February 20th, 2024
Alex Rickman
After the acquisition of Elias Lindholm from Calgary earlier this month, it would be hard to see the Canucks make another big splash on the trade market between now and the deadline on March 8th. However, this does not mean that the Canucks will be done adding to their roster, with a Phil Kessel signing seemingly imminent, and other smaller deals potentially being pursued. So who may find themselves on the way to Vancouver between now and then? Let’s go over a few of the potential options who could soon become the newest members of the Vancouver Canucks.
Alexandre Carrier
It’s been discussed that there may already be some interest from Vancouver in acquiring the Preds defenceman, so would it make sense to bring Carrier to Vancouver? Carrier’s smooth skating and high-effort style of play certainly seem like they would appeal to a Vancouver team who have prided themselves this year for being hard to play against, so on the surface, Carrier does seem like a player well suited for what the Canucks are looking to do. Carrier does seem like he would make a good depth addition for the Canucks defence, but his size (5’11, 174 lbs) could potentially be seen as a red flag, with the Canucks having found success with one of the biggest defences in the league. Providing a different option to some of these bigger blue-liners could be an interesting idea for the Canucks, but if they’re committed to maintaining their size advantage at the back end, they may look elsewhere for help.
Arber Xhekaj
Like Carrier, there have been some rumours swirling around, albeit fairly quietly, that the Canucks may have interest in Habs fan favourite defenceman Arber Xhekaj. Xhekaj is an interesting player, providing a profile matched by few others in the NHL, but there are some concerns with his play. At 6’4 and 238 lbs, Xhekaj’s large frame and highly physical play make him an intriguing piece for any team. The Hamilton native plays with no fear, and will take on a challenge from anyone who steps up. However, putting aside the physicality, Xhekaj has not proven himself to be a particularly strong player at the NHL level, providing little to no offensive upside and making some questionable defensive decisions, as well as taking more penalties than just about anyone in the league. At only 23 years of age, Xhekaj can improve his play and become a more sturdy NHLer. However, as it stands, Xhekaj would not be a needle mover on a strong Canucks team, and should only be considered if the Canucks if the price to acquire is incredibly low.
Kaapo Kakko
The former second-overall pick has disappointed since arriving in New York, but Kakko has shown some promise in certain areas that could allow him to thrive with a change of scenery. The Finnish winger has not yet produced like the Rangers may have wanted him to offensively. Still, Kakko’s defensive play has been nothing short of top-notch, and he is an incredibly difficult player to knock off of the puck, playing a strong enough game to become a solid bottom-six piece in the Big Apple. It’s clear that Kakko still has it in him to become a very solid piece at the NHL level, but a change of scenery may be required in order to get the most out of him as a player. Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin have shown that they love a good reclamation project in their tenure in Vancouver, so perhaps Kakko is a player they would consider should the Canucks forward core need bolstering. It’s unclear what Kakko would cost Vancouver to acquire, but if the price is right, Kaapo Kakko could potentially find himself making his way to British Columbia in the coming weeks.
Sean Walker
The Flyers prefer to re-sign Walker than move him, but should they not be able to do this, Walker will be among the top defencemen on the market. The smooth-skating, former Kings defenceman is a solid player on both sides of the ice, and would comfortably slot into an important role in the Vancouver defence. Walker is also on a very manageable contract, coming in with a cap hit of only $2.65 million, which is set to expire this summer. Walker’s contract will, however, make him a very enticing piece for teams across the league, so the Canucks will face steep competition in trying to secure his services. If Walker is available for the right price, he could be the best option for the Canucks to improve their defence. However, unless the Canucks are prepared to pay a steep price for a player they may not be able to retain, they may have to look for alternative options to strengthen the defence.
