Canucks agree to terms with forward Matthew Stienburg on a one-year, two-way deal

The Vancouver Canucks have agreed to terms with forward Matthew Stienburg on a one-year, two-way contract, a move aimed at strengthening the organization’s depth at forward and creating additional flexibility between the NHL roster and the AHL. The signing comes during the early stage of the 2026 free-agency period, when teams often prioritize manageable commitments that preserve organizational options while training camp approaches.

Stienburg, 25, is listed at 6-foot-1 and 182 pounds. He brings a mix of size and physical edge that has shown up in his pro penalty totals, along with a track record of producing offensively in his college and minor-league stops. The Canucks’ announcement positioned him as a depth forward, a role typically associated with penalty-kill minutes, bottom-six responsibilities, and opportunities when injuries or performance create openings.

In the NHL, Stienburg has limited experience but has appeared in games with the Colorado Avalanche. According to the Canucks’ release, he has played eight career NHL games, all with Colorado, and recorded 22 penalty minutes in those appearances. While his league sample is small, the team’s interest suggests they value his willingness to play with pace and engage physically, traits that often translate from the minors into short-callup NHL stints.

Most of Stienburg’s professional résumé has been built with the Colorado Eagles, the AHL affiliate where he spent four seasons. The Canucks said he appeared in 71 career AHL games and totaled 20 points on eight goals and 12 assists, adding 81 penalty minutes and a plus-2 rating. The release also noted that in seven Calder Cup playoff games he recorded one assist, with six penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating, indicating experience in postseason intensity even before a larger NHL role.

The player’s scoring profile is easier to trace from his Cornell University career, where Stienburg spent four seasons. The Canucks reported he appeared in 73 games and scored 46 points (20 goals, 26 assists), along with 93 penalty minutes and a plus-21 rating. That collegiate production helped lead to his NHL opportunity, and his signing in Vancouver reflects a common NHL strategy: bring in a drafted forward with a completed development arc, then evaluate how he fits into an organization’s current depth plan.

The Canucks also emphasized his draft pedigree. Stienburg was originally selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the third round, 63rd overall, in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. For Vancouver, the deal represents a chance to convert an NHL-caliber prospect into a reliable organizational forward, even if his path to regular playing time likely runs through the AHL at first.

What to watch next is whether Stienburg becomes part of the Canucks’ early training-camp competition for bottom-six spots, or whether the team plans a straightforward assignment designed to build minutes and responsibility. With the signing completed, the next roster decisions from Vancouver will matter, particularly around how many similar depth contracts the team carries and how those players are used on the AHL side during the pre-season and early regular-season stretch.

If Stienburg can translate his AHL role into consistent NHL-ready shifts, the two-way structure gives Vancouver a low-risk way to evaluate him. If not, he still adds depth insurance and special-teams support in a way that can be valuable over an 82-game schedule, especially if the Canucks face injuries or need to reshuffle lines midseason.