After signing veteran defencemen Ian Cole and Carson Soucy earlier in the day, the Vancouver Canucks continued to bolster their blue line with their fifth signing of the first day of NHL free agency.
The Canucks signed Victoria's Matt Irwin to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 in the NHL and $450,000 in the AHL.
The 35-year-old hasn't played in the AHL since the 2016-17 season, sticking in the NHL in a depth role with the Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, and Washington Capitals since then. Last season, he appeared in 61 games with the Capitals, tallying five points.
The journeyman defenceman provided steady defence for the Capitals, even if he provides little offensively. At 6'2" and 190 lbs, Irwin has solid size and has some toughness to his game, with 117 hits last season and a willingness to drop the gloves when necessary.
The fit for Irwin with the Canucks is immediately apparent. With Kyle Burroughs departing in free agency — he signed a three-year deal worth $1.1 million per year with the San Jose Sharks — the Canucks needed someone to fill the gap as a seventh defenceman. It's a thankless job and one that is typically given to a veteran who is willing to be a regular healthy scratch without complaint but can also play a predictable, steady game on the ice when needed.
That's a good fit for Irwin, who has played exactly that role over the past several years. As an added bonus, Irwin gets to play close to home in B.C. and will likely draw a crowd of family and friends whenever he does get into the lineup.
A one-year, two-way contract also makes it easy for the Canucks to waive Irwin and send him to the Abbotsford Canucks if one of their younger defencemen outbattles him in training camp. You can consider Irwin to be insurance in case a defenceman like Akito Hirose, Jack Rathbone, or Christian Wolanin isn't ready to play a regular role in the NHL next season.
