Canucks eyeing right-shot defenceman on trade market
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The red-hot Vancouver Canucks are scouring the trade market in search of help on the blueline to boost their lineup.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports the Canucks, who have opened the season with a 9-2-1 record, have been looking "for a while," but still face challenges to get a deal done.
"They're looking for a right-shot defenceman," Dreger said on Insider Trading. "Pretty much most of the contending teams would be, and I'm talking about playoff-contending teams would be in that category. All teams think that their defence core needs to be upgraded.
"The problem the Vancouver Canucks have, they don't have the cap space and the teams that they're talking to aren't interested in a player. Now, Vancouver like to use their depth on the wing. That's why we've heard about Anthony Beauvillier. That's why Conor Garland's name is more or less been out there. But because of the great start in Vancouver, I think Garland is less motivated to move from the Vancouver Canucks. So, it’s a wait and see in Vancouver for now."
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reported last month the Canucks had given Garland's agent permission to facilitate a trade, but no deal has materialized. The 27-year-old has one goal and three points in 12 games to start the season, while carrying a cap hit of $4.95 million on his contract, which runs through 2025-26.
Beauvillier, 26, was part of the Canucks return for Bo Horvat from the New York Islanders in January. He has two goals and five points in 12 games this season while playing on an expiring contract, which carries a cap hit of $4.15 million. The 2015 first-round pick is currently slated to hit unrestricted free agency in July.
According to CapFriendly, the Canucks have used $3.06 million of a possible $3.275 million in long-term injured reserve relief. Vancouver has a cap penalty of just $146,667 working against them this season from buying out veteran defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson over the summer, but that number will rise to over $2.3 million next season and over $4.7 million in the following two years.
After missing the playoffs last season, the Canucks currently sit second in the Pacific Division and have a seven-point cushion before falling out of the current playoff picture.
Vancouver will begin an Eastern Conference road trip on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators before closing the week with back-to-back games against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.