New Vancouver Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson has not yet made a significant splash in free agency this summer. So far, the new exec has mostly focused on bringing in depth players. Veterans Brendan Gallagher, Luke Schenn, and Paul Cotter have all been added to the roster.
Vancouver has, however, also subtracted several former key players such as Evander Kane, Marcus Pettersson, and Teddy Blueger. These alterations seem to make it difficult for the Canucks to take a substantial step forward in 2026-27. Nevertheless, Johnson and Co. still have time and money to bring in a quality player this summer.
Ryan Clark of The Hockey Writers believes the Canucks should be targeting Eeli Tolvanen. The former first-round draft pick recently recorded 12 goals and 24 assists (36 points) in 78 games with the Seattle Kraken. Vancouver could certainly use more offense on their roster. In fact, only the Calgary Flames scored fewer goals than the Canucks during the 2025-26 campaign.
Not only would Tolvanen help boost the Vancouver Canucks with the puck, but he also excels on the forecheck. As Clark puts it, the Finn “hits, and hits, and hits, and hits.” His 187 hits last season were nearly the most among Kraken players. Vancouver’s top performer in this specific category was Kiefer Sherwood, and the forward only played 44 games before being traded. If signed, Tolvanen would essentially become the new Sherwood with the Canucks.
Vancouver Canucks Have Plenty of Cap Space to Sign Eeli Tolvanen
GettyThe Vancouver Canucks need extra offense and have the cap space to sign Eeli Tolvanen.
Tolvanen remaining unsigned at this point in the summer seems a bit strange. After all, the forward is one of the younger quality unrestricted free agents remaining. The Athletic’s Chris Johnston previously ranked the Finn as the 25th-best UFA player in the market. The NHL reporter also predicted that the former Kraken star would receive a new deal in the neighborhood of two years, $7.2 million ($3.6 million AAV).
If this projection is accurate, the Vancouver Canucks can quite easily make Tolvanen a suitable offer. According to PuckPedia.com, the club has nearly $18 million in projected cap space. Only two other teams have more available funds at the moment. Vancouver also has a full NHL roster, so they do not necessarily have to set money aside to address major holes.
As of August 7, Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson rated Tolvanen as the second-best available free agent. 34-year-old Vladimir Tarasenko is the only UFA ahead of the Finn in the rankings. The Vancouver Canucks, however, are far more likely to target the former Kraken star, though. Tolvanen is just 27 and would fit in better with Vancouver’s long-term plans than the aging Russian.
Morale in Vancouver is Extremely Low
The Vancouver Canucks are not expected to be super competitive in the upcoming season. In fact, many NHL fans believe that the club will not come close to winning a Stanley Cup trophy in the next decade. According to a survey by The Athletic, the Canucks received the most votes when asked which NHL team will not win a title before 2036.
Despite this, Johnson should look to avoid having the worst record in the league once again. Potentially signing Tolvanen may not make Vancouver a playoff team, but it could give the roster a decent boost moving forward.
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