Vancouver Canucks Would Be Considered Major Loser If Do Not Make Any Moves at the NHL Trade Deadline
The NHL Trade Deadline is about a little less than six weeks away and one of the major storylines that day will be what the Vancouver Canucks do.
It has been quite a season for the Canucks. They have been making the news for all the wrong reasons. It culminated with the firing of Bruce Boudreau on the weekend and how that situation was handled.
In addition to the headlines the Canucks are making off the ice, they still have to play the games as well. Their start was not the greatest and now they are sitting 16 points out of the playoffs, there are major decisions coming for the Canucks front office.
Vancouver has several key players that have been targeted by teams with the March 3rd Trade Deadline approaching. The Canucks were in a similar situation last season but did not move J.T. Miller or Brock Boeser. Then the Canucks did the unthinkable signing Miller to an eight-year extension and Boeser to a bridge deal.
Entering this deadline, the Canucks have to decide what they are as we know their captain Bo Horvat, the 9th overall pick from the 2013 NHL Draft has already declined one offer and most believe as they did last year with Miller, Horvat will be traded.
NHL Rumors: The Canucks talked to Horvat’s camp, and who might be interested
But then again this is the Vancouver Canucks we are talking about so anything is possible.
As Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic stated on TSN 1050 Radio when asked what Canadian is going to make a splash, “It better be Vancouver in terms of headlines.”
“Their captain is a pending UFA and they should get a lot for Bo Horvat.” As we know via Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Canucks are looking for a multi-asset package for Horvat.
LeBrun went on to say, “if they can’t sign Andrei Kuzmenko in the next month they need to move him. Brock Boeser the idea is to move him. Luke Schenn is gonna get moved so if the Canucks don’t make the most headlines before March 3rd then there is a problem because they should be the busiest team.”
Of note, Kuzmenko signed a two-year extension with the Canucks. That does not mean he is not going to be traded though. However, this bridge deal shows the Canucks want to build around him for the future.
Jim Rutherford has a history of being aggressive, but with the salary cap holding up teams from making moves, it will be tough for the Canucks to trade these players away before March 3rd.
NHL Rumors: Salary Cap Hampering Teams From Making Trades
The Canucks cannot afford to follow a similar path as they did with Miller last year or else this will set this franchise back another season.
It will be interesting to see what the Canucks do, but they need to do something or else the trade deadline will be viewed as a failure.