March 6th, 2025
Alex Rickman & JC Clemas
We are officially in crunch time.
The NHL trade deadline is tomorrow, Friday the 7th, at 12pm PST. The Canucks have been looking to add to their forward group ever since trading away J.T. Miller (wait they did WHAT???), but selling teams have been hard to find.
Realistically, at this point, the more obvious conclusion is that the Canucks don’t make any big additions. They’re trying to move Soucy, Forbort, and Suter, and those may be the only moves we see. On the Boeser front, teams have lost some interest in him, not viewing him as a very valuable rental. We may see him close out the season in Canucks’ colours. And then lose him for free on July 1st. Go team.
Anyway, just because they’ve said they want to add to their forward group, and the deadline hasn’t quite passed, it’s still fun to be delusional and think about all the top 6 players they could possibly acquire. Is this article going to be entirely obsolete when the clock strikes 12 tomorrow? Probably. Is it fun to daydream? Yes! I hope that they prove me wrong and make a splash today or tomorrow, but deadline day has never historically been a big day for the franchise.
An offseason move seems a lot more obvious for the Canucks at this point. The team is pretty much in the dumps, and despite still having a wonderful opportunity to make the playoffs, it is far too risky to be big buyers right now. After dealing with free agency and having a better understanding of where their finances are at, it would probably make more sense to make a move then. But nobody wants to read an article about late July in early March.
Here are a couple of players the Canucks could target ahead of the deadline tomorrow.
Josh Norris
A former teammate of Quinn Hughes from their days with the Michigan Wolverines, it remains unclear if the Senators are open to parting with the 25-year-old centre. However, should Norris be on the block, he would be an ideal add for a Canucks team that has very little going for them down the middle. Not only does Norris’ age match the profile that the Canucks are looking for in a top six centre addition, but Norris is a better faceoff man than any centre on Vancouver’s roster who has played the full season in the NHL.
The main concern with Josh Norris is his history of shoulder injuries, which have caused him to miss significant time in his NHL career. However, a healthy Josh Norris would immediately be the second best centre talent wise on this Canucks roster. These risks have to be considered, though, as does Norris’s $7.95 million cap hit until 2030.
Norris, ultimately, would be a big gamble for this Canucks team. If it pays off, and Norris can play up to his full potential as a Canuck, Vancouver are adding a high end second line centre who could even blossom into a first liner with a change of scenery. If it doesn’t pay off, though, adding Josh Norris could turn from a dream to a nightmare scenario fast.
Dylan Cozens
Months ago, Elliotte Friedman suggested a trade that would’ve seen centre Elias Pettersson move to Buffalo in exchange for Bowen Byram and Dylan Cozens. While I would not advocate for a deal like that to be made, Cozens is a piece who could be an interesting add for this Canucks team. After a 31-goal, 68-point season in 2022-23, Cozens has struggled to find the same form on a constantly disappointing Sabres team. At only 24, though, Cozens could easily refind his game and reach his full potential with a change of scenery. Could a move to the Pacific Northwest be what the 6’3 centre from Whitehorse needs to do that?
Cozens, like Norris, comes with some risk in the form of a $7.1 million cap hit until 2030. However, Cozens feels like not only a lower risk add due to his not having a notable injury history, but also one that comes with a higher ceiling due to his age and what he has previously shown himself to be capable of. At the time of writing, Cozens is ranked 12th on TSN’s Trade Bait Board.
If the Sabres are willing to part with Cozens for a reasonable price, and the Canucks are able to bring in the necessary assets to replace what they’re giving up through selling other players, Cozens would be a worthwhile piece for Vancouver to consider.
Jared McCann
No time like the present to right your past wrongs. Back in 2016, Jim Benning sent Jared McCann, a 2nd, and a 4th to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Erik Gudbranson and a 5th. You really have to wonder what was going on inside that front office sometimes. Anyway, McCann’s career continuously trended upwards, leading to the point where he became a 40-goal scorer a couple of seasons ago. This season, he has 44 points in 62 games, with a pretty decent defensive game to complement the numbers.
While the Canucks left winger depth is pretty solid, with DeBrusk, O’Connor, Höglander, and Joshua, McCann would likely instantly become the best of the bunch. Out of those options, only DeBrusk has shown the ability to consistently be deployed in the top 6. DeBrusk hasn’t really been able to unlock Pettersson this season, and you have to wonder if a different left winger could do so. Not that I’m blaming DeBrusk for that. He’s cool.
In the Canucks’ hunt for a top 6 forward, is McCann the answer? Likely not. However, at 28 years old, and with 2 years left on his contract at $5 million a season, he would certainly be a valuable addition. Seattle has proven that they’re committed to selling, shipping off Bjorkstrand and Gourde to Tampa and healthy scratching Brandon Tanev. McCann’s value may not be as high as it once was, but in this market, they could still be looking at a great return for him. Quite possible a return that should be too steep for the Canucks.
