Although it is now August, plenty of quality defensemen remain on the free agent market, and one name that has been flying under the radar is Calvin de Haan. He completed his four-year, $18 million contract that he initially signed with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2018 but has been with the Chicago Blackhawks since 2019. Considering the Blackhawks’ total rebuild plan, it’s no surprise they chose not to re-sign the 31-year-old. Yet, he has some suitors, and one of the serious candidates is reportedly the Vancouver Canucks.
Canucks’ reporter Irfaan Gaffer recently came on the “The People’s Show” podcast on Sportsnet 650 to give an update on the Canucks’ supposed pursuit of de Haan:
“They have had some talks with Calvin de Haan’s camp. I’m not sure where that went. I think the de Haan camp was looking for more than a one-year deal. I don’t think the Canucks were looking to do that. It would probably be on some low money, not the $4.5 million he was making. I’d say anywhere between the 1 to less than $2 million range for a guy like him. But I think one of the two will circle back at some point. So that’s an interesting one to keep an eye on.”
Vancouver is a team that makes sense for de Haan. Their defense ranked eighth-best in the NHL last season, allowing 2.82 goals per game, and they would certainly like to build on that. The issue with de Haan has always been his health, as he has not played a full 82-game season since the 2016-17 season. Last season, he played 69 games, with his final stat line being 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points, and was a minus-21. He was third-best in the NHL in blocked shots with 172, and his four goals were significant as he was held to only one goal a season from 2017 to 2021.
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At this point, it can be presumed that his injury history is making the Canucks pause on the contract term. I believe a one-year deal for de Haan would be standard, especially because they are $2 million over the salary cap. Injuries aside, he is a serviceable defenseman who can be a good depth piece on the blue line, and that alone might be tempting enough for Vancouver to make this an official signing.
