Vancouver Canucks are talking contract with Derek Forbort
The Vancouver Canucsk are trying to bring back at least one of their pending unrestricted free agents.
Derek Forbort is set to hit the open market on July 1. However, he might not get there as the Canucks and Forbort’s camp have talked about a new contract per CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal.
Forbort signed a one-year deal with the team last summer, and it worked out quite well. He finished this season with two goals and 11 points in 54 games, averaging 17:06 minutes per night.
It’s easy to see why the Canucks would want Forbort to return. He’s a strong veteran voice to have in the room and performed solidly at five-on-five. However, it’s on the penalty kill where Forbort made his biggest impact and really stood out.
With Forbort on the ice short-handed, the Canucks allowed just three goals per 60 minutes. That’s the best mark among all NHL defencemen with at least 100 minutes of short-handed ice time. His presence was a huge reason the Canucks penalty kill unit finished the season ranked third.
The 33-year-old fought through a ton of adversity this season. He stepped away from the team at the start of the year after his dad passed away. He then dealt with numerous injuries and eventually had his season ended when Minnesota Wild forward Yakov Trenin punched him in the face after a fight.
Forbort underwent surgery to repair a broken orbital bone suffered in that fight, per Dhaliwal. He’s expected to make a full recovery and should be ready to go next fall, no matter if he’s playing for the Canucks or someone else.
Derek Forbort had minor surgery to repair a broken bone in eye.
He is doing well.
I also believe some talks have taken place about re-signing him.#Canucks
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) April 22, 2025
The Canucks have an exciting group of young defencemen looking to break into the NHL. Elias Pettersson and Victor Mancini just wrapped up their rookie seasons and look ready to be full-timers next year. Kirill Kudryavtsev also impressed in a late-season audition, and Tom Willander could be joining the organization next season, although that remains up in the air. The Canucks need to insulate these players with veterans like Forbort and he proved he’s up to the task this year.
The Canucks defence has gone from a position of weakness to a position of strength. Bringing back Forbort would help solidify the group for next season and keep another veteran voice in the room.