Sounds like Canucks have interest in these five free agents
As a rebuilding team, don’t expect the Vancouver Canucks to go big-game hunting when NHL free agency opens at 9 a.m. on July 1.
There aren’t many big names available this year anyway, so maybe that’s an obvious statement.
But what will the Canucks do?
Given what the Sedins and Ryan Johnson have said, expect the team to look for character players that can help repair the organization’s broken culture.
CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal has connected five pending unrestricted free agents to the Canucks this week.
After mentioning Ian Cole on Monday, Dhaliwal noted four others on Tuesday: Pittsburgh defenceman Connor Clifton, and forwards Erik Haula (Nashville Predators), Jeffrey Viel (Anaheim Ducks), and Kevin Stenlund (Utah Mammoth).
Dhaliwal seemed most bullish on Clifton, who he says the Canucks had interest in when the blueliner was a free agent three years ago.
“Canucks are going to take a look at him. Keep an eye on Connor Clifton,” Dhaliwal said on Tuesday’s edition of Donnie and Dhali. “He really likes Vancouver. He would have no issues coming here.”
Clifton is a right-shot depth defenceman who can kill penalties. The 31-year-old New Jersey native scored six points (2-4-6) in 50 games with the Penguins last season, following two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and five with the Boston Bruins.
“I expect the Canucks to check in on players like Kevin Stenlund,” Dhaliwal added. “Erik Haula, left winger, guys like that. Ducks tough guy Jeffrey Viel, I expect to hit the market.”
What can we expect from the #Canucks on July 1st tomorrow?@DhaliwalSports shared another defenseman the #Canucks might check in on.https://t.co/GAYm4jT6bu pic.twitter.com/y3CfaWf4Vo
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) June 30, 2026
Clifton, Haula, and Stenlund are all penalty killers. The Canucks ranked dead-last in penalty-kill percentage (71.5) last season, so they could certainly use help in that area.
Haula is the most accomplished player, Dhaliwal mentioned on Tuesday. The 35-year-old Finnish forward scored 38 points (14-24-38) in 81 games with Nashville last season. He was the Predators’ most-used forward on the penalty kill, which was ranked fifth in the NHL last season.
Stenlund is a 29-year-old Swedish centre who scored 18 points (4-14-18) in 80 games with Utah last season. The 6-foot-3 forward scored a career high 28 points (14-14-28) in 2024-25. Stenlund was Utah’s most relied upon forward on the penalty kill.
Viel is a physical forward coming off an impressive playoffs with the Ducks. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 214 pounds, he’d provide some much-needed muscle up front. He is a bit of a late bloomer, however, appearing in a career-high 45 games last season, scoring 10 points (3-7-10).