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Minor Transactions: 3/7/25

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Similarly to the NHL, AHL playoff rosters are also due today before the trade deadline. Any player currently rostered in the AHL is eligible for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, regardless of a future call-up. Today’s list will continue to grow until the 3 p.m. deadline.

  • According to a team announcement, the Dallas Stars have reassigned defenseman Lian Bichsel to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Although the reassignment came with a formal announcement from the team, it should only serve as a paper transaction for Bichsel to ensure he’s eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs. The rookie defenseman has scored two goals and three assists in 20 games for the Stars this season, averaging 14:54 of ice time per night. He’s made his presence known by averaging over four hits a game, but he’s been on the wrong end of some highlight videos early in his NHL career. Dallas confirmed it as a paper transaction later, recalling Bichsel quickly after the deadline.
  • As alluded to yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed the reassignment of netminder Aleksei Kolosov to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Given that he’s been Philadelphia’s third-string option for much of the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kolosov’s reassignment extend beyond the trade deadline. The second-year netminder has a 4-8-1 record in 15 games with the Flyers this season with a .870 SV% and 3.45 GAA. His performance hasn’t been any better with AHL Lehigh Valley as he’s recorded a 2-4-1 record in seven AHL contests with a .874 SV% and 3.59 GAA.
  • The Calgary Flames are making Adam Klapka available to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, per a team report. Similarly to Kolosov, this reassignment may extend through the deadline. Klapka has spent much of the year in AHL Calgary, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 31 contests. He’s been far less utilized by the Flames, registering one goal in 13 contests and averaging 8:10 of ice time per game.
  • According to Andy Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey, the San Jose Sharks are expected to reassign defenseman Jimmy Schuldt and Jack Thompson to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. As a minor contextual update, Max Miller of The Hockey News believes Thompson’s reassignment is a paper transaction to make him eligible for the AHL postseason. Despite low scoring output, Thompson has been an effective defenseman for the Sharks this season, averaging a 92.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength, the best on the team among defensemen with more than 20 games played.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they’ve reassigned forward Joseph Labate to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. As one of the most feel-good stories of the 2024-25 campaign, Labate took the ice in the NHL for the first time in eight years this season. The 31-year-old winger had spent the last several years bouncing around on AHL contracts with a one-year pitstop in the KHL. He scored six goals and 13 points in 33 games with AHL Cleveland before being elevated to an NHL contract with the Blue Jackets.
  • After announcing that defenseman Colton Parayko would miss the next six weeks due to a knee injury, the St. Louis Blues were expected to make a recall on defense. The team announced that recall this morning, sharing that they’ve brought up Matthew Kessel from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Phoenix, AZ native has already spent time as a seventh defenseman for the Blues this season, tallying three assists in 27 games while averaging 13:05 of ice time per game.
  • Strictly as a paper move, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned forward Colton Dach and defenseman Ethan Del Mastro to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Both players will remain in the Blackhawks’ lineup for the rest of the season before they are returned to AHL Rockford at the end of the season, should they qualify for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Dach has scored two goals and six points in 18 games with Chicago, while Del Mastro has registered two goals and three points in 12 contests.
  • As expected, the Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Carter Mazur on injured reserve one day after his debut. Mazur suffered a dislocated elbow approximately one minute into his NHL career, and he’s likely done for the regular season. In a corresponding transaction, the Red Wings have recalled forward Dominik Shine from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Shine is only a couple of weeks removed from signing the first NHL contract of his career, tallying one assist in four games for Detroit in late January.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced they’ve reassigned forward Owen Beck and goaltender Jakub Dobes to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for eligibility in the Calder Cup playoffs. Beck has been an extremely effective forward for the Rocket this year, scoring 13 goals and 32 points in 47 games. Meanwhile, Dobes has made a name for himself in Montreal, managing a 6-2-1 record in 10 games with a .909 SV% and 2.63 GAA, including one shutout.
