Sounds like Canucks are looking to bring back Ian Cole
The Vancouver Canucks are interested in an old face to help foster a new culture.
Ian Cole is on their radar, with CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reporting that the Canucks are interested in signing the pending unrestricted free agent.
The 37-year-old left-shot defenceman proved to be a valuable contributor over the past two seasons in Utah. Cole averaged 18:16 of ice time per game last season, while scoring 23 points (3-20-23) and registering a +16 plus-minus rating.
“They’re looking for veteran defencemen,” Dhaliwal said on Monday’s edition of Donnie and Dhali. “I will not be surprised if the Canucks are very interested in UFA defenceman Ian Cole… Cole will be one of the leadership guys that the Canucks will check in on in free agency.”
Dhaliwal adds that the Canucks are not going to give Pierre-Olivier Joseph a qualifying offer, which will make the 26-year-old a free agent.
The Canucks currently have six NHL defencemen under contract for next season: Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, Zeev Buium, Tom Willander, Elias Pettersson, and Victor Mancini. Just two of them, Hronek and Marcus Pettersson, have more than 100 games of NHL experience.
Cole played just one season in Vancouver, in 2023-24, when the Canucks won the Pacific Division and made it to the second round of the playoffs. While he scored just 11 points that season, he proved to be reliable defensively at even strength and on the penalty kill — at least during the regular season. Cole struggled in the playoffs, albeit while playing hurt on his off-side.
The Canucks can begin making offers to Cole or any other free agent at 9 a.m. PDT on July 1.