8 underused young defenceman Canucks should look at trading for

Feb 24 2023, 6:15 pm

Good defencemen are hard to find. Just ask the Vancouver Canucks.

The multi-million dollar question remains. How will the Canucks actually fix their defence?

One option for the Canucks is to seek out players who have flashed some defensive ability, but for whatever reason have fallen out of favour with their organization.

A perfect example of this was when the New Jersey Devils acquired 23-year-old Jonas Siegenthaler from the Washington Capitals in 2021. The Swiss defender had posted strong underlying numbers but was lacking opportunity. Since the trade, he’s blossomed as one of the best defensive defencemen in the NHL, playing in a top-four role this season with the Devils.

The Canucks have already made three such moves during general manager Patrik Allvin’s tenure by acquiring Travis Dermott, Riley Stillman, and Ethan Bear.

That trio has provided mixed results, but the Canucks would be wise to keep looking for diamonds in the rough.

Here are eight defencemen in their early-to-mid-20s who could benefit from a change of scenery with the Canucks.

1. Dylan Coghlan (Carolina Hurricanes)

  • 2022-23 stats: 16 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3 PTS
  • Age: 25
  • Cap hit: $762,500 (RFA at the end of this season)

Duncan, BC native Dylan Coghlan was traded from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Carolina Hurricanes in the summer, along with Max Pacioretty, for “future considerations.”

His ice time has decreased in Carolina, and he’s been passed on Carolina’s depth chart by former Canuck Jalen Chatfield.

Coghlan’s 65.8% shot attempt differential is best among any Hurricanes player this season, and he’s posted good underlying numbers throughout his 104-game NHL career.

2. Jakub Zboril (Boston Bruins)

  • 2022-23 stats: 14 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 PTS
  • Age: 26
  • Cap hit: $1.137 million (UFA in 2024)

Jakub Zboril was the first of three consecutive and infamous first-round picks by the Boston Bruins in 2015. He was selected ahead of players like Kyle Connor, Mat Barzal, and Thomas Chabot.

Zboril last played regularly in 2020-21 but since then, he’s been a regular healthy scratch. The 26-year-old has played once in the Bruins last 36 games.

Since the beginning of 2020-21, Zboril has been on the ice for the lowest number of shot attempts per 60 on the Bruins, aside from only Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. When in the lineup, he’s also been a regular on the penalty kill.

3. Ville Heinola (Winnipeg Jets)

  • 2022-23 stats: 10 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 PTS
  • Age: 21
  • Cap hit: $863,333 (RFA in 2024)

The youngest player on this list, Ville Heinola, has spent parts of four seasons playing in call-up duty for the Winnipeg Jets.

He’s played 35 NHL games, but never more than 12 in one season.

Heinola has struggled at the NHL level, but he’s dominated everywhere else. The left-shot defender currently has 24 points in 26 AHL games.

With the Jets in win-now mode, it’s worth wondering if Heinola can be pried out of Winnipeg.

4. Kaedan Korczak (Vegas Golden Knights)

  • 2022-23 stats: 10 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS
  • Age: 22
  • Cap hit: $789,167 (RFA in 2024)

Back in 2019, reports suggested that Jim Benning wanted to draft big, right-shot defenceman Kaedan Korzcak ahead of Nils Hƶglander.

The Canucks ended up selecting Hƶglander 40th overall. Korczak was selected by Vegas with the next pick.

The 6-foot-3, 202-pound defenceman has played 11 career NHL games with good underlying numbers. He has no clear path to playing time with Vegas in the near future, with Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, and Zach Whitecloud locked in on the right side. Russian rookie Danill Miromanov has also surpassed Korczak on the depth chart.

5. Cal Foote (Tampa Bay Lightning)

  • 2022-23 stats: 25 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 PTS
  • Age: 24
  • Cap hit: $850,000 (RFA at the end of this season)

Unlike the other players mentioned so far, Cal Foote doesn’t have a great underlying statistical profile.

He’s also been surpassed on the depth chart by another 24-year-old right-shot defender Nick Perbix.

Perhaps a change of scenery could flip his NHL fortunes. And, his father, Adam Foote, is also an assistant coach on the Canucks bench.

6. Kevin Bahl (New Jersey Devils)

  • 2022-23 stats: 21 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS
  • Age: 22
  • Cap hit: $795,000 (RFA at the end of this season)

On a rising New Jersey Devils team, Kevin Bahl has seen his minutes decline.

Despite averaging 16:05 per game during NHL action in his first two seasons, Bahl has averaged just 12:20 per night.

The towering defender (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) could be in tough to carve out a regular, full-time role in New Jersey. The Devils have one of the best prospect pools on defence in the NHL.

Bahl, a New Westminster native, has posted strong underlying numbers in sheltered minutes this season.

7. Jacob Moverare (Los Angeles Kings)

  • 2022-23 stats: 2 GP, 0 G,Ā  A, 0 PTS
  • Age: 24
  • Cap hit: $762,500 (RFA in 2024)

Like New Jersey, the Los Angeles Kings have a wealth of defensive prospects. They won’t have enough room for all of them at the NHL level.

Jacob Moverare is an under-the-radar defender who has a good underlying statistical profile in 21 career NHL games. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Swede played 19 of them last season while the Kings were fighting for a playoff spot. However, he’s been passed on the left-side depth chart by 21-year-old Tobias Bjornfot.

8. Dante Fabbro (Nashville Predators)

  • 2022-23 stats: 57 GP, 1 G, 7 A, 8 PTS
  • Age: 24
  • Cap hit: $2.4 million (RFA at the end of this season)

The most expensive player on this list should be a familiar one to Canucks fans.

New Westminster native Dante Fabbro has fallen out of favour with the Nashville Predators this season. Reports suggest they are trying to trade him.

After averaging over 19 minutes per game during his first three NHL seasons, Fabbro has now averaged just 16:02 per night in 2022-23.

The right-shot defender still has decent defensive metrics at five-on-five, although the Predators have been shelled with him on the ice while shorthanded.

Still, Fabbro is just one season removed from recording 23 even-strength points, which was good for 43rd among all defenceman. That ranked ahead of notable players like Zach Werenski, Moritz Seider, and Thomas Chabot.

Trevor BeggsTrevor Beggs

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