  • The Los Angeles Kings aren’t entirely sold on Brandt Clarke’s future with the team. A report from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN this morning indicated the Kings were shopping Clarke on the trade market, and they’ve now reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, along with Samuel Helenius (Twitter Link). Both players should be back on the NHL roster tomorrow, with the move signifying they’ll be eligible for the AHL postseason. Still, it’s a notable development as it indicates Los Angeles may want Clarke in the AHL for the Reign’s postseason run rather than their own.
  • According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have reassigned defenseman Riley Stillman to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Stillman filled in for Dmitry Orlov in last night’s contest but didn’t make it through the full game due to getting his face cut by a skate. He finished last night’s contest against the Boston Bruins with zero points after skating in 18 seconds of the game’s action.
  • In addition to Schuldt and Thompson, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News shares that the Sharks have reassigned defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and forward Collin Graf to AHL San Jose. They’re both expected back on the Sharks’ roster later today or tomorrow, but the roster move will make them eligible for the AHL postseason. Mukhamadullin and Graf have both spent much of the year with the Barracuda. In short order, Pashelka reports the Sharks have recalled both players back to the NHL roster.
  • Due to another injury to netminder John Gibson on Wednesday, the Anaheim Ducks were expected to recall another goaltender. Anaheim announced they’ve recalled Ville Husso from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, to fill the void left by Gibson. It’s Husso’s first call-up with the Ducks since being acquired from the Red Wings on February 24th. He posted a 1-5-2 record in nine games in Detroit this season with a .866 SV% and 3.69 GAA.
  • For the fifth time this year, the New York Rangers have assigned defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Ruhwedel has primarily played for AHL Hartford this season in his first extended stay in the AHL since 2016-17. The veteran defenseman has recorded three goals and 12 points in 36 contests with a +8 rating.
  • After a flurry of trade activity over the last couple of days, the Seattle Kraken are making a small roster move for the benefit of their AHL roster. The Kraken announced they’ve reassigned forwards Jacob Melanson and Ben Meyers to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and have recalled John Hayden in a corresponding transaction. The former debuted in the NHL last night, notching four hits and one takeaway in 9:53 of ice time.
  • In a major boost to their playoff chances, the AHL’s Providence Bruins will have several players available for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports the Boston Bruins have papered down Marat Khusnutdinov, Vinni Lettieri, Patrick Brown, Ian Mitchell, Riley Tufte, and Matthew Poitras to the AHL for their postseason eligibility. All six players are expected back on the Bruins roster by this evening or tomorrow morning.
  • As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have papered down forward Jiří Kulich to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Kulich has been an impressive player for AHL Rochester over the last few seasons and should continue to be in the postseason. He’s scored 53 goals and 94 points in 123 games on the Americans’ roster.  Later in the day, the Americans announced that forwards Isak Rosen and Joshua Dunne were recalled on an emergency basis so they won’t count toward the post-deadline limit.
  • According to a team announcement, the Edmonton Oilers have returned defenseman Cam Dineen to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, from his emergency recall. Unlike many of the roster moves on today’s list, Dineen has a solid chance of playing the remainder of the year with AHL Bakersfield. The 26-year-old defenseman has scored five goals and 29 points in 45 games for the Condors this season while only registering one game with the Oilers.
  • In addition to recalling Emil Andrae, the Philadelphia Flyers are also making two more player recalls to their NHL roster. The team announced they’ve recalled forwards Olle Lycksell and Rodrigo Abols to the NHL roster for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Abols has scored one goal and one assist in nine games for the Flyers this season, while Lycksell has gone scoreless in six contests.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have joined in on the mix of teams ensuring their top prospects are eligible for the AHL playoffs. They have assigned defenseman Victor Mancini, forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and goaltender Arturs Silovs to the AHL. Lekkerimaki has three points in 12 NHL games this season, while Mancini didn’t manage any scoring in his sole appearance with the Canucks so far. Silovs has operated as the team’s third-string goalie and has a 1-6-1 record and .858 save percentage on the year.  All three players were subsequently recalled soon after the deadline.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Jack St. Ivany from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis.  The 25-year-old has played in 19 games with Pittsburgh this season, recording one assist while averaging 16:22 of playing time per game.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Canucks Won’t Trade Brock Boeser Despite Prior Interest

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2:00 PM: The Vancouver Canucks have opted to retain Boeser rather than opting for a trade per DailyFaceoff’s Frank Seravalli. No signs of an extension are currently in place – but the team has opted to end their Trade Deadline early after a quiet day.

