5 defencemen Canucks could trade for with newfound cap space
The Vancouver Canucks have made three trades since September 1, and they don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Their latest deal sent Anthony Beauvillier and his $4.15 million cap hit to the Chicago Blackhawks and freed up some money as a result. The team will now look to put that cash to use as they continue to search for another defenceman.
“They’re going to use that money. They’re going to hit the market, and they’re going to look for a defenceman,” reported CHEK Media’s Rick Dhaliwal on the Donnie & Dhali Show yesterday.
Luckily for the Canucks, there are a few defencemen around the league that have found their name in the rumour mill. Here are five ways the team could spend that newfound cap space to upgrade the defence corps.
1. Chris Tanev / Nikita Zadorov, Calgary Flames
- Tanev 2023-24 stats: 22 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 PTS
- Zadorov 2023-24 stats: 21 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 PTS
The Calgary Flames have two defencemen who have been put in the rumour mill.
The Canucks are very familiar with Chris Tanev, who spent a decade with the organization. He would fill a need on the right side, and current captain Quinn Hughes has reportedly made it clear that he’s “a Tanev fan” to management. The 33-year-old warrior is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, but his current $4.5 million salary is not a dealbreaker with the Canucks’ current cap situation.
Nikita Zadorov is another pending UFA that the Canucks are interested in, according to multiple reports. He carries a cap hit of $3.75 million, a number that is suddenly workable for the Canucks after their last trade. The Russian defenceman is represented by Dan Millstein, the same agent who carries Andrei Kuzmenko and Ilya Mikheyev as clients.
Zadorov being a left-handed defenceman does mean the fit isn’t quite as natural, but the Canucks do have players like Ian Cole who could shift to the right side to make things work.
The Flames may be less inclined to trade these players now that they have turned their season around and have a clear path to the playoffs.
Another hold-up with acquiring either of these two players is the fact that the Flames are not interested in dealing with the Canucks, as per previous reports. However, for the right price, any player is available.
2. Ilya Lyubushkin, Anaheim Ducks
- 2023-24 stats: 22 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS
Ilya Lyubushkin has bounced around the league, playing for four different franchises over the past three seasons. He plays on the right side, making him a solid fit for the Canucks.
The 6-foot-2 defenceman plays a heavy, responsible game. He would be an upgrade on other defencemen that have been in the Canucks lineup, such as Noah Juulsen and Cole McWard. Lyubushkin has been killing penalties for an Anaheim Ducks unit that currently sits in the middle of the league and could help in that area.
He’s in the final season of a $2.75 million deal and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The 29-year-old doesn’t perfectly fit the Ducks’ timeline, and thus, they might jump at the chance to acquire future assets in an exchange.
3. Andrew Peeke, Columbus Blue Jackets
- 2023-24 stats: 4 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 PTS
Andrew Peeke is a right-handed defenceman that has also been linked to the Canucks in the past. He’s in the first season of a three-year contract that carries a cap hit of $2.75 million.
He’s been bumped out of the lineup in Columbus and has spent time as a healthy scratch this season. He’s not going to be a great top-four option, but the 25-year-old could provide the Canucks with a physical bottom-pairing option, as he was second on the Blue Jackets last season in hits.
4. Sean Walker, Philadelphia Flyers
- 2023-24 stats: 22 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 10 PTS
If the Canucks wanted to make a larger acquisition, Sean Walker would be a good name to target. The right-handed defenceman has been thriving in his first year with the Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 10 points through the first 21 games of the season.
He’s been playing significant minutes on both special teams units and costs just $2.65 million against the cap until next summer when the 29-year-old becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Adding a legitimate top-four right-shot option that can play in all situations at that price point would be a dream come true for the Canucks. However, the Flyers are not going to be quick to part with Walker for anything short of a high draft pick or a promising player.
5. Marcus Pettersson, Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2023-24 stats: 21 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 PTS
The Canucks’ new management group has acquired a lot of former Pittsburgh Penguins and could continue the trend by trading for Marcus Pettersson.
He is a bit on the expensive side with a $4.025 million cap hit, although it’s still a number the Canucks could swallow. That deal was signed by now-Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford, so there is a large level of familiarity.
The 27-year-old plays the left side and is eating almost 22 minutes per game for the Penguins so far this season. He would immediately add to the Canucks’ depth and make the defence look much more formidable.
Pettersson’s current contract also has an eight-team no-trade clause, according to CapFriendly. If the Canucks are on that list, that would end these trade talks.
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