Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
Nucks Fan Rebuild & Retool Center - Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
Last we looked at the possibility of the Vancouver Canucks making trades, we stuck to the easy picks. Management - in the form of president of hockey ops Jim Rutherford - talked about putting up his unrestricted free agents. That doesn't really signal a blockbuster of a deal coming up, but you never know. While they are lousy at keeping coaching changes secret, their player deals have often been sudden and surprising.
So with that caveat in pocket, let's take a look at some of the bigger names, including a reason to trade them and a reason not to. Now, that's "bigger" names, not the biggest ones. That anchor three - Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson the Forward, and Thatcher Demko aren't in this list. Those guys are articles all their own, and we're not there just yet.
Vancouver fans love their players, just like every other town. We do overestimate the value of "our guys" because we've got an emotional stake in them. But there is no such thing as a free lunch, and if you want something good, you gotta pay for it. In no particular order:
I would be legitimately delighted if a deal were made this early involving Garland. And I love watching him play in a Canucks uniform.
Garland is one of the few players with Vancouver who can drive his own line. He's improved his ability to use his teammates, which is great, but the best thing about him is how he holds the puck. He's dangerous on both special teams, continuing his work from last season. He can play anywhere at any time, and that versatility is valuable.
Garland is also such a blast to watch, aggravating opponents not only with his tenacity* on the attack, but also defensively. As a fan, he has entertainment value, whatever else the rest of the team does. He'll get you 50-ish points and is a great example to point rookies at if you want to teach them how to work.
That all being said, if he's dealt quickly, then someone came up with a good price for him. He's an excellent middle-six player, though Vancouver's lack of options has him playing 20 minutes a night. That's the disparate value of a team that needs him - Vancouver - and one that wants him. Garland can get a good team 50-ish points on their third line, which is a nightmare for opponents.
His contract is a blessing and a curse. There's cost certainty for the next six seasons past this one at a pretty reasonable $6 million per. The salary cap is going up, making that cost look even better - if he wasn't 36 years old when it expires. Vancouver has the room to eat some of that salary if it gets them a much better deal, but it had better be a MUCH better deal. Consider that a blanket statement for any of the longer contracts that might get moved away.
A mystery, wrapped in an enigma, packaged in a guy who suddenly scores five goals in six games. Then none in ten, then four more in two, then none in six, then... You get the point. DeBrusk has kept Vancouver's power play afloat this season as much as anyone. As indifferent as the season has been for the team, he's still on pace for around 25 goals.
He's got good size, even if he's not particularly physical. He's also got good speed, though it doesn't often show. The funny thing is, he's always there. His goals all seem to come within two feet of the blue ice, rain or shine. I swear some come when he's behind the net, but that must be an optical illusion.
Every team needs players who shoot first, and DeBrusk is a finisher who leads the team in shots this season. If he stays healthy, he should easily pass 200 shots on the year, a number he's never reached in any previous year.
Last season, half of DeBrusk's goals came on the power play. That's not an inherently bad thing; someone has to score, and he can. This season, though, 87.5% of his goals have been with the man advantage. As mentioned, it's not like he isn't shooting the puck, and sooner or later, that dam's going to break. Is it to Vancouver's advantage when it does?
He turned 29 this season, and his deal runs to 2030-31. If the Canucks are looking to get younger, moving 29-year-olds isn't a bad place to start. And his goal totals are good enough that he can fetch a decent return.
Yes, 29-year-olds can certainly get moved. But not 28-year-olds!
Okay, I admit to having a place in my heart for Brock. The excitement he brought in his first season was lost to a series of injuries and personal tragedy, and it's hard not to feel for the guy. By all appearances, he seems like a decent, good man - who also happens to have an almost comically good shot.
Boeser's been fascinating to watch after that season. It's strange to think of someone who's hit 40 goals as being underrated, but i think he might be. He is surprisingly good at playing on the boards and taking position in front of the net. When he's not actively battling a defenceman inches in front of a goalie, then he has that mysterious Brett Hull ability to vanish until he's suddenly smashing a shot from the middle distance.
It's not like he'll get any faster in the next seven years - the length of his new contract. And while he is uncontroversial - what general manager doesn't love to hear that - he's also, well, quiet. He's not the guy to be leading a charge into battle. If Vancouver does do a rebuild, then going to be an underdog a lot in the next few years. They might need less golden labrador and more rottweiler in the lineup.
But for a team looking for additional scoring, who isn't going to bring a lick of controversy with him? Not sure there's a better get in the league right now. Goals are a valuable commodity, and he can provide. Yes, the contract's a bit long, but a team looking to add his skills wants them in the next few seasons. If he provides the winning touch, it's worth it.
"Everybody relax, I'm here."
-Jack Burton
Pettersson was brought to Vancouver for one reason: to keep things calm. Which, given the plans to have at least two defencemen with less than 100 NHL games appearing as regulars, wasn't a bad idea. Derek Forbort is also that steadying presence, but his injury history makes his availability uncertain. And to be blunt, Pettersson is a better player.
Not that he's going to light the lamp, but Marcus Pettersson is 6'5" of reliable, safe play who can play 20 minutes a night. Exactly the sort of player coaches love to run out there late in games and things are getting tense. And the young guys who could take his spot aren't ready yet, as Elias Pettersson's recent demotion shows.
That's also exactly the sort of player coaches love their general managers to go get when the playoffs draw near. He and Drew O'Connor cost the Canucks a first-round pick in the 2025 draft. The Canucks won't get that for him if they decide he's available, but something late in the second round wouldn't be unwelcome. Draft picks are the ultimate in fungible commodities in pro sports, including the NHL.
And maybe the young guys aren't quite ready yet, but maybe accepting their occasional mistakes isn't a bad thing this year.
At this point, it's hard to see Filip Hronek as anyone other than "the guy who works with Quinn Hughes". And that's not unreasonable, because the first year he arrived, the Hronek-Hughes pairing was absolutely terrifying. They repeated the next season, too. This year, they are still very good, but there has been more of an effort to use Hronek to anchor the second pair. Kind of. A bit.
It doesn't really last.
Hronek has a chippy, physical edge that pairs well with Hughes, but he also has plenty of skill to keep up with the all-star. Vancouver doesn't have anyone else who has managed to replicate those results. While Hronek did spend time in Detroit as their Number One, he's flourishing as Hughes' counterpart.
This would be a big move, and the return had better show it. Hronek can be a team's top defenceman and a fine backup plan, which is, well, kind of why he's in Vancouver. He's 28 years old and playing 24 minutes a night, and if there's a team that expects to be in the playoffs for the next few years, he'd be a massive addition. The Canucks would - and should - get a very good return for him.
Vancouver's position of strength went from centre to defence in the past few years, so losing Hronek isn't the hardest hit. A few young defencemen are coming up, though only Tom Willander really has the potential ceiling of Hronek. Still, if the return is good enough, maybe it's worth that risk.
*TM Adam Foote
