The Vancouver Canucks traded Tyler Myers, and based on quotes and rumors this week, they have more moves in store to really get the rebuild going.
In another year of disappointment, the Vancouver Canucks have been completely cratering of late – and that's really saying something.
The Canucks went 1-7-2 in their last 10 games. They have 10 fewer points than the next-worst team in the NHL. And after trading Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller in the past two seasons, the Canucks have and should continue to make trades that will affect their long-term outlook. It's going to get worse before it gets better.
On Wednesday, Vancouver traded defenseman Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2029 fourth-round pick.
And earlier in the week, other players have either discussed the possibility of getting traded or have surfaced in rumors and speculation.
Veteran left winger Jake DeBrusk, for one, told the Vancouver Province a rebuild for the Canucks would not sit well with him.
"Obviously, that (rebuild) is not something I would be OK with or accepting," DeBrusk said. "My game doesn't fit that."
THN.com's Stefen Rosner reported that Vancouver and the New York Islanders were discussing a trade involving Canucks right winger Conor Garland, although those talks have since stalled. So suggesting this week is pivotal for Vancouver's future would be a massive understatement.
Indeed, if DeBrusk and Garland were moved – and if Vancouver brass does convince someone to trade for star center Elias Pettersson – we're looking at a rebuild we haven't seen since the trio of the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks all decided to start from scratch.
While no strategic route ahead will guarantee a Stanley Cup championship for the Canucks, here's what we can say with confidence: the most-proven road to a Cup is by being very bad, for quite some time, and by riding a bit of luck along with savvy drafting and development before you come out the other side with a roster you could never otherwise put together.
Unless you get really, really lucky, you never acquire a Grade-A, generational player anywhere other than at the top of each year's draft. Yes, there are exceptions to that rule, but they're exceedingly rare. A team like the Vegas Golden Knights got access to Jack Eichel because the Buffalo Sabres screwed up so badly with him. By and large, superstar players almost always stay with the team that drafted them.
The Canucks have to bear this in mind when they're deciding how many veterans to trade by the deadline. The better odds they give themselves at this year's draft, the better chance they have to acquire one of young phenoms Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg. If they don't win the draft lottery, they have center Tynan Lawrence as another high-level option.
And if the Canucks want to truly turn the page on a generation that has crumbled for them, then perhaps star center Pettersson will need to go as well.
As the team's highest-paid player, Pettersson just isn't thriving with this Vancouver team anymore, and he can't escape the critcism in that market as a result. Although Pettersson controls everything with his no-move clause, we don't doubt he'd be amenable to moving to a team that would have a better chance at making the playoffs than he will in B.C. for a considerably lengthy time.
Other than the young players on their roster right now, the Canucks have to be willing to listen to hear trade proposals involving everyone. Does that mean right winger Brock Boeser? Yes, it does. Does that mean Evander Kane and Thatcher Demko? Yes and yes.
If you find yourself reacting with sorrow, just take another look at Vancouver's place in the standings. That will remedy your nostalgia in a hurry.
The Blackhawks gritted their teeth for years while feeling nostalgic about their Cup championships, but they got Connor Bedard out of it. The Sharks suffered through lean years aplenty, but they got Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa out of it.
Once you come to terms with a long rebuild like those teams did, there's no time like the present to get the full rebuild moving into high gear. They got closer to that on Wednesday with the Myers trade.
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