4 Vancouver Canucks players who could be traded at the deadline
The Vancouver Canucks enter this year’s trade deadline in a far different position than last year.
Nothing has gone their way this season, as they’ve dealt with a ton of injuries and adversity. This leaves them outside a playoff spot and needing a much better second half just to finish in one of the Wild Card spots.
A big trade would really help the team, which is struggling not only with a weak defence group but also to score goals.
The good news is if the Canucks want to swing a trade, they have some pieces other teams will want. Here are four players they can dangle in any deal.
1. Nils Höglander
The Canucks gave Höglander a three-year, $9 million contract right before the season started. At the time, that looked like a solid deal, considering the player’s 24 even-strength goals in the previous year, but it has not aged well.
Höglander has just three goals and nine points in 40 games this year. He has been healthy scratched multiple times and has struggled to fit in with head coach Rick Tocchet’s system.
He’s still just 24 years old and has last year’s impressive season under his belt, so there are reasons for optimism. If the Canucks are looking to address their defence, Höglander could be one of the assets headed the other way.
2. Brock Boeser
There are few Canucks who are as universally loved as Brock Boeser. He’s the longest-tenured player on the team and is beloved by teammates and fans. However, we could be watching the last few weeks he plays for the team.
With 15 goals and 27 points in 36 games so far this season, it’s not Boeser’s production that could see him leave. Instead, it has to do with his contract.
Boeser will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and needs a new contract. If management hasn’t signed a new deal with him before the trade deadline, it’s possible they could opt for a trade that would help recoup some assets.
The Canucks watched Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm walk away with nothing to show for them last summer. If they want to avoid that happening with Boeser, a trade is a legitimate possibility.
3. Elias Pettersson
Both of the Vancouver Canucks star centres, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, have been in trade rumours this year. A reported feud between the two players has been one of the dominant stories of the season, not just in the local market but nationally as well.
The noise around Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller has calmed down, and if the Canucks can start winning games, it will surely disappear. Until that happens, one or both players getting traded is on the table.
Pettersson has no trade protection this season in the first year of his massive eight-year deal carrying an $11.6 million cap hit. That makes him easier to move than Miller, who has a full no-movement clause.
It’s been nearly a full calendar year since Pettersson has played up to his full potential. However, with a 100-point season under his belt and excellent two-way results at such a young age, there is no doubt there will be a tremendous number of suitors interested if the Canucks are serious about a trade.
4. J.T. Miller
Recent reporting suggests the Canucks are more willing to move Miller than Pettersson in a trade involving one of their star centres. It’s not hard to understand why they feel that way, as Miller is five years older and already on the wrong side of 30.
There are a lot of things to like about Miller’s game. He scored 103 points last year, is great in the circle, is one of the league’s top power-play forwards, and when engaged, can shut down opposing stars. The issue is that far too often, he makes mental errors that result in goals against.
With 29 points in 33 games so far this season, Miller is still close to the point-per-game mark. That production, along with his fiery passion, means he’s still playing like a very good top-six player, even if he isn’t quite at last year’s elite level.
The biggest obstacle in any Miller deal is his no-movement clause. He has full control over his destination, and that limits the possibilities for the Canucks, although it is assumed he would waive for certain teams, most likely those on the east coast.