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Vancouver Canucks trying to trade three players before Friday's deadline

Rob Williams
Rob Williams
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Mar 5 2025, 7:19 pm
Vancouver Canucks trying to trade three players before Friday's deadline
Sergei Belski/Imagn Images

The trade deadline is two days away and Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin has some decisions to make.

We know Quinn Hughes is the only untouchable on the Canucks roster, but after that?

What is the appetite for trading Elias Pettersson? Are Brock Boeser’s days in Vancouver numbered?

Could Thatcher Demko get moved?

The Canucks are an in interesting spot heading into the deadline. They’re on the cusp of playoff spot, but there’s not a lot of optimism surrounding the team right now.

Some teams in this situation would consider selling assets with an eye on reloading for next season. That would be out of character for this organization, though they’re reportedly not in the market to add rentals like they did with Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov last season.

We’ll have to wait and see what the Canucks do before noon on Friday, but there are three players the team is definitely trying to trade.

“Three players the Canucks are really trying to move right now are [Pius] Suter, [Carson] Soucy, and [Derek] Forbort,” Rick Dhaliwal said on Wednesday’s edition of Donnie and Dhali on CHEK.

Suter and Forbort are both pending unrestricted free agents. Soucy has one year left on a contract paying him $3.25 million.

Suter, 28, has already set a career-high in goals (16) this season. The Swiss forward is due a big raise on his $1.6 million salary, but his departure would also leave a big hole in Vancouver’s lineup.

Suter is the Canucks’ most versatile forward, with the ability to play both centre and wing anywhere in the lineup. He’s also their most-used forward on the penalty kill.

Forbort also plays a big role on the penalty kill. The 6-foot-4 blueliner plays third-pair minutes for the Canucks, and his $1.5-million salary could fit easily onto most teams’ payrolls.

Soucy has been the subject of trade speculation for a number of weeks. After an excellent first year in Vancouver, the 6-foot-5 defender has struggled with the Canucks this season. Instead of solidifying a spot on the second pair with Tyler Myers, Soucy’s role has been greatly diminished. Soucy has been a healthy scratch on multiple occasions this season and averaged just 14:17 of ice time in his last 10 games.

What about Boeser?

Vancouver’s most high-profile pending UFA is Boeser, but it’s unclear what Allvin is planning with the longest-tenured current Canucks player.

Contract talks haven’t gone well, according to reports, but perhaps Friday’s deadline could push both sides toward a deal. Trading Boeser would ensure they get value for the 28-year-old sniper, but it would also weaken Vancouver’s playoff chances.

Are the Canucks prepared to let him walk for nothing this summer just to squeak into the playoffs?

TSN’s Farhan Lalji characterized a contract extension as “very unlikely” before Friday’s deadline, but that doesn’t mean a trade is likely either.

“Not much has changed as of this morning,” Dhaliwal said. “No one knows yet which way this is going to go with Boeser.”

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