Vancouver Canucks: Impact of Professional Tryout Signings
The Vancouver Canucks signed three players on professional tryout contracts — but will they even get a real shot?
With six of their players competing in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, the Vancouver Canucks needed to stock up their roster. They did that by inviting three players on professional tryout contracts: right wing Tuomo Ruutu, centre James Sheppard and goaltender Kevin Carr. But truth be told, they might have zero chance of making the team.
Ruutu was the ninth-overall selection in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft and had a good NHL career, with career highs of 26 goals and 57 points. However, those numbers came in the 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons, respectively. Since 2011, Ruutu has been regressing heavily, recording just 81 points in the following five seasons.
In 2015-16, Ruutu had no goals and one assist in 33 games for the New Jersey Devils. Now 33 years old, Ruutu seems to bring nothing other than experience to the team. Which isn’t really worth a contract.
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That leaves us with Sheppard. A 28-year-old centre, Sheppard is an outstanding face-off player. The Canuck Way writer Ben Dooley thinks that would make him a great addition to the Canucks, since face-offs are exactly what fourth-line centre Markus Granlund struggles with the most. But again, I don’t think one attribute is enough to sign him.
Sheppard split the 2014-15 season between the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers, combining for seven goals and 18 points in 73 games. That wasn’t enough to earn another NHL deal, so Sheppard moved on and joined the Kloten Flyers in the Swiss NLA. In Kloten, Sheppard had an average season, recording 11 goals and 25 points.
Now, we can’t just judge Ruutu and Sheppard by their points, but they don’t seem to bring too much to the table. The one thing the Canucks are lacking behind the top line is scoring, and neither Ruutu no Sheppard would help with that.
Assuming Anton Rodin makes the team, the Canucks will have to make two of Alex Burrows, Emerson Etem, Derek Dorsett, Brendan Gaunce and Jake Virtanen a healthy scratch every game. Alternatively, they could send Gaunce or Virtanen back to the AHL. If they add Sheppard and/or Ruutu to that group, the situation gets worse, not better.
The only scenario in which adding a free agent would make sense is if they were better than what the Canucks already have. Sheppard and Ruutu are not.
For Carr, it doesn’t look much better. The 26-year-old turned pro in 2014 and spent the past two seasons with the ECHL Tulsa Oilers. He might be able to earn a contract at Canucks camp, but if that’s the case, it will be a deal with the ECHL affiliate, the Alaska Aces.
Signing Sheppard, Ruutu and Carr to tryout deals makes sense for the Vancouver Canucks. But the only reason is that six players will be missing for parts or even all of training camp.
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