The Vancouver Canucks didn’t waste any time restocking their defense. After sending Marcus Pettersson to the New York Rangers on the first day of free agency, the team went out and signed a familiar face in Luke Schenn. But they weren’t done yet.
New general manager Ryan Johnson kept his foot on the gas. He brought in Jamie Oleksiak, a towering defenseman who spent the last few seasons in Seattle, on a two-year deal worth $5 million total. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman broke the news on social media, keeping it short: “Jamie Oleksiak, 2 x $5M. Vancouver.”
Size and Physicality Were the Priorities
Johnson made it clear what they were after. In a statement released through the team, he talked up Oleksiak’s frame and mobility. “Jamie is a big body who moves very well on the ice,” Johnson said. “He’s a solid two-way defenceman who isn’t afraid to use his size and strength to his advantage, and we like his reach and athleticism.”
That size thing isn’t just talk. Oleksiak stands 6-foot-7 and plays like it. He’s not the flashiest guy on the blue line but he clears the net front and clobbers people along the boards. And the Canucks need that. Losing Pettersson meant losing a reliable minutes-eater, and Schenn alone wasn’t going to fix everything.
What Oleksiak Brings Statistically
Last season with the Kraken, he put up 15 points in 78 games — five goals and 10 assists. Nothing that jumps off the page offensively, but that’s not why they signed him. The Canucks are trying to build a defense that’s harder to play against, and Oleksiak fits that mold.
He’s been around the league a while too. Dallas drafted him 14th overall in 2011, and he bounced from the Stars to Pittsburgh and back to Dallas before Seattle grabbed him in the 2021 expansion draft. The Kraken gave him a five-year, $23 million deal, and now he’s heading to Vancouver for a shorter commitment at a lower cap hit.
In 758 NHL games, Oleksiak has 45 goals and 116 assists. That’s not bad for a guy who spends most of his nights in the defensive zone or the penalty box.
Depth Move With a Purpose
Johnson also said Oleksiak has grown into a leader in the locker room, which matters for a team trying to find its identity after a couple of up-and-down seasons. “Adding him to the mix on the backend will help us in many positive ways,” he added.
The Canucks don’t have a star-studded blue line right now, but they’ve got size and a willingness to grind. Oleksiak gives them that. Whether he’s the long-term answer for what they lost in Pettersson remains to be seen, but for two years at $5 million, the risk is minimal.
Sometimes you just need a big body who isn’t afraid to get dirty.
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