The Canucks' focus shifts to their ongoing rebuild. Meanwhile, the Wild seem like a good fit for Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, but can they get him?
It's been a busy off-season thus far for the Vancouver Canucks.
After finishing last in the overall standings, significant changes were made in the front office and behind the bench. Assistant GM Ryan Johnson was promoted to GM, while Manny Malhotra moved up from coaching their AHL affiliate to become their new bench boss.
With a new management and coaching staff in place, the focus will shift toward potential roster moves as the rebuilding process that started under the previous front office continues.
Left winger Jake DeBrusk and defenseman Filip Hronek recently surfaced in the rumor mill as trade candidates. DeBrusk seems more likely to move given his reluctance to be part of a rebuilding club at this stage of his career. However, the right-shooting Hronek could fetch a better return if he's willing to waive his no-movement clause.
Meanwhile, Montreal Canadiens right winger Brendan Gallagher recently indicated his openness to a trade to Vancouver.
The Canadiens permitted Gallagher's agent, Gerry Johansson, to speak with other clubs to facilitate a trade. On Monday, Rick Dhaliwal of the Donnie & Dhali podcast reported that Johansson indicated the Canucks were interested in his client, but there were lots of moving parts.
Hanging over everything is Elias Pettersson's future in Vancouver. The 27-year-old center has struggled to retain the 102-point form that earned him an eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension in 2024. He only managed 51 points in 74 games this season.
Factor in Pettersson's $11.6 million average annual value and full no-movement clause, and moving him becomes a daunting challenge.
Ben Kuzma of The Province suggested the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings as potential trade destinations for Pettersson. He pointed out that the Red Wings will need a replacement for Dylan Larkin, who recently submitted a trade request. The Kings could also be looking for a new first-line center following the retirement of Anze Kopitar.
Speaking of Larkin, he included the Minnesota Wild on his three-team list of preferred trade destinations.
Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic agreed that Larkin would make absolute sense to address the Wild's need for a first-line center. However, they questioned whether the club has sufficient trade capital to meet the Red Wings' asking price.
The Wild already gave up four significant assets, including their 2026 first-round pick, by acquiring Quinn Hughes from Vancouver last December. They still have some solid prospects left, such as forwards Danila Yurov and Charlie Stramel, but that might not be enough to land Larkin.
Smith and Russo also indicated the Wild are reluctant to part with center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin. They pointed out how much the club struggled when both players were sidelined during their second-round defeat to the Colorado Avalanche.
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