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14 bargain-bin centres Canucks could target in free agency

Trevor Beggs
Trevor Beggs
|
Jun 6 2023, 8:56 pm
14 bargain-bin centres Canucks could target in free agency
Brian Bradshaw Sevald | Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

One of the Vancouver Canucks’ greatest needs this offseason is a third-line centre.

Whether they’ll be able to afford a bona fide third-line centre, is another story.

The Canucks desperately need to clear cap space before unrestricted free agency hits on July 1. However, given their situation, they’ll likely be bargain bin hunting in free agency.

If the Canucks predictably have little money available to shore up their centre depth, these bargain-bin options could be viable targets.

“Pricey” bargain bin options for Canucks

1. Pius Suter (Detroit Red Wings)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 79 GP, 14 G, 10 A, 24 PTS

Swiss-born Pius Suter statistically had the worst season of his career in 2022-23.

After averaging 17 goals and 37 points during his first two NHL seasons, Suter registered just 14 goals and 24 points in 2022-23. His career-average ice time of 16:47 also dropped to 14:04.

Still, Suter is a solid, third-line centre who could provide some offence. He also had the best underlying metrics of any regular Red Wings skater on the penalty kill last season.

AFP Analytics projects that Suter will get paid $1.8 million on a two-year deal.

2. Sean Monahan (Montreal Canadiens)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 25 GP, 6 G, 11 A, 17 PTS

Injuries derailed what was looking like a solid bounce-back campaign for Sean Monahan.

After the Calgary Flames dumped his contract in Montreal, the 28-year-old flirted with a point-per-game pace before a groin injury ended his season.

Monahan scored in his last game for the Canadiens, in a 7-6 Montreal loss at Rogers Arena against the Canucks on December 5.

3. Nick Bjugstad (Edmonton Oilers)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 79 GP, 17 G, 12 A, 29 PTS

Nick Bjugstad might be too rich for the Canucks in free agency, after the 30-year-old authored a bounce-back season with the Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers.

The 6-foot-6 centre scored just 14 goals across three prior seasons before potting 20 combined regular season and playoff goals in 2022-23.

Cheaper veteran options for Canucks

4. Noel Acciari (Toronto Maple Leafs)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 77 GP, 14 G, 9 A, 23 PTS

There’s a lot to like about Noel Acciari’s game. He’s a physical, hardworking fourth-liner who can provide some offence.

Of his 100 career NHL points, 59 of them are goals.

5. Tomas Nosek (Boston Bruins)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 66 GP, 7 G, 11 A, 18 PTS

Tomas Nosek was a top penalty killer for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins last season. He also had a sparkling 59.3% success rate in the faceoff dot.

6. Teddy Blueger (Vegas Golden Knights)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 63 GP, 4 G, 12 A, 16 PTS

Latvian native Teddy Blueger has been a useful, penalty killing fourth-line centre since cracking the Pittsburgh Penguins roster back in 2018-19.

He could be seeing his value drop right now, since Blueger has largely been a healthy scratch for the Golden Knights in these playoffs.

7. Chris Tierney (Montreal Canadiens)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 36 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 10 PTS

Injuries have slowed Chris Tierney down over the past couple of seasons. From 2018 to 2020 though, Tierney scored at a half point-per-game pace while averaging 16:43 per game.

He’s also been relied upon heavily as a penalty killer throughout his NHL career.

8. David Kampf (Toronto Maple Leafs)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 82 GP, 7 G, 20 A, 27 PTS

David Kampf has the potential to be overpaid during free agency. He’s coming off of two successful seasons as a defensive, middle-six centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he even picked up some Selke Trophy votes back in 2021-22.

While he’s a good defensive centre, Kampf is a player who realistically shouldn’t cross the $2 million mark on an annual basis. His offensive production is a bit deceiving as well, and it’s actually on the low side for a player who averaged over 15 minutes per game last season.

9. Nick Bonino (Pittsburgh Penguins)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 62 GP, 10 G, 9 A, 19 PTS

Former Canuck Nick Bonino has played in a role beyond his capabilities for a terrible San Jose Sharks team during the last couple of seasons.

He was traded from San Jose to Pittsburgh at the deadline before a kidney laceration ended his 2022-23 campaign.

10. Lars Eller (Colorado Avalanche)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 84 GP, 10 G, 13 A, 23 PTS

Although 34-year-old centre Lars Eller is a little long in the tooth, he showed this season that he can still be an effective, penalty killing, bottom-six centre.

11. Paul Stastny (Carolina Hurricanes)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 73 GP, 9 G, 13 A, 22 PTS

Despite being 37 years old, Paul Stastny proved during the 2023 playoffs that he still has game.

He scored four goals, including an overtime game-winner, in 15 postseason games for the Carolina Hurricanes. Stastny also had a 58.3% success rate in the faceoff dot during the playoffs.

12. Derek Stepan (Carolina Hurricanes)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 73 GP, 5 G, 6 A, 11 PTS

Derek Stepan averaged a career-low 9:05 of average ice time during the regular season, but that jumped up to 11:58 in the postseason. Stepan is also still solid in the faceoff circle, with a 55.1% success rate during the last two seasons in Carolina.

Deep bargain bin options for Canucks

13. Matthew Phillips (Calgary Flames)

  • 2022-23 Stats (AHL): 66 GP, 36 G, 40 A, 76 PTS

The diminutive Matthew Phillips is full of skill, but the question has been his ability to withstand physicality at the NHL level.

Phillips is listed at only 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds, however he’s been one of the most lethal offensive players in the AHL during the past two seasons.

The 25-year-old is set to become a Group 6 UFA after playing only three NHL games so far in his career.

14. Radim Zohorna (Toronto Maple Leafs)

  • 2022-23 Stats: 10 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 PT

On the other end of the spectrum is Radim Zohorna, a big, physical 6-foot-6, 220-pound centre who has shown an ability to produce some offence at the NHL level.

Between stops with the Penguins, Flames, and Maple Leafs, Zohorna has five goals and 11 points in 35 career NHL games.

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