Do the Vancouver Canucks have a position of strength to land them a second-line center?
Donnie & Dhali: Rick Dhaliwal and Don Taylor talking about the possibility of the Vancouver Canucks trading from a position of strength, their right side up front. Can it get them a second-line center?
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Dhaliwal: “You know what Conor Garland‘s name is out there? Patrick Johnson, Donnie, The Province, he said over the weekend that Conor Garland’s name out there. I did some digging into this, and someone told me, like, this is like Jimmy Rutherford, Don, playing Whack-a-Mole. I’ve never played Whack-a-Mole. You said you have.”
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Taylor: “How is that possible?”
Dhaliwal: “I had to google ‘Whack-a-Mole.’ Was it at the PNE?”
Taylor: “Ryan used to be able to play it, but apparently, not anymore.”
Dhaliwal: “Okay. Anyways, forget about Whack-a-Mole.”
Where are the Canucks loaded, Don? On the right side. Boeser, Garland, Sherwood, you got a young kid, (Jonathan) Lekkerimaki.”
Taylor: “(Linus) Karlsson too.”
Dhaliwal: “Karlsson, Lekkerimaki, their strength is on the right side. They don’t want to trade…”
Taylor: “They have a strength?”
Dhaliwal: “They don’t have, well, apparently it’s on the right side. They don’t want to trade a first or Lekkerimaki or (Braeden) Cootes, or who’s the other, (Tom) Willander.
Could Garland they get you, so the Canucks are thinking, could Garland get you that second line center?”
Taylor: “Oh my gosh.”
Dhaliwal: “You never know, Don. It’s Whack-a-Mole. It’s think about everything outside the box. You put Sherwood and Garland out there and see if you can get a center.”
Taylor: “They just extended Garland.”
Dhaliwal: “His no-move does not kick in till next year.”
Taylor: “If you’re talking about getting trading Garland for a high first-round, first-round draft pick. Not even high. Yeah. Okay, sure.”
Dhaliwal: “Well.”
Taylor: “Second line center?”
Dhaliwal: “Second-line center. Can Garland do it? They’re loaded on the right side. You always deal from a position of strength …”
Taylor: “To get a high draft pick.”
Dhaliwal: “To get a second-line center. Now, the other one for you is this, Sherwood. What do you do with him, Don?”
Taylor: “UFA at the end of the season.”
Dhaliwal: “There’s, there’s, there’s been no contract talks. There’s been no number crunching. It’s still wait and see. The Canucks aren’t going to get them for $3 million. And I’ll tell you this much right now, his number starts with a five. Take that to the bank. I said this a while back, and everyone rip it into me, it’s going to start with a five, Don.
But anyways, so how do you get the second line center? You deal with your position of strength, which the right side. You go from there.”
Taylor: “So they’re trying to salvage the season, right?”
Dhaliwal: “Absolutely, are you kidding me? You think they woke up this morning, having a big meeting about a rebuild?”
Taylor: “Like, if they trade Conor Garland for like, a second-line center, who may or may not help them. They may need a first line center, yeah. But, like, the reaction in this, from his fan base, will be one of disgust. It’ll be like we’re trying to do this again. If you’re going to trade, if you’re going to let go of Kiefer, Kiefer Sherwood, who’s been outstanding, so has Connor Garland.”
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Dhaliwal: “Both of them.”
Taylor: “Rebuild.”
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