On July 2, 2008, he returned for a third stint with the Canucks, signing a one-year, two-way contract. He continued to play in the AHL for the Moose in 2008–09 and recorded 33 points in 72 games. He helped the Moose to the 2009 Calder Cup Finals, where they were defeated by the Hershey Bears. The following season, Baumgartner was named captain of the Canadian team for the 2010 AHL All-Star Game. He was called up by the Canucks on January 22, 2010, to replace injured defenceman Sami Salo.