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A former first round pick has been named as a potential free agent target for the Vancouver Canucks and General Manager Patrik Allvin this summer.
As the offseason continues, teams around the National Hockey League are still looking to add to their respective rosters and with the free agent market quite thin, we could see an influx of trades throughout August and leading up to training camp in mid-September.
“It may be mid-summer, but #Canucks management isn’t “off to the cottage” just yet.
Hear the club is monitoring a couple of the UFA options still on the market. No surprise given their recent history.
VAN needs to move out cap dollars first, + they’re actively working to do so.” Drance said.
Former first round pick named as potential free agent target for Vancouver Canucks
After clearing up an additional $3.25 million in cap space for the 2025-26 season by dealing Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Vancouver Canucks now have the opportunity to add another player to their roster, but it’s unclear whether it’ll come from the free agent market or through another trade.
In recent weeks, the Canucks have been linked to Jack Roslovic, who tied a career-high in goals last season, but with several other teams also pursuing him, Patrik Allvin may need to shift his attention elsewhere in order to land the help he desires.
While there aren’t necessarily any big names remaining on the free agent market this summer, there are a handful of players that could be intriguing options for Vancouver’s bottom-six and in a recent article on Canucks Army, Stephan Roget took a look at a handful that the team could target in the weeks ahead.
Among the names that Roget mentioned is Luke Kunin, a former first round pick of the Minnesota Wild who has 434 games of NHL experience under his belt with the aforementioned Wild, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets.
“In the ongoing search for centre depth, Kunin is probably the most centre-y centre left available. Already on his seventh NHL season, the former 15th overall selection in the 2016 Entry Draft has never come close to living up to those expectations, and has not ever cracked 20 goals, either. But he has developed a nice as a rough-and-tumble bottom-six grinder who can occasionally put up offence.” Roget said.
Kunin, a native of Chesterfield, Missouri, started the 2024-25 season with the San Jose Sharks before they dealt him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a fourth round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
The 27-year-old didn’t have a great time with the Blue Jackets, going point-less in 12 games, but prior to the trade, he looked pretty good in a reduced role for the Sharks, registering 11 goals and 18 points in 63 games.
If the Vancouver Canucks were to try and bring Luke Kunin to British Columbia, it likely would be at a relatively cheap cost, probably around $1 million, on a one-year deal.
Previously on CanucksDaily
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Former First-Round Pick Suddenly Emerges as Option for the Vancouver Canucks
Should the Vancouver Canucks try to sign Luke Kunin this summer?