Canucks Sign Cole Clayton To One-Year Contract

A few days after signing Jack Thompson to a one-year deal, the Vancouver Canucks have made another signing to retain some of their defensive depth for the 2026-27 campaign. According to a team announcement, the Canucks have signed defenseman Cole Clayton to a one-year, two-way contract.

Clayton, 26, was originally signed by the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters ahead of the 2021-22 campaign as an undrafted free agent from the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. Though limited by injuries, he had an extremely productive final season for the Tigers, scoring nine goals and 30 points in 23 games with a +4 rating.

The Strathmore, Alberta native didn’t get off to a great start in his professional career, registering six goals and 26 points in 102 games with a -17 rating throughout his first two years with AHL Cleveland. Still, he rebounded in a big way for the 2023-24 campaign, scoring five goals and 20 points in 59 games with a +4 rating. This led to a one-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2024-25 season.

Unfortunately, Clayton didn’t improve on his 2023-24 totals, and the Blue Jackets let him reach free agency the following summer. He went on to join the San Jose Sharks organization on a one-year, $775K contract. After half a season with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, Clayton was traded to the Canucks in the trade that sent Kiefer Sherwood to the Bay Area.

Ultimately, since the 2023-24 campaign, Clayton has continued to decline. This past season, split between the Barracuda and Abbotsford Canucks, he finished with two goals and 11 points in 65 games with a -9 rating. Clayton was likely retained as the Canucks enter a transitional period, but it’s highly unlikely that he’ll appear in any games with Vancouver unless something dramatically changes.