On Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, Cole McWard is expected to make his NHL debut for the Vancouver Canucks.
If he does, he’ll be the 16th defenceman the Canucks have used this season.
If that seems like a lot, it’s because it is. NHL teams have used an average of ten defencemen this season and no other team has used more than 13.
Three teams — the Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, and Washington Capitals — have used 13 defencemen. Barring a late-season run by the Senators and an absurd amount of luck, all three will be missing the playoffs like the Canucks.
Two of the defencemen used by the Canucks, Luke Schenn and Riley Stillman, were traded away midseason but the biggest reason the Canucks have used so many defencemen is because of a slew of injuries. Seven defencemen are currently out with injuries, forcing the Canucks to immediately throw in a free agent signing out of college like McWard after already doing so with Akito Hirose.
The additions of Hirose and McWard haven’t just provided the immediate help the Canucks needed while dealing with injuries; they have also bolstered the Canucks’ depth on defence for the future.
“If they make a mistake, they make a mistake”
Hirose has shown well in his first two games but it’s difficult to assess what role he and McWard will play for the Canucks down the road.
“These guys are going in the lineup for their first NHL game — you’ve got to be careful how you evaluate,” said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. “[McWard has] presence, a right-handed shot, he’s got some good hands. Those are good things to start, with a defenceman — good feet and what is he, 6’2”, 200-something lbs? Which is nice to have some guys that have that kind of weight on them.”
For the Canucks, these final games of the season present a chance to give players like Hirose and McWard a taste of NHL action, which is vital for giving them an understanding of what it will take for them to play consistently at that level.
“I think it’s important that these guys have had a taste and now they have to go hone their skills, they have to get their body right for the NHL level,” said Tocchet, later adding, “We’ve got to get them out there too, we can’t just play Hughesy all night. You’ve got to let these guys feel it — put them in some situations and if they make a mistake, they make a mistake.”
Part of the pitch for signing college free agents is selling them on the opportunity they’ll have and both Hirose and McWard getting NHL games immediately represents only a small piece of that opportunity. Their long-term opportunity depends on how they play, how they train, and what happens to the rest of the Canucks’ defensive depth.
Canucks have 24 defencemen in the system
The Canucks currently have 24 defencemen on their roster or in their system — 13 left-shot defencemen and 11 right-shot defencemen.
Just four of those 24 defencemen will be exempt from waivers next season, with their names listed in bold: Hirose, McWard, Kirill Kudryavtsev, and Filip Johansson.
This list of 24 defencemen includes six prospects who are not currently signed to an NHL contract (highlighted in red), some of whom may never sign with the Canucks.
It also includes seven defencemen who do not have contracts for next season, highlighted in yellow. Five of those defencemen are restricted free agents, with the Canucks holding their exclusive negotiating rights: Ethan Bear, Travis Dermott, Hirose, Noah Juulsen, and Jett Woo.
That leaves two defencemen who will be unrestricted free agents if not re-signed by the Canucks, both on the right side: Kyle Burroughs and Brady Keeper.
There are also a couple of players with an uncertain future due to injuries: Dermott and Tucker Poolman.
Dermott played just 11 games for the Canucks this season after suffering a concussion during preseason training. It’s unclear if his return to the injured reserve list after appearing in those 11 games was concussion related as the Canucks have not been particularly forthright with injury details.
While Dermott will likely return to action next season, it’s less certain that Poolman will do so. Poolman played three games this season as he continued to deal with debilitating migraine headaches. It’s still unclear what his timeline to return could look like if he returns at all.
Where do Hirose and McWard fit on the depth chart?
Barring any other changes, the top pairing for the Canucks will likely be Quinn Hughes and Ethan Bear, with Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Filip Hronek on the second pair. If Dermott is healthy, he’ll likely be on the third pair with Tyler Myers, though Christian Wolanin showed that he could battle for that spot on the left side.
If Burroughs re-signs, he’s a good bet to be the seventh defenceman, as he plays a pretty reliable game and can play both sides of the ice.
With everyone healthy, Hirose and McWard likely land at sixth on the depth chart for their respective positions. They’re both exempt from waivers, so it makes it easy for them to start next season in the AHL.
That said, expecting everyone to be healthy seems foolish. Hirose could end up battling for the third spot on the left side with Christian Wolanin and Jack Rathbone if Dermott isn’t healthy. The right side could be up in the air if Burroughs doesn’t re-sign, so perhaps McWard will battle with Noah Juulsen to be the seventh defenceman.
Then there’s the wild card of Filip Johansson, the 23-year-old former first-round pick who put together a solid season in the SHL for Frolunda and is expected to come over to North America next season.
Of course, all of this could be turned topsy-turvy in the offseason if the Canucks do something drastic like buy out Oliver Ekman-Larsson and sign another defenceman or two in free agency.
