The Vancouver Canucks added a mix of veteran leadership, experience, and organizational depth as they continue shaping their roster for the 2026-27 season.
Among the early additions were a familiar face, as defenceman Luke Schenn returns to Vancouver on a one-year contract. The Canucks also signed forward Paul Cotter to a one-year deal, forwards Akil Thomas and Trey Fix-Wolansky to a one-year, two-way contracts, and veteran defenceman Jamie Oleksiak to a two-year contract.
The Canucks traded Marcus Pettersson to the New York Rangers for a conditional first-round pick in the 2030 Draft.
General Manager Ryan Johnson addressed the moves, saying he was pleased with how the day went and his staff’s ability to be flexible when opportunities came up.
“It was a good day, like I’ve said, I wanted to be really strategic through this whole process,” Johnson said. “I felt with the people we’ve added in various ways are player profiles that I was looking at, but also the people and the character that I've made a priority, and I think people that at the end of the day want to be here in Vancouver, which was extremely important to me.”
Johnson said Schenn is a great ambassador for the game and can help bring a young team along.
Schenn played for the Canucks during the 2018-19 season and from 2021-23. He enjoyed his time in Vancouver and when the opportunity came up for him to come back, he wanted to make it happen.
“I care about the organization, I care about what they're doing right now in terms of the rebuild and where they're going, and I want to be a part of that, and I'm looking forward to it,” Schenn said.
The veteran defenceman has played 1,122 NHL games and has accumulated 212 points (45-167-212) through his 18-year career. With nearly two decades spent in the league, you cross paths with a lot of people, and Schenn and Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson already have a strong bond. Johnson was with the Utica Comets when Schenn was traded there from the Anaheim Ducks during the 2018-19 season.
“RJ was a huge part of why I'm even back in the NHL. When I got traded from Anaheim and had to start Utica, RJ was incredible. He was in my corner and trying to help get me back and push to get me back into the NHL and communicate with me, and obviously, then he was running Abbotsford when I was there the second time, and every time I would run into RJ throughout the course of the season, I always had a great chat with him, and really, really respect him,” Schenn said.
Schenn has also played for Head Coach Manny Malhotra in Vancouver and Toronto when Malhotra was an assistant for both organizations.
“I think Manny is super prepared in terms of video and pre-scout and reviewing games, but also a great communicator, easy to talk to, [a] motivator, and players really enjoyed playing for him,” he said.
“I'm just looking forward to coming to camp, having a good attitude, good work ethic, showing what compete is, and everything will take care of itself.”
To kick off free agency for the Canucks, Cotter was the first announced signing of the day. The 6’2”, 213-pound winger has five years of NHL experience with 296 games under his belt. Last season with the New Jersey Devils, Cotter had 15 points (9-6-15) through 79 games.
Johnson says Cotter’s style of play will fit into how Malhotra likes to play, and Cotter had versatility in his game.
“I love his speed. He's got size, he plays a physical game, and he's got a scoring touch that I still think he's done it, but it's still a little bit untapped at 26 years old there's upside. Excited to work with him, he's ecstatic to be coming here. It’s just a win-win. I think he's in a bit of a prove-it year for himself - he wants to prove some people wrong,” Johnson said.
Thomas was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round, 51st overall in the 2018 NHL Draft. He has played 196 AHL games between the Ontario Reign and Springfield Thunderbirds, putting up 115 points (55-60-115). In 32 NHL games for the Kings, Thomas had four goals and three assists.
Fix-Wolansky was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He played for Columbus’ AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, from 2019-25 and suited up for the Hartford Wolfpack last season. In 72 games with the Wolfpack, he tallied 55 points (31-24-55) leading the team in goals and points.
During his time with Columbus, Fix-Wolansky played in 26 NHL games, registering four goals and two assists.
“Depth is crucial through injuries, through movement and we want to make sure our young players in Abbotsford are insulated to their development and have people around them to support, so nobody understands that more than I. So, I think Rich [Seeley] has done a fantastic job in a very short amount of time of evaluating what we have and then adding pieces that will sustain us through a lot of different scenarios throughout the season,” Johnson said.
Through 14 years in the NHL, Oleksiak has played 758 NHL games and tallied 161 points (45-116-161). The 6’7” defenceman has spent the past five seasons with the Seattle Kraken after being claimed in the 2021 expansion draft.
