Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced that the club has signed veteran defenseman Matt Irwin and goaltender Zach Sawchenko.
According to CapFriendly, both deals come in at $775,000 AAV and are two-way contracts.
Irwin, 35, spent the 2022-23 season with the Washington Capitals, where he registered two goals and three assists for five points in 61 games and added 36 penalty minutes.
The Victoria, British Columbia, product has bounced around throughout his career; he initially signed with the San Jose Sharks after a two-year stint at Umass in the NCAA. In 2011-12, Irwin spent the season in the American Hockey League with the Worcester Sharks; he notched 11 goals and 42 points in 72 games, and he was named the AHL’s top defenseman.
He made his NHL debut the following season with San Jose, recording 12 points in 38 games. In 2015-16, Irwin joined the Boston Bruins, playing in just two games as he spent the majority of the season in the AHL with Providence. After a season there, he signed a one-year deal with the Nashville Predators and collected 14 points in 74 games. That was enough to earn a contract extension for two more seasons. Irwin has also made stops in Anaheim and Buffalo throughout his career.
Meanwhile, Sawchenko spent the 2022-23 season with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL; he posted a 17-18-3 record to go with a .895 save percentage. Sawchenko has seven NHL starts under his belt; he made his debut in 2021-22 with the Sharks, posting a 1-2-1 record. Prior to his pro career, Sawchenko spent time in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, where he was named to the CHL Top Prospects Game in 2015-16 and named to the WHL East First All-Star Team in back-to-back seasons. In 2017-18, while playing for the University of Alberta in USports, he won the USports Best GAA Award and captured the University Cup.
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