Canucks talking trade on Garland but other teams want sweeteners: report

If the Vancouver Canucks end up moving Conor Garland, fans shouldn’t expect much of a return.

Garland has been subject to trade rumours throughout his two years with the Canucks, as moving his $4.95 million salary would give management some much-needed cap relief.

The Canucks’ lack of cap space is well known around the league, however, which hurts them when it comes to negotiating any potential trades.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff is reporting that the Canucks are “actively checking prices” on Garland, and that he is the player the team prefers to trade to clear cap space. So far, teams haven’t been keen to take on his contract, and are requesting the Canucks add a sweetener.

“He’s essentially a free asset, as the Canucks have found teams that are asking for assets in return to take him off their hands,” Seravalli writes.

Garland was acquired by the Canucks alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson during the 2021 offseason in a deal that saw Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, Antoine Roussel, and three draft picks head to the Arizona Coyotes.

While his 37 goals and 98 points in 158 games since joining the Canucks are respectable, he has struggled to carve out a consistent role. Given the offensive skill he has shown throughout his 322-game career, he is a player many teams would like on their roster. However, his cap situation makes him a tricky player to move.

Whether Garland is moved out remains to be seen, but regardless of what happens, the Canucks need to move out some money. They are currently slated to be roughly $669,000 over the salary cap next season and have some restricted free agents to re-sign in Ethan Bear, Travis Dermott, and Vitali Kravtsov.

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