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Vancouver Canucks Quick Hits: Boeser, Kuzmenko, Rathbone & Lockwood

The Vancouver Canucks made a large number of signings over the past two weeks. Who did they sign? What might this mean to the team?

In this edition of Quick Hits, I’ll look at what’s happening with the Vancouver Canucks. The biggest news today is that Brock Boeser has been re-signed for a three-year contract extension valued at $6.65 million per season yesterday.

However, he’s not the only signee the Canucks have had. In this post, I’ll try to help Canucks’ fans stay up-to-date with what’s happening with the team. Also signed last week was Andrei Kuzmenko, who played successfully in the KHL.

Related: Brock Boeser Signs 3-Year Extension with Canucks

Quick Hit One: Brock Boeser Signs Three-Year Contract Extension

Brock Boeser signed a three-year, $6.65 million per season extension with the Canucks yesterday. Interestingly, it came after his worst season with the team. His career average is 0.83 points per game; however, last season Boeser averaged quite a bit lower than that. In 71 games played, he scored only 46 points. That’s only 0.65 points per game.

Boeser Miller Canucks trade rumors
Boeser Miller Canucks trade rumors

With his signing, the 25-year-old Boeser won’t become an RFA (restricted free agent). Instead, he’s now signed until the end of the 2024-25 season. His contract calls for him to get a raise, but less than $1 million more per season. With the fate of J.T. Miller up in the air, it isn’t clear where Boeser will play. However, he’s seen as a top-six forward and will line up one of the team’s first two lines.

Quick Hit Two: William Lockwood Signed a Two-Way Contract with the Canucks Yesterday

The Canucks also signed William Lockwood to a two-way contract on Friday. Lockwood played most of the 2021-22 season with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate the Abbotsford Canucks. In 46 games played there, he totaled 25 points.

Toward the end of the 2021-22 season, Lockwood also played 13 NHL games with the Canucks, but he went scoreless in those games. Canucks’ fans should expect him to play the majority of his games next season in nearby Abbotsford.

Quick Hit Three: Noah Juulsen Also Signs Two-Way Contract with the Canucks Yesterday

Yesterday, Noah Juulsen also signed a two-way contract with the Canucks. The 25-year-old right-shot defenseman from nearby Surrey, British Columbia, spent most of the 2021-22 campaign in AHL Abbotsford. In 50 games there, he scored 16 points.

However, Juulesn also played eight games with the Canucks last season and picked up two assists in those games. He’s likely to spend most of his time with the AHL’s Canucks again next season unless there’s an injury he can cover.

Quick Hit Four: Jack Rathbone Signs a Two-Year, One-Way Contract with the Canucks

It seems as if the Canucks have decided that Jack Rathbone should have a solid chance to make the big club out of training camp. The team signed him to a two-year, one-way contract that pays him $850,000 whether he plays in the NHL or the AHL.

That the team signed a one-way deal instead of a two-way deal suggests that he’ll likely spend most of his time with the NHL club. The 23-year-old left-shot defenseman didn’t score in nine NHL games last season but made the AHL’s All-Rookie team. He’s a former Harvard University captain and was the Canucks fourth-round (#95 overall) choice in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Quick Hit Five: The Canucks Haven’t Given Up on John Stevens Quite Yet

Early last week, the Canucks also re-signed 28-year-old John Stevens. Stevens has been kicking around the minors for several seasons – his last six in the AHL. However, his first season with Abbotsford was his best yet. As a result, the Canucks re-signed him for another chance.

Should Stevens make the Canucks NHL roster one day soon, it might be a surprise. That said, his scoring improved greatly last season, and he put up 19 goals and 24 assists in 68 AHL games. Thus far, Stevens hasn’t been able to earn an invitation to the big club and still is awaiting his NHL debut.

Quick Hit Six: Andrei Kuzmenko Signs NHL Contract with the Canucks

Just over a week ago, the KHL’s Andrei Kuzmenko finally decided what NHL team he’d sign with. It was the Canucks. His signing is big news because – given his success in the KHL – Kuzmenko will likely make the Canucks’ opening game lineup.

Last season, he scored 20 goals and 33 assists (for 53 points) in 45 KHL games with St. Petersburg SKA. The 26-year-old winger has a good chance of being immediately in the team’s top-six forwards. If he can score in the NHL as he did in the KHL, the Canucks will immediately become a stronger team. Kuzmenko could be a player to watch with the Canucks.

Related: Steve Yzerman Names Derek Lalonde as Red Wings’ Head Coach

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