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Although the Vancouver Canucks haven't quite been able to find the magic that saw them win the Pacific Division along with 50 games in 2023-24, this iteration of the roster still projects as one of the better teams in the Western Conference. Rick Tocchet's club is 16-9-5, good enough for fourth place in the division and just six points back of the first place Vegas Golden Knights with a game in hand.
Last season, general manager Patrik Allvin and the front office didn't wait until the NHL Trade Deadline to make moves. The Canucks acquired Nikita Zadorov at the end of November and Elias Lindholm on January 31 — both from the Calgary Flames. The two were crucial to helping Vancouver come within one victory of the franchise's first trip to the Western Conference Final since 2011.
Although it ended in crushing defeat to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of Round 2, there's no doubt the team was vastly improved on the trade market last year. And the front office is looking to take a similar route this season, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday.
Canucks looking for top-4 defenseman, winger on trade market
“The Vancouver Canucks have been inconsistent so far this season, and [president of hockey operations] Jim Rutherford’s appearance on HNIC’s After Hours over the weekend certainly gave one the impression they won’t sit on their hands, either,” LeBrun wrote.
“League sources confirm that the Canucks are on the lookout for a top-four defenseman as well as a winger. And in keeping with Rutherford tradition, I would imagine GM Patrik Allvin would want to make a trade sooner than later and not wait until the March 7 deadline. He acquired Elias Lindholm on Jan. 31 last season, very much keeping with the Rutherford-esque style to get ahead of the deadline.”
It certainly makes sense that the Canucks are considering a defensive upgrade, especially as Filip Hronek's injury has been difficult to overcome for this team. He was continuing to play fantastic hockey on a pair with Quinn Hughes before undergoing a lower-body procedure that will keep the Czech defenseman out of the lineup for approximately eight weeks.
One player who hasn't worked out in British Columbia is Vincent Desharnais, who signed with the Canucks in the summer after helping the Oilers reach Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
The Vincent Desharnais experiment hasn't worked in Vancouver
It's hard to pinpoint exactly why Desharnais hasn't worked in Vancouver, but for whatever reason, the partnership hasn't been great for either side. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the front office was looking to find a new home for the 28-year-old, and there's been rumblings they have a specific return in mind.
“Vancouver is trying to find a better fit for Vincent Desharnais,” Friedman wrote in his latest 32 Thoughts column. “It just hasn’t worked out as everyone hoped. I did hear a little bit the Canucks prefer draft picks in return because they wanted some roster and cap flexibility. The Canucks, I have now heard, are willing to consider all options in order to help Desharnais a fresh start.”
Desharnais was signed as a free agent last summer to a two-year, $4 million contract, and the way he's played, that won't exactly be easy to move. The Laval, Quebec native just hasn't meshed within Tocchet's system; he's been a healthy scratch multiple times and has registered only two assists in 18 games while also posting a minus-four rating.
It seems like only a matter of time before the Canucks are able to move Desharnais and his $2 million cap hit, and that should give them a few more options to play with.
There have been trade rumors surrounding a couple of other Canucks forwards, including JT Miller after he took a leave of absence from the team. That isn't likely to come to pass, and as of right now, it looks like Nils Hoglander is safe as well. But could Allvin really move on from Brock Boeser after a career year?
Should the Canucks trade Brock Boeser?
Boeser is a fan favorite in Vancouver and is fresh off the first 40-goal season of his career. The 23rd overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft added 33 assists for 73 points in 81 games, amassing another 12 points in 12 postseason contests in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Minnesota native has been a huge part of this core for years, and his offense will not be easy to replace.
But the NHL is a business, and the pending unrestricted free agent will be due for a massive raise on his next contract. It's already been rumored that the 27-year-old is looking for upwards of $8 million over eight years, per Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos.
“Vancouver, eyeing to compete for a Stanley Cup with a core locked in of Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes, have a tough decision to make on Brock Boeser. He led the team with 40 goals last season, but will he continue on as part of this core?” wrote Kypreos.
“Boeser is looking for eight years, north of $8 million AAV range, and Vancouver isn't yet prepared to pay him what his projected value is. If no contract extension is on the way, the idea of losing him for nothing in free agency isn't all that appealing either. Canucks management isn't one to sit around and have been rather busy traders in recent seasons. Until an extension is signed, Boeser will be a trade candidate to watch this season.”
Losing Boeser would be a brutal blow for Canucks fans, but the team does have to think about Hughes and Thatcher Demko's next respective contracts, which will be a pressing issue in the next few years.
Boeser hasn't been quite as potent this year; he's on pace for 25 goals, with 19 points in 23 games. He would be a massive loss, but Allvin and the front office could probably get a haul for the American sniper.
If things begin to go off the rails for Vancouver, it would make sense for Allvin to gauge Boeser's value on the trade market. But as long as the Canucks remain in playoff contention — which is at least likely in 2024-25 — it's hard to see the front office moving on from such a key piece of the offense.
As for Desharnais, he will likely be on the move within the next few weeks. And it almost certainly won't be the only trade the front office makes as the Canucks look to make another deep postseason run next spring.
