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Canucks sign former Team Canada hero in free agency

Rob Williams
Rob Williams
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Jul 1 2026, 6:23 pm
Canucks sign former Team Canada hero in free agency
David Gonzales/Imagn Images

The Vancouver Canucks have signed their third player of the day in free agency.

Akil Thomas has signed a one-year, two-way contract, the team announced. He’ll earn $900,000 at the NHL level and $375,000 in the minors, per PuckPedia.

Because it’s a two-way contract, we could see Thomas in Abbotsford next season, though he’ll surely get a chance to make the big club as well.

The 26-year-old forward was a second-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Kings in 2018, but has failed to make his mark in the NHL. Thomas has just 32 games of NHL experience, all with the Kings, and played the entirety of last season in the AHL. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues in December.

The Toronto native has posted good numbers in the AHL, notching 22 points in 39 games last season. He also put up 46 points in 64 AHL games in 2023-24.

Thomas will forever be remembered for what he did at the World Juniors in 2020, scoring a gorgeous game-winning goal against Russia with under four minutes left in the gold medal game.

The Thomas signing comes on a very busy day for new Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson, who signed Paul Cotter and Luke Schenn earlier in the day.

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