The Vancouver Canucks look to be entering a full-blown rebuild after trading away their captain, Quinn Hughes. The Canucks' center depth has been getting tested thanks to a wrath of injuries, notably to Elias Pettersson, who they put on injured reserve Sunday morning before the team's first game without Hughes. However, one of their acquisitions in the trade, Marco Rossi, came off the injured reserve to make his debut.
One of the main returns the Canucks wanted in a Hughes deal was an NHL-ready, top-six center. Rossi was precisely what they were looking for, and they feel that once Pettersson returns, the duo will give them a solid one-two punch at the top of their lineup.
The problem for the Canucks is that they don't want them to become too much of a threat, too soon. Ideally, Vancouver would rather tank for the rest of this season to possibly add to their rebuild and young forward depth with a high draft pick from the lottery.
If Pettersson misses an extended period, it would undoubtedly help their tanking aspirations. He is the Canucks' leading scorer now that Hughes is off the team, with the next closest being Kiefer Sherwood with 17 points.
There could be some more trades coming for the Canucks if they continue to tear it down. If Pettersson stays on injured reserve and they trade some more veteran pieces, the Vancouver lineup could be looking very thin by the end of the season. Things are going to get very bleak before the future brightens.