11:30 AM: It’s “more likely than not” the Canucks will move pending UFA winger Brock Boeser before the 2 p.m. CT trade deadline, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. No deal is imminent yet, but Vancouver is engaging in offer-gathering.

The Canucks’ reported best offer to Boeser was a five-year, $40MM deal carrying an $8MM AAV. That offer was rejected by Boeser initially and recently taken off the table entirely by the team, per Darren Dreger of TSN.

It’s been a tough year for the 28-year-old, who’s dropped to 18 goals in 54 games after notching a career-high 40 in 81 appearances last season. His shooting percentage hasn’t regressed much, only from 19.6% to 17% – still above his 14% career average. He’s taking the fewest shots on goal per game of his NHL career with 1.96, struggling to create chances for himself.

That difficult contract year showing, plus the fact that it is a seller’s market has no doubt played into the Canucks decision to move on from the nine-year NHL veteran. Boeser has been a consistent 20-goal scorer throughout his career but has topped the 30-goal mark just once (last season) and isn’t a big play driver. His play at times can be frustrating if he isn’t putting the puck in the net, which is likely why Vancouver capped their offer at five years.

If Boeser finishes the season strong he could land a more lucrative deal in total dollars than he would have with the Canucks, but if he struggles he might not match the $8MM AAV that Vancouver was offering.

Vancouver has been in a state of flux for much of this season and has seen a ton of player movement in recent weeks with the trade of J.T. Miller and the acquisition of Marcus Pettersson. They currently sit one point out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, which makes it hard to imagine them dealing Boeser for futures. However, they could do as they did with Miller and acquire draft picks or prospects to use in another move that adds to their current roster.

PHR’s Josh Cybulski contributed to this article.

Rangers Acquire Carson Soucy

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6:30 PM: The trade has been made official by both teams.

5:15 PM: The New York Rangers have reportedly acquired veteran defenseman Carson Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. In return, the Vancouver Canucks will receive the San Jose Sharks’ third-round draft pick, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, which New York acquired in an earlier trade that sent winger Reilly Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Vancouver reportedly asked Soucy to waive his full no-trade clause earlier in the day, per Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic, who adds that Soucy took his time and fielded a call from fellow former-Canuck and now-Ranger J.T. Miller.

For much of the season, Soucy has been the focal point of trade rumors. He’s in his second year with the Canucks after signing a three-year, $9.8MM contract with the team in 2023. Soucy recorded six points, 12 penalty minutes, and a plus-10 in 40 games with Vancouver last season, while filling roles on both sides of the lineup. But a lower-body injury earned him a spot on injured reserve from November to January – and a hand injury shelved him for another month in February. The routine absences ate into Soucy’s ability to earn a top-four lineup role in Vancouver. He’s spent this season confined to bottom-pair minutes, with 10 points, 42 penalty minutes, and a dismal minus-13 in 59 games.

Soucy has been a routine depth defenseman since he earned his first three NHL games in 2017-18. Originally a 2013 fifth-round selection, Soucy played through his rookie season with the 2018-19 Minnesota Wild, netting 14 points, 18 penalty minutes, and a plus-16. That was enough to earn Soucy Minnesota’s oft-rotating seventh-defender role, and he showed signs of comfort with 17 points, 51 penalty minutes, and a plus-22 in 50 games of his sophomore season.

