Veteran free agent Phil Kessel is in Vancouver and will begin working out with AHL Abbotsford, Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced Tuesday.
Kessel has gone unsigned since becoming a UFA last summer. He said in November that he's eager to play and doesn't care about upholding his NHL-record ironman streak if he finds a fit.
The 36-year-old is on a 1,064-game regular-season streak but was a frequent scratch in the playoffs last spring as the Vegas Golden Knights marched to the Stanley Cup.
Kessel registered 14 goals and 22 assists in 82 games last season and is eight points shy of 1,000 for his career. He and Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet have previously worked together with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Arizona Coyotes.
The Canucks have approximately $316,000 in available money, according to CapFriendly, so they'd likely have to make a corresponding move to make room for Kessel.
Vancouver enters Tuesday's contest against the Chicago Blackhawks leading the league with 76 points.
