The Vancouver Canucks have a difficult decision to make with pending free agent Dakota Joshua.
The 28-year-old had his breakout season at an opportune time and is now due for a big raise on the $825,000 he made last year. But the Canucks are strapped for cap space and might not be able to offer that raise.
If the Canucks do decide to move on from Joshua, they’ll sorely miss his combination of physicality and scoring touch. While it might be difficult to find one player who brings that unique skillset in free agency, there are some intriguing options who can give it a shot.
Here are seven pending free agents who could help the Canucks replace Joshua’s impact if he were to walk in free agency.
1. Danton Heinen
- 2023-24 stats: 74 GP, 17 G, 19 A, 36 PTS
- Age: 28
- Shoots: Left
- Last year’s AAV: $775,000
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 195 lbs
Danton Heinen is another player who earned himself a big raise last season with numbers that look very similar to Joshua’s.
Born in Langley, a homecoming for Heinen would give the Canucks another effective bottom-six option. He has four seasons with double-digit goals, giving him a longer track record than someone like Joshua.
2. Michael Amadio
- 2023-24 stats: 73 GP, 14 G, 13 A, 27 PTS
- Age: 28
- Shoots: Right
- Last year’s AAV: $762,500
- Height: 6-foot-1
- Weight: 200 lbs
Perhaps the least physical player on this list, Michael Amadio will be a coveted name in free agency this year. He has three straight seasons with at least 10 goals despite not getting many minutes for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Amadio is skilled and has the size to impose his will on the game. He can play centre as well as on the wing and would be a great swiss-army knife, similar to Pius Suter in that sense, that the Canucks can deploy.
3. Yakov Trenin
- 2023-24 stats: 76 GP, 12 G, 5 A, 17 PTS
- Age: 27
- Shoots: Left
- Last year’s AAV: $1.7 million
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 201 lbs
Yakov Trenin is another heavy forward who will be available on July 1. He has three straight seasons with at least 12 goals and flirted with the 20-goal mark not too long ago.
If you’re looking for a player under 30 years old who throws the body and has a scoring touch, Trenin should be near the top of the list.
4. Kiefer Sherwood
- 2023-24 stats: 68 GP, 10 G, 17 A, 27 PTS
- Age: 29
- Shoots: Right
- Last year’s AAV: $775,000
- Height: 6-foot-0
- Weight: 194 lbs
Kiefer Sherwood is a great forechecker who loves to throw the body and managed to produce 27 points this season. If the Nashville Predators don’t re-sign him, the Canucks should be all over Sherwood to add to their bottom-six.
5. William Carrier
- 2023-24 stats: 39 GP, 6 G, 2 A, 8 PTS
- Age: 29
- Shoots: Left
- Last year’s AAV: $1.4 million
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 220 lbs
William Carrier, the longtime Vegas Golden Knight, will likely hit the free agency market this summer, and the rugged forward should have his fair share of suitors. While he missed most of this season with injury, he still scored at a double-digit pace. He set career-highs with 16 goals and 25 points the year before last.
Carrier can kill penalties and has the perfect combination of size and speed to be a true pest. He’s a great bottom-six player, and there’s a reason the Golden Knights gave him a four-year deal, which has now ended.
6. Brandon Duhaime
- 2023-24 stats: 80 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 PTS
- Age: 27
- Shoots: Left
- Last year’s AAV: $1.1 million
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 200 lbs
Brandon Duhaime is another rugged, physical, bottom-six winger who could make a lot of sense for the Canucks. He was acquired by the Colorado Avalanche this year to help them with their playoff run and is a bottom-six player teams covet.
This is a player that the Canucks have been connected to in the past, as there were rumours he was a trade deadline target. Management clearly had interest at one point so it seems logical they could revisit acquiring the player this summer.
7. Nicolas Aubé-Kubel
- 2023-24 stats: 60 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 16 PTS
- Age: 28
- Shoots: Right
- Last year’s AAV: $1.225 million
- Height: 6-foot
- Weight: 207 lbs
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel is a journeyman who has already played for four different teams in his career. He’s a strong forechecker and someone who usually grades out well on most defensive metrics.
While he had just six goals last season, he’s broken the double-digit mark in the past and could provide some of that depth scoring the Canucks are looking for.