Canucks grant Garland's agent permission to explore trades

Conor Garland's time with the Vancouver Canucks could be coming to an end.

While Garland has been on the trade block before, TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reports the team has now given his agent, Judd Moldaver, permission to work on a trade for the winger. 

"This is a player the Canucks have made some overtures about moving in the past and haven't been able to do so. What's changed here in recent days is that Conor Garland has switched agents ... and his agent has permission to speak to other teams, and I know he's done so within the last 24 hours," Johnston said on Insider Trading. 

"It sounds like there are teams out there looking for maybe someone who can help out in a top six in a scoring position. And so [his agent] is going to try to do what the Canucks haven't been able to do, and that's find a new landing place for Conor Garland.

"He's still got three years on his contract – a hair under $5 million per year on the cap hit. The Canucks know they're going to have to retain salary in order to get a deal done."

Garland had 17 goals and 46 points in 81 games with the Canucks this season, his second season with the team.

The 27-year-old forward was acquired in the deal that also sent Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Canucks from the Coyotes in 2021. Ekman-Larsson was bought out of his contract this past off-season.

A fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft, Garland scored a career-high 22 goals with the Coyotes during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. He had a career-high 52 points in his first season with Vancouver.

In total, Garland has 83 goals and 194 points in 322 career games.