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Mikael Granlund, Dallas Stars (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

3 Centers the Canucks Should Target in Free Agency

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Matthew Zator | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 11:25 AM ET

It’s crazy to think that just a year ago, the Vancouver Canucks had the enviable four-center punch of J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, Elias Lindholm and Teddy Blueger. And before that, they had Miller, Pettersson and Bo Horvat. Basically, they had the center depth of a Stanley Cup contender. Now, not so much, as they now have Pettersson (who is a shadow of the 102-point man from 2022-23), the oft-injured Filip Chytil, soon-to-be free agent Pius Suter, and the aforementioned Blueger as their four centers. If Suter leaves on July 1, which is looking more and more likely, they will be faced with filling a big hole in the top-six.

So, with free agency kicking off on Tuesday and the offseason in full swing following the 2025 NHL Draft, let’s take a look at some targets the Canucks should be looking at to fill that void.

Mikael Granlund

With Matt Duchene, Claude Giroux, John Tavares, Brock Nelson, and Sam Bennett re-signing with their original teams, Mikael Granlund is now the top center on the free agent market. It is unlikely he will return to the Dallas Stars with their cap situation, so he will go to the highest bidder on July 1. Split between the Stars and San Jose Sharks this season, he had his most productive campaign since 2016-17 when he was with the Minnesota Wild, scoring 22 goals and 66 points in 83 games.

Granlund looked dominant at times on the Stars’ top line with Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen in the playoffs, flashing his mid-20s form when he was with the Wild, playing in all situations and scoring four goals in 13 games. And the Canucks know full well how he can take over a game, as they saw it firsthand a couple times – his first-career hat trick on Feb. 4, 2017 as part of a 12-game point streak, and most recently on Nov. 25, 2023 when he went coast-to-coast for his first of the season with the Sharks. Furthermore, they would be taking a Canuck killer off the board as he has feasted on them over the years with 11 goals and 35 points in 35 games.

Granlund is 32 years old and shouldn’t garner a long-term deal, but given the low supply and high demand for top-six centers, a bidding war may push his price tag too high for the Canucks liking. AFP Analytics is predicting two years at $4.975 million average annual value (AAV), which is reasonable, but I have a feeling it will push closer to $5.5 million when all is said and done.

The Canucks are balking at $4.5 million AAV for Suter, so I doubt they will want to sign a similar (and older) player for anything more than that. Having said that, Granlund has a longer history of production in the NHL, while Suter only has one 20-plus goal season on his resume. As a result, they might be willing to go higher given the lower risk.

Jack Roslovic

Jack Roslovic had a massive bounceback season in 2024-25 with the Carolina Hurricanes, matching his career-high in goals from 2021-22 when he was with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 2015 first-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets has had an up-and-down career so far, but is still only 28 years old and won’t be demanding a whole lot in free agency. AFP Analytics is projecting a $4.094 million AAV cap hit, which, considering Brock Boeser’s $8.459 million AAV projection for only three more goals, seems like a bargain.

Jack Roslovic of the Carolina Hurricanes reacts after scoring a goal during the second period of Game Three of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images)

The difference is, Roslovic only has two 20-goal seasons under his belt, while Boeser has six. Regardless, he could be a value signing that might pay off if he buys into head coach Adam Foote’s system, like he did in Carolina with Rod Brind’Amour. His analytics were pretty strong with a 57.7 Corsi for percentage (CF%), and he had a career-high 54.1 faceoff win percentage, although he only took 355 faceoffs compared to the 610 on average he took in Columbus. Before this season, he hadn’t eclipsed 50 percent, which could be a concern if he’s pushed back into a regular role in the dot.

Nick Bjugstad

While he’s not the high-end youngster the Canucks were always interested in when former general manager (GM) Mike Gillis was in charge, Nick Bjugstad is still a valuable top-nine center to have in the lineup. He is only one season removed from scoring 22 goals and would bring size (6-foot-5, 205 pounds), physicality (1,218 career hits) and a solid two-way game at a low cap hit. He’s projected to sign a two-year $2.325 million AAV contract, which would be the lowest of the three options mentioned in this article.

Nick Bjugstad, Utah Hockey Club (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Bjugstad has a history of scoring goals, but those 22 he scored in 2023-24 were only his second double-digit total he had since 2018-19, when he had 14. So, while he would be the cheapest signing, he would just add to the unknowns they already have in the mix with Chytil and Aatu Raty. But I guess you could say the same about Roslovic, too. Unfortunately, this is what the Canucks face in the free agent market, players that you hope can become the next Kiefer Sherwood or Dakota Joshua – bargain-basement signings that ended up overachieving with a bigger opportunity.

Canucks Might Have to Bet on In-House Options

With the free agent market’s nearly out-of-stock shelf of top-six centers and GM Patrik Allvin admitting the trade route has been tough to navigate, the Canucks might be stuck with hoping they already have the solution in-house. If healthy, Chytil could be the second-line center with Raty challenging him on the third line. Chytil was a big playdriver in transition before he was hurt against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 15, and was starting to form chemistry with Drew O’Connor. Evander Kane, Jake DeBrusk or Jonathan Lekkerimaki could join them and create an okay second line – not Stanley Cup worthy – but possibly playoff-calibre. Raty was also a standout with Sherwood and Joshua, which would leave Conor Garland to join Elias Pettersson and DeBrusk/Kane on the top line. That’s not a horrible top nine, but we will see what Allvin has up his sleeve. He did say he was going to “be creative and find ways to get a centre.” How creative remains to be seen.

We will find out soon enough, as the real offseason begins on Tuesday. Stay tuned, and keep following us at The Hockey Writers for all your news and rumours throughout the crazy season that is July and August.