The Vancouver Canucks were one game from the Western Conference Finals a couple years ago. It looked as if this team had the chance to make some noise in the Western Conference. Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson were stars, and the future looked quite bright. Unfortunately, this house of cards has come crashing down.
Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild earlier this season amid a contract dispute. Pettersson remains on the roster, but he is playing far below the standard he had previously set for himself. In fact, the Canucks have tried to trade Pettersson on multiple occasions.
Vancouver just missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year. This season, they will likely comfortably miss the postseason. The Canucks are currently dead last in the NHL on points. At this time, they own the top odds to win the NHL Draft Lottery and pick first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Beyond trading Hughes, the Canucks have already sold. Kiefer Sherwood was traded to the San Jose Sharks in what is likely just the first of multiple moves before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 6th. Vancouver cannot make a trade again until the 22nd of February, but they are likely to make a couple of moves.
With this in mind, who should Vancouver move out of town? Above all else, the Canucks must trade Evander Kane before the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline comes and goes next month.
Canucks' Evander Kane is likely a top rental option on trade market
The Canucks brought Evander Kane back home to Vancouver during the summer in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers. Vancouver didn't give up much to get the veteran winger. He only cost the team a fourth-round pick. It was essentially a salary dump on behalf of the Oilers.
Kane has not turned in a superstar performance by any means. However, he has proven to be one of Vancouver's best offensive options. He is fourth among Canucks skaters with 25 points. He can provide some help on the offensive end of the ice. His track record suggests he can offer another level, as well.
The issue here is that Kane doesn't offer much outside of his offense. The veteran winger is not the best defensively, and as a winger, he doesn't offer the same sort of value a center does. This will undoubtedly impact his trade market.
At the same time, there aren't many better options on the market, at least in terms of rentals. Artemi Panarin was the undisputed top rental winger, but he was recently traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Nashville Predators winger Michael Bunting could rival Kane, but the separation between the two isn't that much, regardless of your ranking.
It feels somewhat unlikely the Canucks sign Kane to another contract. They always could, given the hometown aspect here. But the veteran winger in no way fits their current timeline. He has the sort of Stanley Cup Playoff experience that could help younger players. At the same time, though, he could aid a contending team with that same experience.
There are other players the Canucks can extract more value out of on the trade market. Ideally, the team finds a taker for Pettersson and they truly start fresh with a new core. No matter what happens, though, Kane must not remain with the Canucks past the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline on March 6th.
