Vancouver Canucks acquire defenceman from Minnesota Wild
The Vancouver Canucks have picked up a new player.
Losers of 16 of their last 17 games, it seems it was time to make a move for Canucks GM Ryan Johnson. The Canucks announced a trio of moves on Tuesday, which includes the addition of defenceman Cameron Crotty off waivers from the Minnesota Wild.
To make room for Crotty, the Canucks sent defenceman Victor Mancini to the Abbotsford Canucks.
The third move involves forward Akil Thomas, who the Canucks signed in free agency on July 1. The former World Juniors hero is back from injury and will be heading to Abbotsford, assuming he clears waivers.
Crotty is a 27-year-old defender with 11 games of NHL experience with the Wild, Ottawa Senators, and Arizona Coyotes. After appearing in just three games with the Senators this season, Crotty was reclaimed off waivers by Minnesota on Oct. 29. The right-shot defenceman had yet to appear in a game with the Wild before they tried to sneak him through waivers on Monday.
Judging by the Canucks coaching staff’s deployment of defencemen recently, they’re desperate for help on the back end. Filip Hronek played a career-high 31:11 on Monday, while Luke Schenn saw a team-low 8:17.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, Crotty obviously brings size to the table. He’s a stay-at-home type of defenceman, never scoring more than 13 points in a season at the AHL level.
The vast majority of Crotty’s pro experience has been in the AHL, having appeared in 332 games in that league since 2020. Crotty served as captain of the Iowa Wild in 2024-25.
Mancini is off to Abby. (Danny Wild/Imagn Images)
Mancini, meanwhile, has struggled this season. The 24-year-old has been used sparingly by head coach Manny Malhotra, appearing in just eight games and averaging just 12:25 of ice time per game.
Having played 63 career NHL games, Mancini is just seven games away from requiring waivers to be sent down to Abbotsford. The demotion should give the Michigan native a chance to re-find his game.