Dawson Mercer
Much like Tuch and McCann, Dawson Mercer’s production the past two seasons has not come close to what he achieved in 2022-23. In his age-21 season, the youngster went on a heater to close out the regular season, finishing with 27 goals and 29 assists for 56 points. A season like that at such a young age would inspire confidence from the team that it’s only up from there. It was not.
Mercer followed that up with a 33-point season, and this season has 26 points in 63 games. New Jersey is growing quite restless with his lack of production, and it seems like a change of scenery would be for the best for him at this time. Mercer has been in trade rumours, though as more of a trade chip. It seems like Elias Pettersson is staying as a Canuck, so I’m not exactly sure what the Canucks could send New Jersey that would interest them. I don’t think they can swindle Allvin out of Quinn Hughes just yet.
Mercer would be a very valuable addition to a Canucks team that has their heart set on acquiring a young 2nd line centre. He’s signed to the end of the 2026-27 season at $4 million per season, which is quite affordable. The team could really use some more right-shot forwards, and Mercer fits the bill. While his production isn’t currently at 2C levels, he’s just 23 years old and has shown the potential to get it there. Plus, he would be battling Filip Chytil for that spot, and maybe the competition could get them both to come out of their shells a little bit.
One thing to keep in mind is that Jack Hughes is now out for the season. That means Mercer has been promoted to the 2nd line for the time being. With the team in a playoff spot right now, and slipping, they may be desperate to make a move for a top 6 forward. Mercer could be on his way out in place of one. Maybe the Canucks could find a third party? It seems like a tricky situation.
Matias Maccelli
I’m not exactly sure why Maccelli is up for sale, and I’d assume Utah would prefer to use him in a package for something bigger, but it’s still pretty intriguing. His production has completely fallen off a cliff this season. In his 2022-23 rookie season, Maccelli put up 49 points in 64 games. In his sophomore season, he scored 57 points in 82 games. This season? 18 points in 52 games. Still, it would be weird for a Utah team on the rise to give up on a 24-year-old so abruptly. Unless they can put him in a package for Mikko Rantanen. Then I’d understand.
Maccelli plays left wing, and would be yet another middle 6 left winger for the Canucks, but he’s shown signs of being a top 6 player. I’m not quite sure how low Utah values him at this point, but it’s not like the Canucks lack intriguing trade chips this year. He’s not exactly their best option at this point, but he fits pretty much right in the age group that they’re looking for right now. The “retool” age zone. His contract is just $3.425 million per season and expires at the end of next year.
Utah had an interest in Pettersson a couple of months ago when the stove was burning hot. I wouldn’t be surprised if they refused to give Maccelli to Vancouver for anyone else. He’s quite obviously not valuable enough for that. Still, if they can find a way to get it done for something less, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to take a chance on Maccelli and see if he can revive his production with the Canucks.
Ryan O’Reilly
One of these things is not like the others. The Canucks are said to be wanting to add a young centre to their ranks, and to say Ryan O’Reilly is a young player would be like saying that The Beatles Abbey Road is a new release.
However, if the Canucks are deadset on adding a centre to their ranks and are finding the price to acquire younger options are too rich for their blood, it’s not out of the question to see them pull the trigger on a deal to acquire a seasoned veteran like O’Reilly to steady the ship. With two years remaining at $4.5 million, O’Reilly could be a good stop gap solution while the Canucks look for a more permanent solution to their centre problems.
O’Reilly’s always strong two way game and his ability to win face offs would give the Canucks a profile they definitely need. However, we have to consider the fact that O’Reilly is now 34 years old and falls firmly outside the age profile that Vancouver is looking for. At this point, we can’t even be certain that the Canucks will be able to put together a contending team before O’Reilly retires, although that is unquestionably the teams goal. Would parting with assets to acquire O’Reilly actually be of service to this Canucks team long-term? It’s not likely. If the Canucks goal is just to add a centre, they could do worse than O’Reilly, but if they want to set this team up to get back on track and stay there well into the future, they’d have to younger than the 34 year old former Blues captain.
Alex Tuch
Tuch is one of the few players that the Canucks are actually linked to ahead of the deadline. The right winger turns 29 this year, and is certainly on the higher end of the age spectrum that I’d expect the Canucks to be interested in right now. That being said, the skill is there. Just two seasons ago, Tuch put up 79 points in 74 games. While the production has been on a steady decline ever since, it’s also important to keep in mind that he plays for Buffalo, and that’s not an easy task. I’m not sure the Canucks’ offensive system would be much of an improvement though.