Brandon Duhaime
Brandon Duhaime is certainly not the flashiest player on the planet, putting up extremely unexceptional numbers on offence during his 3 NHL seasons. However, watching Duhaime play, it’s clear to see that he has everything a team would look for in a fourth-liner, and would almost certainly thrive in the Canucks bottom six. Physicality and speed are the name of the game for Duhaime, who channels this into relentless forechecking, a perfect fit for the style of play the Canucks coaching staff have been preaching. Duhaime’s edge is rare in the modern NHL, and would certainly be appreciated by Rick Tocchet, who need I remind you is the Philadephia Flyers' all-time leader in penalty minutes. Duhaime may not bring the most offensive flair, but as a bottom-line forward, the Canucks could certainly do worse than the Florida-born winger.
Chris Tanev
Ah, you again. For a brief moment, while the Lindholm trade was breaking, it seemed that Tanev may have finally been making his way back to Vancouver, but in the end, this was not able to be done. Since then, various reports have stated that the Canucks are still interested in bringing back Tanev, while others have stated that Vancouver will not be willing or able to meet the asking price set by the Flames. In the end, I still believe it’s unlikely that Tanev will return to the Canucks before the trade deadline, but a reunion in the summer when Tanev is set to hit free agency certainly seems like a possibility. Still, if the Canucks recent penalty kill struggles remain, and they see the possibility of Tanev finding himself in the hands of a division rival like the Oilers, there is a chance that the always-aggressive Trader Jim decides to pull the trigger and bring Chris Tanev back to the franchise that launched his NHL career. Is it a likely scenario? Probably not, but it remains a possibility nonetheless.
Anthony Duclair
With Ilya Mikheyev’s recent struggles, the Canucks top six feels a piece short. Duclair may not be putting up top-six numbers with the Sharks this year, but there are a few reasons why he may be worth consideration in spite of these struggles. First of all, as a Shark, he has not exactly had much to work with. Duclair has mostly been playing on a line with Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund, so one could assume that his play would improve should he be partnered with the likes of JT Miller and Brock Boeser or Elias Lindholm and Pettersson. Duclair’s playoff performances with the Panthers last year should also be tempting for the Canucks, who will need strong postseason players in a few months. Ultimately, while Duclair may not be the single best forward on the market, he does feel like one of the most cost-effective potential additions to the Canucks top six and could prove himself to be a bargain come April.
So, with some potential options laid out, who should the Canucks target? If I were Patrik Allvin, the players that stand out to me as the ones who could make the biggest difference to this team at a reasonable price are Brandom Duhaime and Anthony Duclair. While the Canucks defence has been far from perfect lately, it feels like a bounceback is due shortly. Additionally, Carson Soucy will at some point return from his injury, so the Canucks will soon get some relief on the back end.
The forward core, on the other hand, does feel as if it lacks one or two pieces that can take things over the top. Adding an aggressive bottom six piece like Duhaime would give the Canucks fourth line additional physicality, which will be very important come playoff time. In addition, Duhaime would give the coaches some extra options for how they wish to shape this bottom line and who has to spend a game in the press box should their performances not be up to standard.
Duclair, meanwhile, feels like one of the very few affordable options the Canucks could bring in if the top six require improvement. A player like Phil Kessel should not be in the top six of a contending team anymore, Pius Suter feels more suited to the lower lines of a top team’s forward core, and premium trade options like Jake Guentzel simply aren’t in the Canucks budget right now. Duclair, on the other hand, shouldn’t be too expensive to acquire and would allow the Canucks to play one of Pius Suter or Nils Höglander on a fourth line that has missed the spark they bring. If Anthony Duclair can be brought to Vancouver for the right price, Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin should be all over this move.
Other players not mentioned on this list could also become available and make interesting cases to be the newest additions to the Canucks roster, but, for now, this is who I believe Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin should be targeting ahead of March 8th. Going into a deadline expected to be buyers is an odd feeling for many in the Canucks fanbase, but we should be excited by what’s to come, and the potential this team has to make a serious push in the next couple of weeks to take this roster over the top.