The Vancouver Canucks kicked off the 2023-24 NHL season on Wednesday (Oct. 11) with a dominant performance in front of a packed home crowd at Rogers Arena. Brock Boeser tallied four goals, Elias Pettersson looked like Elias Pettersson, and fans witnessed Quinn Hughes don the ‘C’ in regular season action for the first time – game 1 of 82 was pure fireworks. But with the excitement of the new season comes trade speculation, which remains high with a recent report from one of hockey’s most respected insiders.
Conor Garland
A day prior to the Canucks’ 8-1 slugging of the Edmonton Oilers in their season-opener, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Vancouver granted Conor Garland permission to speak with other teams regarding a potential trade. A changing of agents for the forward and a tight cap situation for the Canucks make a trade a beneficial scenario for both parties – the issue – Garland carries an average annual value (AAV) of $4.95 million for the next three seasons. His salary is fair for the production he brings, but in the NHL’s salary-cap world, not many teams are willing or able to take on Garland’s AAV.
Fittingly, Garland notched the Canucks’ first goal of the season on a slick feed from pending restricted free agent (RFA) Elias Pettersson. The Canucks are reportedly willing to retain some of Garland’s salary, which makes finding a suitor for the perennial 40-point, middle-six winger with copious amounts of speed, skill, and snarl much easier.
Tyler Myers
It’s a tale as old as time – Tyler Myers is again a potential trade candidate for the Canucks this season. They paid him a $5 million signing bonus on Sept. 15, meaning just $1 million of actual money is owed to the defenceman for the remainder of the season. He still carries a $6 million AAV, but having his signing bonus paid makes Myers much easier to move. A rebuilding team could acquire him to flip him closer to the trade deadline, taking advantage of the Canucks’ tight cap situation. The only caveat is that he has a 10-team no-trade list, which makes trading him slightly harder.
The Canucks do lack NHL calibre right-handed defencemen. Myers’ physicality, handedness, and skating ability are all needed by the organization, although his cap hit is a bit high for the cap-strapped Canucks. If a team is willing to pay for Myers or acquire him for ‘future considerations,’ a trade is worth considering for general manager (GM) Patrik Allvin. But if they’re required to fork over a draft pick to get some salary cap breathing room, they should look elsewhere and retain him for the final season of his five-year, $30 million contract.
Anthony Beauvillier
If the Canucks season goes awry, Anthony Beauvillier could be on his way out come the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. The 26-year-old forward is an unrestricted free agent (UFA) following this season and could take his talents elsewhere if they fail to reach the playoffs. His $4.15 million cap hit is manageable for any contender looking for middle-six scoring depth, especially if the Canucks are willing to retain a portion of it.
Beauvillier has potted nine goals and 20 points in 34 games for the Canucks since coming over from the New York Islanders last season. While he is undoubtedly a player the Canucks would like to keep beyond 2023-24, trading him to recoup draft picks lost from shedding bad contracts is a smart idea if they sit outside the playoffs come February.
Related: Canucks: Revisiting the Luongo Trade
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There is no guarantee any of these players move before the end of the season. Each of the three aforementioned Canucks brings a unique skill set to the team, filling roles that benefit the organization. But with the reports regarding Garland and a playoff spot never assured, one of these three players, or others, could be on their way out of Vancouver in the coming months.