Tuch stands at 6’4, 219 pounds, which are measurements I’m confident Rick Tocchet would like. He has 47 points in 60 games this season, which would rank 1st on the Canucks for forwards by 10 (sadly). He’s been a quick skater for most of his career, though he’s fallen off into the 59th percentile for top skating speed this season, according to NHL EDGE. Still, he’s in the 83rd percentile for bursts over 20 mph and would join O’Connor and Chytil as new additions that would improve the team’s average skating ability. Tuch has 1 more year on his contract at $4.75 million, which is quite a team-friendly deal.
A glaring issue with Tuch is the fact that he’s a right winger. That may be the forward spot that the team has the most depth in, with Boeser, Garland, Sherwood, and Lekkerimäki. While adding Tuch could just move all of them down a line and Lekkerimäki to the left wing, it seems more obvious that Tuch would be a Boeser replacement. With under 24 hours until the deadline, it’s difficult to see how the Canucks could make that all work, but they’ve been notorious for getting things done in quick succession trade-wise.
Jordan Kyrou
We’re not quite sure what the Blues will look to do at the deadline, so Kyrou may not even be available, and the price to acquire him will be steep, even if he is. If Kyrou is available, however, he could be the perfect winger for a Canucks team that lacks any offensive jump to go and get. Kyrou’s speed and creativity are better than that of just about any forward on the Canucks roster.
With Brock Boeser’s future with the team murky, the Canucks are in need of top end wingers in addition to centre help. Additionally, Kyrou is signed until 2031, giving Vancouver the term they are looking to add in a major move.
Kyrou does, however, also come with a lot of added risk. As was stated earlier, the Blues don’t appear to be actively shopping the player. With this being the case, St. Louis holds all of the leverage in this situation, only having to part with Kyrou if an offer comes through that really appeals to them. Knowing that, the Blues ask for Kyrou will be steep, and could be hard for a Canucks team in the position they’re in right now to justify. As much as I would love to see Jordan Kyrou come to Vancouver, unless the Blues ask is significantly lower than expected, it might be best for the Canucks to look elsewhere.
Luke Kunin
Could the Canucks perform an act of charity and free Luke Kunin from the hell that is the San Jose Sharks? Unlike most of the other players listed here, Kunin is an impending free agent. Kunin also isn’t a player who can slot into a top-six role on a good team and would likely be a third liner at best in an ideal world for this Vancouver team. If the Canucks are simply looking for a bottom six forward who can bring some physicality, as well as a right handed shot like the Canucks need down the middle, who should be available for an affordable price, they could do worse than Kunin.
If the biggest deal the Canucks make at the deadline is trading for Luke Kunin, it’ll be something of a surprise from this aggressive front office. However, if Vancouver is to make a series of moves, with a trade for Kunin being among them, it could definitely make sense as a move to bolster Vancouver’s forward depth.
The Canucks may not be in the best of positions to be buying at the deadline, but if they are to go ahead and buy in spite of this, a right handed depth centre like Kunin could be a good fit for this Canucks team, and would surely become a favourite of Rick Tocchet in short order.
Ty Dellandrea
I wanted to put in a boring option, because the most likely outcome from the next day is that the Canucks fail to add a needle-mover. Considering that the Canucks and Pius Suter are far away in contract talks, all signs point towards him no longer being with the team next season. In that case, they need a new centre.
Dellandrea isn’t an incredible player, but he’s not awful, either. He’s yet another player on this list who peaked in 2022-23, with 28 points in 82 games. That’s pretty valuable for a young depth centre. Unfortunately, the Stars ran out of space for him and shipped him to San Jose, where he has 6 points in 49 games. That’s not the most enticing stat line of all time.
On the other hand, it’s pretty easy to assume that his production would be on the rise if he had better wingers than Carl Grundstrom and Klim Kostin. The Canucks have turned into a place that makes depth players so much better for some reason (think Suter, Joshua, Sherwood). The 24-year-old Dellandrea could just be another one of those projects for the team. The ultimate bright side of his production being so low is that it wouldn’t really cost anything to get him from San Jose. Also, he only makes $1.3 million a year and is signed to the end of next season. Because he’s young, maybe they’d be hesitant to trade him. I’m not sure he would fit in their long-term plans, though. It’d be pretty low risk for the Canucks. It could be worth it.
Ultimately, it’s a mystery what the Canucks are going to do this deadline. With reports flying about from all kinds of sources about what the Canucks want to do at the deadline to the general unpredictabililty of this front office, it’s truly anyone’s guess who will and won’t be a Canuck come Friday. At this time, though, it’s easy to be both excited and nervous about what the deadline may bring.
This deadline could prove to be an important one for the Canucks to establish a new direction for their team, so for now, let’s just hope that the right moves are made to get this team where they need to be to get things back on track.
And please, for the love of God, don’t trade Conor Garland.