Garland and Canucks would benefit from a quick divorce

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The trouble with a player who doesn’t want to be here is you’re left to wonder whether he’ll bleed for the club.

And with Rick Tocchet hockey, everyone has to bleed.

That brings us to Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland and his effort on the Philadelphia Flyers’ opening goal last night.

Garland has a chance to block Egor Zemula’s shot from distance or “eat a puck” as the head coach would say. Instead, Garland turns and breezes by, giving Zemula a shooting lane and the puck winds up behind Thatcher Demko.

EGOAL ZAMULA. #VANvsPHI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/luKtnUl6jy

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 17, 2023

Garland is typically a scrappy player who plays bigger than his diminutive size. But given that his agent is seeking a trade and trying to find his client a new home, one has to wonder if he’ll sellout and play Tocchet hockey.

Like his effort on the disallowed goal last night. Commendable.

Connor Garland has this goal called back for goalie interference.

🎥: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/wKm09ARt76

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) October 18, 2023

He goes hard to the net, joins the traffic and pushes Carter Hart (and the puck) into the net. The goal is disallowed upon video review, meaning Garland doesn’t get the amend for his error on the Flyers’ first tally.

Of course, it’s one thing to sellout for a goal, it’s another to sellout to a prevent a goal. Would’ve liked to have seen the same gusto on both ends of the ice.

Look, there are no easy fixes with Garland’s trade request. He makes nearly $5 million, he has three years of term left, there aren’t a lot of upper middle-class salaries in the NHL, and his uneven play over two years in Vancouver hasn’t made him that desirable.

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But if he continues to play in a way that gets on the wrong side of the coach, then the Canucks may have to expedite his exit sooner than later.

There is word today from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period that the Canucks want this done sooner and have engaged Nashville, Washington, Columbus, and another Eastern Conference team.

And that’s good news. The sooner these sides divorce, the better for all parties.