11 young defencemen the Canucks could target in a blockbuster trade
The Vancouver Canucks most pressing needs aren’t a big secret.
Like most teams around the NHL, their primary goal is to clear cap space. President Jim Rutherford said as much last week.
Aside from shedding cap space, the Canucks desperately need to add talented, young blueliners to their organization.
If the Canucks do look at trading players like J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, or Conor Garland, they won’t be doing so just to shed cap space. They’d be trading these players, ideally, for young talent on the blue line.
Here are 11 young defencemen the Canucks could look to acquire in a blockbuster deal.
1. Zac Jones, LHD (New York Rangers)
- Age: 20
- Drafted: Third round, 68th overall in 2019
- Size: 5-foot-10, 175 pounds
Part of the reason why the Rangers are reportedly in the mix for Miller is that they have both cap space and assets to make a deal.
Jones might not be the best fit for the Canucks among the Rangers’ prospects on defence, but he’s arguably the most talented.
The Virginia native has registered four goals and 18 points in 25 games as an AHL rookie this season.
Despite his offensive inclination, he’s well-rounded and has spent time killing penalties in the minors.
2. Nils Lundkvist, RHD (New York Rangers)
- Age: 21
- Drafted: First round, 28th overall in 2018
- Size: 5-foot-10, 187 pounds
On defence, the Canucks have a clear need for more talent on the right side.
That might lead them to target a player like Nils Lundkvist, who has an impressive resume.
Last season as a 20-year-old, Lundkvist had 14 goals and 32 points in 52 games over in the SHL. That’s a notoriously tough league to score in, especially for a young defenceman.
That offence hasn’t translated for Lundkvist during his first full season in North America, but he hasn’t looked out of place in 25 regular-season games for the Rangers.
3. Braden Schneider, RHD (New York Rangers)
- Age: 20
- Drafted: First round, 19th overall in 2020
- Size: 6-foot-2, 209 pounds
Braden Schneider arguably fits the Canucks needs best among the Rangers defence prospects.
Schneider projects as a top-four defenceman who plays with physicality. The Canucks don’t have any players like that currently in the organization.
He was valued enough by the Rangers that they traded up to get him in 2020.
Since then, he’s impressed for Team Canada at the World Juniors, was named the WHL’s defenceman of the year, and played well enough in the AHL to earn a call up to the Rangers this season.
4. Olen Zellweger, LHD (Anaheim Ducks)
- Age: 18
- Drafted: Second round, 34th overall in 2021
- Size: 5-foot-10, 174 pounds
Although undersized, Olen Zellweger has superstar potential.
The Calgary native was one of the best skaters available in last year’s draft. That, combined with his hockey sense, has allowed him to be a point-producing machine in the WHL (39 points in 31 games this season).
Most teams might shy away from having two similar defenders on their team, but the Colorado Avalanche are a perfect example of prioritizing skill over size on the blue line.
And, with just over $70 million in cap space, Anaheim has some of the best cap flexibility in the NHL.
Ā 5. Shakir Mukhamadullin, LHD (New Jersey Devils)
- Age: 20
- Drafted: First round, 20th overall in 2020
- Size: 6-foot-4, 194 pounds
Shakir Mukhamadullin is a big Russian defenceman who can skate well.
Despite not providing much offence, his sturdy defensive play projects well for his NHL future. Mukhamadullin will also play for Russia’s men’s hockey team at the Olympics.
The irony about targeting Mukhamadullin? The New Jersey Devils selected him with a first-round pick that originally belonged to the Canucks before they dealt it to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Miller trade.
6. Noah Dobson, RHD (New York Islanders)
- Age: 22
- Drafted: First round, 12th overall in 2018
- Size: 6-foot-4, 183 pounds
The rest of the teams on this list are tight to the cap, meaning the Canucks might have to get creative by either taking on a bad contract, or by retaining salary in a deal.
If the Canucks are to retain salary, then trading Boeser, who’s on an expiring deal, makes more sense than dealing Miller.
The New York Islanders are in desperate need of help on offence. However, it’s going to take a true blockbuster package to extract Noah Dobson from the Islanders. The third-year NHLer already has a career-best 17 points in just 37 games.
7. Calen Addison, RHD (Minnesota Wild)
- Age: 21
- Drafted: Second round, 53rd overall in 2018
- Size: 5-foot-11, 172 pounds
If the Minnesota Wild are looking to bolster their offence, they could look at using Calen Addison as a trade chip.
Addison was originally by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018, before he was dealt in a package for Jason Zucker.
18-year-old left-shot defenceman Carson Lambos (26th overall, 2021 draft) could be another target for the Canucks as well.
8. Brock Faber, RHD (Los Angeles Kings)
- Age: 19
- Drafted: Second round, 45th overall in 2020
- Size: 6-foot-0, 190 pounds
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently mentioned that Rob Blake is looking to add a “natural goal scorer.”
While the Canucks might love to target 2021 eighth overall selection Brandt Clarke, the Los Angeles Kings are unlikely to part with him.
However, with a wealth of prospects on the blue line, the Kings could look to trade Brock Faber.
The 19-year-old’s most obvious traits are his skating and defensive awareness. He’ll represent Team USA at the upcoming Olympics.
9. Helge Grans, RHD (Los Angeles Kings)
- Age: 19
- Drafted: Second round, 35th overall in 2020
- Size: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds
Los Angeles snagged two talented right-handed blueliners in the second round of the 2020 draft, including Swedish defenceman Helge Grans.
The 19-year-old has looked solid as an AHL rookie, posting 14 points in 24 games.
10. Drew Helleson, RHD (Colorado Avalanche)
- Age: 20
- Drafted: Second round, 47th overall in 2019
- Size: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds
The Colorado Avalanche have two promising right-shot defencemen that could be dealt if they look to add before the deadline.
One of them is Drew Helleson, who originally projected more as a defensive defenceman before a big offensive breakout as a sophomore at Boston College in 2020-21.
His combination of reliable defensive play and growing offensive awareness earned him a spot on Team USA at the upcoming Olympics.
11. Justin Barron, RHD (Colorado Avalanche)
- Age: 20
- Drafted: First round, 25th overall in 2020
- Size: 6-foot-2, 194 pounds
Justin Barron has performed well as an AHL rookie, with 14 points in 26 games. That earned him a two-game call-up to the NHL earlier this season.