Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice-President and General Manager Dave Nonis announced today that the Canucks have signed defenceman Rory Fitzpatrick. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Fitzpatrick, 31, played 56 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season recording nine points (4-5-9) and 50 penalty minutes. During Buffalo’s playoff run to the Eastern Conference Final this past spring, Fitzpatrick recorded four assists and 16 penalty minutes in 11 games.

In 210 career NHL regular season games with four different teams (Montreal, St. Louis, Nashville, Buffalo), Fitzpatrick has 27 points (9-18-27) and 144 penalty minutes. He has played in 17 NHL Playoff games, recording six points (1-5-6) and 16 penalty minutes.

The 6’2”, 210 lbs, native of Rochester, New York was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round, 47th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

http://www.canucks.com/news/pressrelease...amp;id=620


What are your thoughts on this? (I am not certain about this move; we have enough "depth players already, however he does bring some toughness to this year's team which is brutally lacking a tough force.

Is it me, or does it seem that the Canucks are signing players that teams don't want to sign or what not (example: they signed Marc Chouinard from the Wild, Willie Mitchell who played for the Wild and Stars last year and now Rory Fitzpatrick from the Sabres)?

I guess it could be a good move for the Canucks, but I guess we'll have to wait and see next season.

Theres a reason the sabres didnt resign him, hes horrible, he turns the puck over so many times especially in his own zone. The one time i really remember was in a huge game against ottawa buffalo had ottawa up against the wall, they were on the pp up by 1 but then fitzpatrick passes it right to schaffer who scores a shorty and ottawa ends up winning, he kills pp's and isnt great defensively hes slow.

its a good signing by the nucks, hes a 7th/8th d man, good for depth, as for the comment about the canucks signing players other teams didint want, i know for a fact dallas offered mitchell 1 million more per season and the same length contract as we gave him, but he took a home-town discount.