Soucy’s signs of stout depth defense were enough to convince the Seattle Kraken to select him from Minnesota in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. A move out West brought with it a chance at more ice time that Soucy relished in. He recorded 10 goals, 21 points, 47 penalty minutes, and a plus-seven in 64 games with the inaugural Seattle Kraken while averaging 17:40 in ice time. Each of those stats still stand as Soucy’s career-highs. He struggled to maintain the scoring in his second year with Seattle – netting just 16 points in 78 games. That led to a move north in free agency, where Soucy again struggled to plant his feet in the daily lineup.

He’ll now head out East to join a Rangers blue-line that’s seen plenty of change this season. New York has parted ways with Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren, and Victor Mancini in favor of adding Urho Vaakanainen, Erik Brannstrom, and Calvin de Haan. Those new faces haven’t quite filled the lineup holes they were tasked with, which could open the door for Soucy to finally land a consistent role. Each of New York’s new additions have flashed upside in their short minutes with the Rangers, and will battle for at least two vacancies on the team’s bottom pair.

Canucks Won't Be Involved In The Rental Market

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  •  Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre shared a quote from the general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, Patrik Allvin, saying, “You’re always trying to make the team better. But I think we’re in the position this year where. . . I don’t envision any (rental) pickups like last year. We’re just going to continue to build and get better.” This would have been a confusing quote as recently as a few weeks ago given the Canucks acquired then-rental Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor from the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, Vancouver quickly extended both players. Allvin’s quote doesn’t necessarily mean the Canucks are done trading but it likely indicates most of their heavy lifting is complete.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Vancouver Canucks Recall Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Reassign Arshdeep Bains

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According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Vancouver shared in the same announcement that they’ve reassigned forward Arshdeep Bains in a corresponding roster move.

It’s a familiar transaction for both players. Today’s roster move is the sixth time Lekkerimaki has been recalled from Abbotsford this season, and it’s the ninth reassignment for Bains. Each player is waiver exempt, although Lekkerimaki makes approximately $100K more at the NHL level.

Lekkerimaki is arguably the best prospect in Vancouver’s pipeline. Still, he hasn’t gained much traction in the NHL this year due to the frequent taxiing between Vancouver and Abbotsford. The Tullinge, Sweden native has recorded two goals and one assist in 11 contests, averaging 13:47 of ice time per game. His 49.8% CorsiFor% at even strength and 12.5% shooting percentage are solid, but it’s not a large enough sample size to make any concrete judgments about his development.

He’s played far more promisingly with the AHL Canucks. In his first full year in North American professional hockey, Lekkerimaki is nearly a point-per-game player in the AHL with 19 goals and 28 points in 32 contests. It won’t be enough to earn the Red Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s top rookie, but it’s an impressive season nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Bains has been less productive in a fourth-line role. Despite four games separating him from losing his rookie status, Bains has looked somewhat lost at the NHL level, scoring one goal in 21 career games. He is a physical player with 24 career hits in limited action, but he doesn’t play well enough on the defensive side of the puck to overlook his offensive shortcomings. He’ll return to Abbotsford, where he’s collected seven goals and 20 assists in 32 games this season.

Trade Deadline Notes: Nelson, Boeser, Panthers

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The Trade Deadline has appeared over the horizon and teams like the Colorado Avalanche are already doing what they can to get out ahead of the pack. They acquired forward Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers this weekend, and could still be attached to some of the market’s top names. That includes New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson per The Fourth Period, who adds Nelson could be the cheap acquisition Colorado needs to bolster their top-six.

Nelson, 33, is in the sunset years of his career but he’s still managing to produce. He has 19 goals and 41 points in 60 games this season, just one point behind Anders Lee and Bo Horvat for the team-lead in scoring. Nelson also earned a nod from USA Hockey by making this year’s 4-Nations Face-Off roster, where he played in four games but didn’t manage any scoring.

Nelson scored 36 goals and a career-high 75 points in 2022-23, and followed it with 34 goals and 69 points last season. He may be beginning to slow down but his offense could be spurred once again with a move away from the Isalnders – the only NHL team Nelson has ever played for. Because of that exclusivity, New York will certainly need a convincing offer to part ways with one of their top scorers. Nelson also has a 16-team no-trade clause on his contract, which is set to expire this summer. That could help him dictate where he ends up – though the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche would certainly be a fine landing spot as the vet chases his first Cup win.

