The prospect in question that needed to be signed was Viktor Persson, a 22-year-old Swedish defenceman who had a rough go over the last 18 months. In January 2023, he suffered a shoulder injury that forced him to end his 2022-23 season early and was unable to play at all during the 2023-24 campaign due to the ailment.
Persson's injury has hurt his development in a big way and while it's out of his control, it's frustrating for all sides here. As mentioned, the Canucks had until 5 pm ET on Saturday to get Viktor Persson under contract and the organization has decided not to sign him, losing his rights in the process.
Persson, a native of Valbo, Sweden, was selected 191st overall by the Canucks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Prior to getting injured in January 2023, Persson appeared in 24 games with Pelicans in Finland's top division, Liiga, where he had three assists, ten penalty minutes and was a minus-six.
