Three-way deal? Canucks trade talks on Garland heating up: report
Conor Garland trade talks are heating up.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that there has been “some movement” when it comes to a Garland trade.
He confirmed that the Vancouver Canucks have talked with the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, and at least one other Eastern Conference team.
There seems to be some movement on the Conor Garland front; hearing a 3rd team could be in play. Talks w/ teams like #Preds #AllCaps #CBJ & at least 1 more Eastern team are ongoing. The #Canucks want this done sooner than later, but $$ is a big factor. How creative can they get?
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) October 18, 2023
Pagnotta also reported that the Garland trade could involve a third team.
We have seen a few NHL trades over the past 12 months involve a third team that retains salary to facilitate a deal. One example is the Ryan O’Reilly trade that happened in February where both the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild retained salary to lower the centre’s cap hit.
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported that Garland switching agents and the fact that the Canucks are willing to retain close to 30% has meant an increase in suitors.
Iām told with Conor Garland recently changing his representation, and Vancouverās willingness to retain near 30% of his salary, thereās some increased potential trade partners.#HockeyTwitter
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) October 18, 2023
Trade rumours have been swirling around Garland ever since it was publicly revealed that the player’s agent had been granted permission to seek a trade with other NHL clubs.
The Predators are a team that has come up multiple times in Garland trade rumours. There has been much speculation over whether a swap for right-handed defenceman Dante Fabbro would make sense.
Michael Gallagher of Nashville Hockey Now reported that the Canucks reportedly prefer Fabbro out of all the Predators’ defencemen.
The Canucks and Predators play next week on Tuesday, October 24 in Nashville.
Garland has one goal in three games for the Canucks this season. Despite spending lots of time on the top line, he has averaged just 11:34 of ice time through the first week of the season, almost four minutes fewer than he played last year.
The elephant in the room when it comes to Garland trade talks is his $4.95 million cap hit. The Canucks are right up against the salary cap and looking to free up as many dollars as possible. However, it seems likely that they will need to retain or add a sweetener to make any deal work.