Rick Tocchet announced on Friday that defenceman Filip Hronek would be shut down for the remainder of the season. Hronek appeared in four games for the Canucks this season, totaling one point in those four games.
Hronek, 25, was acquired just days before the trade deadline in exchange for multiple draft picks, including a conditional first-round pick (originally acquired in the Bo Horvat trade), a second-round pick, and a third-round pick.
Hronek carries a $4.4M cap hit and is an RFA at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Shutting down Hronek for the remainder of the season, this allows him to be fully healthy heading into training camp at the start of next season.
Many fans and media in hockey believe the Canucks are headed for a rebuild, given the recent trades and how the team has performed this season. Given Hronek’s age, this allows him to solidify a role with the Canucks defensive core for the future, along with Quinn Hughes, who is only two years younger than Hronek.
While Hronek was with the Red Wings, he played in a top-four role on their defensive core and scored 38 points in 60 games. Many people believe that Hronek helped out Moritz Seider’s game, and there’s no reason he can’t continue that type of help when he suits up for the Canucks next season.
There should be some optimism for Canucks fans about acquiring Hronek because it’s clear he can quarterback a powerplay unit, as 16 of his 38 points were on the powerplay when he played with the Red Wings. Ideally, Tocchet has him quarterback the second powerplay unit.
