The Canucks are reportedly listening to trade offers on "veteran players".
The rumour mill is being kicked into overdrive in Vancouver. According to "Sportsnet's" Elliotte Friedman, the Vancouver Canucks "are willing to listen to offers on veteran players." In his article, Friedman also mentions that trading Quinn Hughes is "not their priority right now," while also stating that Flip Hronek is a player who "is unlikely to go anywhere."
At this point, it appears the Canucks are looking to make major roster changes. To be clear, this won't be a rebuild as Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin have both made it clear that the organization will not go down that route. If anything, it appears Vancouver is aiming for a retool on the fly as one of their main focuses remains upgrading their second-line center.
Trading "veteran players" will not be an easy task for Canucks management. Vancouver current has seven players with no-move clauses as well as three who have modified no-trade clauses. While players with no-move clauses can still be moved, there is an added level of difficulty as they get decide not only if they are traded, but where they are traded to.
Looking at the roster, the three players that meet Friedman's criteria and don't have no-trade or no-move clauses are Kiefer Sherwood, Conor Garland, Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Derek Forbort. Sherwood, Joseph and Forbort are pending unrestricted free agents while Garland's no-move clause kicks in next season. David Kämpf is also an unrestricted free agent, but it is hard to imagine that the Canucks will move him in the near future, as they only just signed him.
As for the no-trade clause group, that includes Teddy Blueger, Evander Kane and Drew O'Connor. Blueger and O'Connor have 12-team no-trade clauses, while Kane has a 16-team no-trade clause. Blueger and Kane are also pending unrestricted free agents, while O'Connor has another year left and carries a cap hit of $2.5 million.
Tyler Myers is also a name who could start popping up in trade rumours, not this season but next. While the 35-year-old has a no-move clause this year, that changes to a 12-team no-trade clause in 2026-27. Myers is also a key member of the leadership group, so trading him would be a massive change not just on the blue line, but also in the locker room.
There will also be some conversations among the fan base about Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen. Demko's no-move clause kick's in next season while Lankinen currently has a no-move clause until 2027. Both are also signed long-term, with neither contract expiring until the 2029 off-season.
Lastly, there are the players signed long-term and who carry no-move clauses this year. Those players include Elias Pettersson, Marcus Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser. While it is not impossible that any of these players are moved, it is highly unlikely, as these trades would be part of a rebuild.
At this point, the next few months leading up to the 2026 trade deadline are going to be intriguing for Vancouver. The rumour mill will be working in overdrive, which includes conversations about Hughes and his long-term future with the organization. Knowing Rutherford's history and the fact that the Canucks are currently 9-12-2, it may be a matter of when, not if Vancouver make some significant trades in the next few weeks.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
Canucks Goaltender Kevin Lankinen To Miss Road Trip Due To Personal Reasons
Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote Explains Situational Learning On Defence
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
