The group of available wingers in NHL free agency shrunk even more Wednesday afternoon.
Veteran winger Radim Vrbata agreed to a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks for $10 million, according to reports. Vrbata arguably was the best remaining free agent after a signing-filled Day 1 of NHL free agency Tuesday.
There was no shortage of teams interested in the 33-year-old, who most recently played with the Arizona Coyotes. According to The Province in Vancouver, the Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks made up a list of “serious suitors” for Vrbata. In the end, though, Vrbata took good money (a raise from his $3 million annual salary in Arizona) and short term to join the Canucks.
Vrbata is coming off a solid season in which he scored 20 goals and added 31 assists for the Coyotes. Vrbrata is not long removed from his 35-goal campaign in 2011-12, which was good enough to earn him the only All-Star bid of his career.
Vrbata was the final winger on TSN’s list of top 40 unrestricted free agents to sign, which leaves slim pickings for teams looking to add another winger through free agency.
