The Vancouver Canucks have signed veteran defenceman Luke Schenn to a one-year, $2.25 million contract, bringing the 36-year-old back for his third stint with the organization. The deal, announced Wednesday, is part of the Canucks' broader rebuild strategy under general manager Ryan Johnson, who has emphasized culture and accountability as key pillars of the team's future.
Schenn's Role in the Rebuild
Schenn, who led the NHL in hits during the 2022-23 season with 318, is expected to stabilize a young defensive corps and mentor emerging players. His previous tenure in Vancouver saw him form a strong partnership with Quinn Hughes, and his physical style and leadership were instrumental in the locker room. 'I'm excited to come back,' Schenn said via Zoom. 'Vancouver to me has felt like home, and I'm super comfortable with the organization. It's not just a place to put in another year in the NHL. I'm not going there and riding it out and collecting another paycheque. I'm fired up.'
Schenn's career spans 1,122 regular-season games, including stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Anaheim Ducks, among others. He won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020 and has experience on both winning and rebuilding teams. 'I've been a high draft pick, traded, in the AHL, and the press box, and won the Cup. I've been on winning teams and rebuilding teams,' he said. 'There's a lot I can share. There are going to be bumps and bruises along the way, but you have to be positive and work with everyone.'
Culture and Leadership
Johnson, who previously coached Schenn in the AHL with the Utica Comets, played a key role in the defenceman's career resurgence. Schenn credited Johnson for helping him return to the NHL after being traded from Anaheim. 'RJ is part of why I got back in the NHL,' Schenn stressed. 'I was traded from Anaheim and had to start in Utica. RJ was incredible and in my corner and pushed to get me back in the NHL. Really respect him.'
Schenn also has a history with Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra, having played against him and later worked with him as an assistant coach in Vancouver and Toronto. 'It was how hard he worked and competed,' said Schenn. 'Super prepared, and a great communicator and easy to talk to.'
Additional Signings
The Canucks also added size and grit on Wednesday by signing left winger Paul Cotter to a one-year, $2.15 million contract. The 26-year-old, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 213 pounds, was second on the New Jersey Devils in hits last season with 192. He recorded 15 points (9 goals, 6 assists) in the 2025-26 campaign. The team also signed forward Akil Thomas to a one-year, two-way contract worth $900,000 at the NHL level. Thomas, 26, played 32 games with the Los Angeles Kings this past season, tallying seven points (4 goals, 3 assists). Additionally, the Canucks inked 5-foot-7 winger Trey Fix-Wolansky to a one-year, two-way deal also paying $900,000 in the NHL. Fix-Wolansky, 27, led the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack in penalty minutes with 121 and had six points (4 goals, 2 assists) in 26 NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Departures and Other Moves
The Canucks' free agency activity comes after a tumultuous season that saw the team finish last in the NHL, leading to a front-office overhaul and a commitment to a full rebuild. Key players like Quinn Hughes and Conor Garland were traded earlier this year, leaving Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko as the only remaining familiar faces from the previous core. Meanwhile, former Canucks centre Teddy Blueger signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and winger Curtis Douglas inked a two-year, $2.5 million deal with the Seattle Kraken.
Schenn's return is seen as a stabilizing force for a young team that will rely on his experience and leadership. 'I care about what they're doing with the rebuild, and I want to make things better,' he said. 'Culture is not one thing. It's practice habits and not taking short-cuts off the ice, in the gym, or in a game. It's shift by shift. No matter what the circumstances are, it's not being negative when things go wrong. And it's hating to lose.'