Other notes swirling around the Trade Deadline:

  • Recent reports have pointed towards an impasse forming between the Vancouver Canucks and Brock Boeser after the winger declined a five-year, $40MM contract extension. Now it seems the wedge could be driven in further, with TSN’s Darren Dreger sharing that the extension offer has been rescinded and that the team is exploring all options. Boeser is struggling to follow-up after scoring a career-high 40 goals last season – but he’s still performing at a higher level than in his early career. He has 18 goals and 36 points in 53 games this season, putting him on pace for 28 goals and 56 points on the year. That’s helped along by Boeser’s 17.3 shoting percentage this season – a step down from his 19.6 percent last year but still far above his career average of 14 percent. A high shooting percentage could be inflating Boeser’s numbers, or he could have finally found the goal-scoring groove he was looking for. With offers no longer on the table, it seems that answer will be found by a deadline buyer in need of shooting talent. Boeser has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to exempt 10 teams. His deal expires this summer.
  • The Florida Panthers helped break the market open with their swap of top goalie prospect Spencer Knight for top defenseman Seth Jones. That move pushed Florida right up against the wall of the salary cap – but they’ve opened up more breathing room by placing star Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve. Florida is now projected to have $8.71MM in cap space on deadline day, per PuckPedia, and they’re expected to use it. Chris Johnston of The Athletic shared that Panthers general manager Bill Zito has proven ambitious in years past, and could see a chance to bolster his lineup a bit further. The Panthers have made the Stanley Cup Finals in each of the last two seasons, and took away hardware last year. They’ll have their sights fully trained on repeating the feat this year – and a boost to their depth offense or a new backup goaltender would go far towards solidifying their chances.

Trade Deadline Notes: Boeser, Sharks, Schenn

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Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser has reportedly turned down a five-year, $40MM contract extension per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, who adds that Boeser is looking for more term on his next deal. The $8MM cap hit on the rumored offer would be a $1.35MM bump from Boeser’s price tag this season.

Boeser is certainly due for a raise on his next deal, after posting the first 40-goal season of his career last year. His statement performance came after four straight seasons of failing to even reach 25 goals. It was largely helped along by a career-high 19.6 shooting percentage, over seven percent higher than his average of 12.7 percent in six seasons prior. And while Boeser has struggled to reach that same success rate this year, his 18 goals and 17.3 shooting percentage in 52 games suggest he may have really found a new gear to his scoring.

Boeser will be a top name leading into the Trade Deadline if Vancouver isn’t willing to commit to him for a longer term. His spike in scoring and inflated shooting percentage are certainly warning flags, but he could offer the experience of a 500-game pro for the cheap cost of a deadline rental. A short-sighted trade would leave Boeser open to pick his next team in unrestricted free agency, though if he’d get another $8MM offer could hinge on how well he scores through the end of the year.

Other Trade Deadline notes from out West:

  • An NHL executive pointed out the potential chemistry between the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram to Sheng Peng of NBC Sports. The 23-year-old Byram has been loosely circulated around trade rumors and could be a perfect addition to San Jose’s rebuild. The Sharks also have plenty to give up for the top-pair defender. Peng shares that there’s a sense Buffalo could use more size and grit. That motivation could make Sharks prospects like Quentin Musty or Kasper Halttunen enticing options. Both top prospects are performing well in the OHL this season. Musty has 43 points in just 26 games and Halttunen has 29 points in 27 games and 13 in his last 10. With the right mix of draft capital, either name could be enough to swing Byram away from Buffalo – though Peng notes he still doesn’t sense San Jose would pay such a price. He shares that the team could instead try and leverage some of their first-round draft picks to land big additions.
  • The St. Louis Blues could be asking for as much as two first-round draft picks for captain Brayden Schenn, per Seravalli in his latest trade board. That’s notably the same price St. Louis asked for Pavel Buchnevich, who has five more points than Schenn this season, at last year’s Trade Deadline. The Blues couldn’t find a suitor, and it’s hard to envision they’ll make a match for Schenn at this price either. With Schenn boasting a full no-trade clause, it may take a silver tongue to convince veteran Blues GM Doug Armstrong to trade his captain… once again.

