The Vancouver Canucks had two major needs going into the first day of free agency.
First, with the buyout of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the Canucks needed a top-four defenceman on the left side to play behind Quinn Hughes. Second, the Canucks needed a third-line centre after trading Bo Horvat last season.
The Canucks' first two signings addressed those two needs, as the Canucks signed two veterans: defenceman Ian Cole and centre Teddy Blueger. In addition, the Canucks signed Tristen Nielsen, who was a standout forward with the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL last season, to a two-year, entry-level contract.
The 34-year-old Cole, who played for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, was signed to a one-year, $3 million deal, which represents minimal risk for the Canucks. Cole was third in ice time on the Lightning defence, averaging 19:23 per game. While he provides little offensively, he's put up excellent defensive results and played a major role on the Lightning penalty kill.
Cole plays left-handed but has the versatility to play on the right side as well, meaning he could be a fit with either Quinn Hughes on the top pairing or Filip Hronek on the second pairing.
Cole was the subject of controversy this past season when anonymous allegations of sexual abuse were made on social media. The NHL investigated the allegations and were unable to make contact with the accuser or substantiate the allegations. Cole was temporarily suspended from the Lightning during the investigation but was reinstated when the NHL cleared him of wrongdoing.
Blueger is coming off a Stanley Cup win with the Vegas Golden Knights where he played a depth role after a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He received a one-year deal worth $1.9 million.
Like Cole, Blueger is a solid penalty killer but his underlying numbers are less impressive. The 28-year-old centre is known for his speed and can hold his own in the faceoff circle, winning 52.0% of his faceoffs last season.
Blueger is arguably a better fit as a fourth-line centre, as he doesn't necessarily match up well against tough competition but his speed adds a much-needed element to the Canucks' bottom six.
As for Nielsen, his contract is well deserved. The 23-year-old centre plays a hard-nosed game that could translate to a bottom-six role in the NHL. He put up 14 goals and 41 points in 64 AHL games last season, good for fourth on the Abbotsford Canucks.
