The NHL free agency market opens up on July 1, and the Vancouver Canucks will be shopping for a top-six winger. Their 2024 Stanley Cup Playoff run showed the club lacked a winger to play alongside Elias Pettersson.
Although the Canucks have the option to trade for a winger before free agency, it is easier to sign one. The Canucks have two high-end wingers they can add and another familiar face as well. Here are three top-six wingers for the organization to target on July 1.
Jake Guentzel
The Canucks were one of the teams interested in trading for Jake Guentzel during the regular season. Instead, the club traded for Elias Lindholm, while the Pittsburgh Penguins traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes. Now an unrestricted free agent (UFA) for the first time in his career, the American winger will look for his first big payday.
President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford, general manager Patrik Allvin and head coach Rick Tocchet are all familiar with Guentzel, which is why the club was interested in acquiring him during the regular season. Through eight seasons with the Penguins, he scored 219 goals and posted 466 points in 503 games, while scoring eight goals and posting 25 points through 17 games with the Hurricanes this season. He has scored 40 goals twice in his career and reached the 30-goal mark twice as well. He is also a playoff performer, winning a Stanley Cup in 2017 and has scored 38 goals and posted 67 points in 69 postseason games.
Signing Guentzel will be a complete game-changer if the Canucks can get it done. The 29-year-old will provide the club with the extra scoring punch they need, especially in the postseason. However, he is in the prime of his career and will ask for a massive payday. He is expected to earn a contract with a cap hit north of $8.5 million for close to eight years. The Canucks could pull that off depending on how their offseason goes, if not the club will have to start looking elsewhere.
Sam Reinhart
The Florida Panthers are in the Stanley Cup Final and Sam Reinhart has played a large role in the club making it. He recorded a career-high 57 goals and posted 94 points through 82 games during the regular season. Through the first three rounds of the playoffs, he has scored eight goals and posted 12 points through 17 games.
The West Vancouver native likely priced himself out of Florida, as the club has $19.717 million in cap space this offseason and 10 UFAs. Therefore, the Canucks could target the hometown product as he fits the club’s needs. Although Reinhart has played on the wing this season, he can also play at centre. That versatility along with his career year will likely lead to him commanding a long-term deal with a cap hit around $9 million. Whether the Canucks are interested in paying him $9 million a year is yet to be seen. However, there is still a chance the 29-year-old takes a hometown discount with the Canucks.
Tyler Toffoli
The Canucks traded for Tyler Toffoli before the 2019-20 trade deadline. The forward scored six goals and posted 10 points in the 10 games he played, showing chemistry playing alongside Pettersson. However, the Canucks failed to re-sign the winger, as he joined the Montreal Canadiens and scored 28 goals in 52 games. Toffoli is coming off back-to-back 30-goal seasons and will be a UFA.
Toffoli will likely be on the Canucks target list this offseason. While Guentzel and Reinhart are game-changing signings, Toffoli is a reliable winger and already has chemistry with the Canucks top players. Additionally, he’ll come at a cheaper price point and will provide the team with what they need.
Canucks Have Expensive and Cheaper Options at Wing
The Canucks need a top-six winger and have options through free agency. They can add an expensive winger, which might be tough in either Guentzel or Reinhart. Guentzel has shown he’s an elite winger in the NHL and steps up in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Reinhart can play at the wing or centre and is coming off a career year. The B.C. native could take a hometown discount if he chooses to sign with the Canucks. The cheaper and more likely option is Toffoli. The forward became a fan favourite in his quick stint with the club before taking off and still has the skills to help Vancouver. Nonetheless, the organization has options in free agency to address their need for a top-six winger.