Canucks’ Noah Juulsen Out Three Months Following Surgery

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Feb. 28: The Canucks confirmed Juulsen underwent a lower-body procedure and will miss 12 weeks as a result. That’s season-ending unless Vancouver, teetering on the edge of a wild-card spot, makes a deep playoff run.

Feb. 27: Canucks defenseman Noah Juulsen won’t return this season following a hernia procedure, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports. Per the NHL’s media site, he was already on injured reserve and had been listed as out with an undisclosed injury since the team returned from the 4 Nations break.

Juulsen has not played since Feb. 2, ending Vancouver’s pre-break schedule with a run of three straight healthy scratches. The 27-year-old righty was a frequent scratch to begin the campaign but made 28 consecutive appearances from Nov. 16 to Jan. 14 while Derek Forbort and Filip Hronek were sidelined by long-term injuries.

That’s one of the more notable outcomes from an otherwise unremarkable campaign from the depth defenseman. He carries the dubious distinction of having the lowest rating (-12) among players who have yet to record a point this season. Only Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves (42) has played more games than Juulsen (35) without getting on the scoresheet. Juulsen does, however, lead Vancouver defensemen in hits with 101 and is tied for third on the team with 60 blocks.

A first-round pick by the Canadiens back in 2015, Juulsen has scratched and clawed to carve out an NHL career. Injuries derailed his development, including career-threatening concussion issues in the 2019-20 season. But after being claimed on waivers by the Panthers and later sent to the Canucks in an October 2021 trade, he revived his play with their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford and stuck around on the NHL roster for the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign.

Aside from his penchant for physicality, though, Juulsen hasn’t brought a ton to the table. He’s been a drag on the Canucks’ possession play, particularly this year. He’s controlled just 42.8% of shot attempts at even strength, ahead of last-place Carson Soucy by 0.1%.

Set for unrestricted free agency this summer, it seems unlikely he’ll be brought back unless it’s on another two-way contract. The 6’2″ defender hasn’t yet had the chance to test the open market in his NHL career.

Trade Deadline Primer: Vancouver Canucks

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With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks have had a tumultuous season, to say the least, as the J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson issue derailed a team that had Stanley Cup aspirations coming into the season. Despite everything that has gone on, the Canucks still find themselves in a playoff spot at the moment and appear likely to do everything they can to get into the postseason. The Canucks have re-signed several pending unrestricted free agents in recent weeks, which signals that they do intend to make a go of it and are likely to be buying as they approach the deadline. The team has played better as of late (6-3-1 in their last ten), and if their new additions can settle in, they should be able to perform better than they have to this point in the season.

Record

26-20-11, 4th in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Cautious Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$10.41MM on deadline day, 2/3 retention spots used, 46/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, OTT 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th, VAN 7th,
2026: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, VAN 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th

Trade Chips

Whether Canucks fans like it or not, the talk on an Elias Pettersson trade is probably not going away anytime soon. Vancouver would be hard-pressed to move their star forward at this time, given his poor play this season and the remaining seven years on his contract at $11.6MM per. Pettersson’s play has fallen off a cliff this season with just 11 goals and 24 assists in 51 games. Some folks believed that Pettersson’s play might pick up when he escaped the Vancouver bubble and played for Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off, but the 26-year-old was largely unimpressive tallying no points in three games. Now, it does appear he was dealing with an injury during the tournament, but his play did not help his trade value. TSN Hockey removed Pettersson from their trade bait board, but they did leave the door open to him being traded in the summer.

