The Vancouver Canucks are in the middle of a difficult season. Sitting at the bottom of the league standings, the organization is clearly drifting toward a rebuild, with further roster shakeups expected.
Why Are the Canucks Trade Plans Up in the Air Following Multiple Injuries?
Heading into February, the expectation around the league was that Vancouver would aggressively sell before the Olympic roster freeze. Instead, a key injury has thrown those plans into uncertainty.
With the trade freeze running from Feb. 4 to Feb. 22, Vancouver was widely expected to sell after already reshaping its roster. That included a Dec. 12 blockbuster trade sending Quinn Hughes to Minnesota for Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren, Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round pick. That was followed by a Jan. 19 deal that moved Kiefer Sherwood to San Jose for two second-rounders and AHL defenseman Cole Clayton.
Those moves signaled more was coming. But injuries have complicated everything. According to NHL analyst Thomas Drance, Vancouver’s urgency to move additional pieces has cooled significantly over the past week.
“If Vancouver had been fully healthy, there would have been some sense of urgency to execute a trade that would’ve sent out a forward for the purpose of making it easier for the Canucks to manage their 23-man roster on the other side of the Olympic break,” Drance said.
That urgency, however, has faded due to mounting injuries, most notably to Brock Boeser.
The $50.75 million winger went down with a concussion after taking a hit from Bryan Rust on Jan. 25 and was placed on injured reserve. In the first year of his seven-year contract, Boeser isn’t expected back until after the Olympic break.
And he’s not the only injury the Canucks are juggling. Nils Höglander is sidelined with a lower-body issue, while Filip Chytil has been dealing with migraines. Both are listed as day-to-day, but their situations have stretched Vancouver’s forward depth even thinner.
Other injuries include Thatcher Demko, Derek Forbort, and Marco Rossi, all currently on injured reserve. Connor Garland is listed as day-to-day.
With depth already stretched, the Canucks appear less inclined to move additional pieces before the freeze. Still, the door isn’t fully closed. “However, all of that can change with one phone call,” Drance noted, leaving open the possibility of a late surprise if the right offer emerges.
Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, David Kämpf, Elias Pettersson, and Jake DeBrusk are all being viewed as the Canucks’ top potential trade chips.
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For now, Vancouver seems poised to ride things out until the freeze lifts. The Canucks will play the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday in their final game before the Olympic break.
