By Andrew Phillip Chernoff | CanucksBanter
June 29, 2026
The Vancouver Canucks announced today, June 29, 2026, that they have elected not to tender qualifying offers to P.O. Joseph, Jayden Grubbe, Nils Åman, Danila Klimovich, or Chase Stillman.
All five players will transition from Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) to Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs) when the market opens on July 1. They are now free to sign with any franchise.
By walking away from these RFAs, the Canucks are clearing out several depth pieces and minor league players.
- P.O. Joseph (D): Logged 31 games as a depth defenseman for the Canucks last season, registering six points.
- Nils Åman (C): Saw the most NHL action of the group, playing 132 games over four seasons with the organization, though he spent the majority of last season with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.
- Danila Klimovich (RW): A 2021 second-round pick who spent five seasons in Abbotsford without making an NHL appearance.
- Chase Stillman (RW): Acquired from Pittsburgh in the Arturs Silovs trade, he played just 24 games in Abbotsford last season during an injury-plagued year.
- Jayden Grubbe (C): Acquired in March from the Edmonton Oilers, he made just two appearances for Abbotsford.
The Canucks are currently in a rebuilding phase, focusing on acquiring top draft picks and building a contending roster through strategic drafting and player development. With a projected $23.9 million in cap space, the team is looking to make moves to strengthen their roster. Not qualifying these players might be a way to manage their cap space and evaluate other options .
Some possible reasons for not qualifying these players include:
- Contract Decisions: The team might be negotiating new contracts or considering letting some players go, especially with Elias Pettersson’s significant contract impacting their cap space.
- Roster Management: The Canucks might be looking to assess their roster and make changes to improve their team’s performance, potentially bringing in new talent or shifting existing players to different roles.
- Draft Preparation: With the NHL draft approaching, the team might be focusing on evaluating prospects and preparing for the draft, rather than qualifying these players
Until next time, hockey fans