Canucks have trade interest in New Jersey's Pavel Zacha: report

Pavel Zacha could be the next trade target for the Vancouver Canucks.

According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, Vancouver has been looking at the New Jersey Devils forward as a possible addition to their roster.

“One player we believe the Vancouver Canucks have interest in or at least curious about is Pavel Zacha of the New Jersey Devils,” Marek said on the 32 Thoughts segment of Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast of the Canucks’ 3-2 win over Toronto.

Zacha has recorded 22 points this season, by way of 10 goals and 12 assists in 45 games with New Jersey. Zacha was taken sixth overall in the 2015 NHL draft by the Devils, with a career high of 17 goals and 35 points coming in 50 games last season.

Zacha is on an expiring contract, in which he is making $2.25 million per season as part of a three-year deal. A pending restricted free agent, Marek posited that Zacha might be the odd man out when it comes to young Devils centres.

“The New Jersey Devils have a decision to make down the middle. They have Jack Hughes, they have Nico Hischier, they have Dawson Mercer. Where does Zacha fit in?” Marek added.

New Jersey being trade deadline sellers shouldn’t be all that surprising. They’re 17-26-5 this season, sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division and 18 points out of a playoff spot.

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