for Hughes, but how much do you pay for such a fit?

As for Zadorov, if there’s one guy who picked the perfect time to take centre stage, it’s him. His thrilling performance in the playoffs will have piqued the interest of more than one general manager around the league, and it’s hard to imagine the big blueliner not peeking his head out the door when free agency opens July 1. Like Dakota Joshua, this is his first big chance to get paid, and it might be the best chance he will have in his whole career to make big money.

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Hronek and Zadorov represent big question marks for Allvin, both in the literal sense of “Will they be back?” but also in the bigger roster-building sense — “How is the money they are after best spent?”

Which takes us to the veteran pair of Myers and Cole. Both have made it clear they would like to be back. Both played solid roles for much of the season, Myers especially. He was Carson Soucy’s regular partner, playing in a shut-down role, although both blueliners refined their puck-moving game and were positive offensive contributors as well.

Cole played very well for most of the season, and especially against Nashville. That mustn’t be forgotten. Yes, he struggled against Edmonton, but reportedly he was dealing with a very difficult foot injury that limited his mobility.

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Both blueliners are well into their 30s now and the end, when it comes, is likely to come quickly. But both do seem to have most of their talents still going, and their return will likely depend on what money is still available to be spent once Allvin and staff have made the biggest roster decisions.

Under contract, but where?

Elias Pettersson, Akito Hirose, Guillaume Brisebois, Christian Wolanin

A year after being named the AHL’s best defenceman, you’d have thought Christian Wolanin would have played some NHL games this past season. But injuries in the AHL ruined those plans and now he’s just another guy who is expected to play a veteran role in Abbotsford, while staying ready for a recall to the NHL if he’s needed — but also set to passed by younger, more promising players.

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Guillaume Brisebois is an even more extreme case than Wolanin: a concussion at the end of pre-season kept him out of action for months, prompting worries about his day-to-day health, let alone his career. He didn’t suit up in any playoff games. A year ago, he was set to be the No. 7 man on the Canucks’ depth chart, now he’s a guy who will be around but no one is expecting much from, just a hope that he’ll be able to be an every day human.

A player who is ascendant is the guy everyone calls D-Petey aka the other Elias Pettersson. The big, gritty Swede showed well enough in a late-season AHL cameo, after a strong season in the SHL. He’ll be in Abbotsford to start the season but you can see him starting to take NHL steps at some point; the Canucks really hope he’s ready for a full-time NHL spot by 2025-26.

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There’s little doubt he’s got other teams intrigued too but the Canucks made it clear ahead of this past trade deadline they had little interest in moving the prospect.

Pettersson’s star is set leap over that of Akito Hirose’s. A collegiate overager, he was signed with the hope he’d be ready to quickly transition not just into the pro game, but also into the NHL. He’s suited up for 10 NHL games but his slight stature has left Tocchet and his staff skeptical he can handle regular NHL minutes.

A mid-season injury in the AHL limited his time as well and although he played six playoff games for Abbotsford, he wasn’t among the “Black Aces” recalled from the AHL to the NHL for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The pipeline

Behind Pettersson (and theoretically Hirose), there’s not a lot. There are some interesting long-shots, but no clear-cut NHLers.

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Kirill Kudryavtsev could surprise: he’s got strong puck skills, but how much more of an all-around defender can he be? Sawyer Mynio had a strong season with Seattle and but he’s going to need professional seasoning before we have any sense of whether he’s, like Kudryavtsev, anything more than a long shot.

Cole McWard has the physical tools, but he’s a project who could take some big leaps this year in Abbotsford, but he’s far from a guarantee. And Jett Woo looked like he might actually suit up for a game, he was recalled a couple times, but then he suffered a tough injury down the stretch and now it’s about whether he can bounce back in the off-season.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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