The Canucks have already moved on from their biggest trade chip in Miller but could have another big name to move out if they elect to trade forward Brock Boeser. Now, it’s not commonplace for teams to move on from top players when they are in the thick of the playoff race, but nothing about Vancouver has been common this season. It’s also worth noting that the Canucks can’t score (25th in the NHL) with Boeser in the lineup, and they would be unlikely to replace his offense in a 1 for 1 trade. The one move that Vancouver could make is not unlike what they did with Miller and flip Boeser to one team, then use those assets in another deal for an impact player with term remaining on their contract. Boeser’s time in Vancouver has been a rollercoaster, and with him being just four months away from free agency, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him moved. Another note on Boeser is that he has a ten-team modified no-trade clause, but there will be interest from other teams not on his list.

If Vancouver wanted to push into the trade market, they do have some future assets to move despite having a below-average prospects pool (21st in the NHL, as per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic). Vancouver has their first two picks in each of the next two NHL Entry Drafts, which could always be made available, or if they wanted to move out prospects, Jonathan Lekkerimäki would be an intriguing player for most teams who are looking towards the future. The 15th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft hasn’t found NHL success yet but is nearly a point-a-game player in the AHL (26 points in 30 games) this season and is just 20 years old. His skill level is extremely high and could be of interest to a team that is looking for prospects who are close to NHL-ready.

Team Needs

1) Top Six Center – The Canucks were a win away from the Western Conference Finals last year and their top two centers from that club are no longer in Vancouver (Elias Lindholm and Miller). Now, Vancouver is rolling out Filip Chytil and Pettersson as their top two centers, and no disrespect to either player but that isn’t good enough to compete with the likes of Edmonton or Vegas in the Western Conference. Vancouver needs a top-six center who can push everyone down the depth chart, including Pius Suter who is pivoting the third line at the moment and is better suited for fourth-line duties. The idea of a center is easier said than done as there aren’t many names available who would be capable of taking on top six minutes. Brock Nelson of the Islanders is an option, but he would be expensive and a rental at this point. Brayden Schenn is another option, but with three years left at $6.5MM and declining production, he probably isn’t the best candidate either. If the Canucks wanted to gamble, Dylan Cozens out of Buffalo is a name that would be of interest, Cozens has struggled this season with just 11 goals and 16 assists in 55 games, but he is just two years removed from a 68-point season and at 24 years of age, could be a bounce back candidate that the Canucks buy low on.

2) Scoring – Vancouver can’t score and desperately need help on the wings and down the middle. The Canucks have been trying out recently acquired Drew O’Connor on the top line, but with two goals in six games, he isn’t a long-term fit and is better suited for a third-line role. If Vancouver wanted to make a bigger splash, they could take a run at Rickard Rakell out of Pittsburgh, who is having a terrific season with 25 goals and 24 assists in 58 games. Rakell can play on both wings and even center in a pinch, but it would be costly as he does have term left on his deal (three years at $5MM per season), and the Penguins are in no rush to move him. If Vancouver wanted to jump into the rental market, Kyle Palmieri of the Islanders or Montreal’s Joel Armia might be cheaper options who can provide depth offense. None of the available options are particularly great for Vancouver, who are tasked with looking for scoring in a seller’s market. The Canucks do have significant cap space available to them and might be able to land a higher-priced pending unrestricted free agent (like Palmieri) who isn’t performing up to their cap hit. This happened last season with Jason Zucker, who was dealt from Arizona to Nashville for a sixth-round pick last deadline because Arizona couldn’t retain his $5.3MM cap hit, which drove down the price as Nashville was willing to take on the entire cap hit.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Victor Mancini, Place Thatcher Demko On IR

at CDT | by 1 Comment

6:01 PM: The Canucks officially announced the roster moves.  Demko’s placement is retroactive to February 8th, meaning he’ll be eligible to be activated at any time.

3:02 PM: According to the team’s play-by-play radio commentator Brendan Batchelor, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled defenseman Victor Mancini from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Vancouver will open up a spot on the active roster for Mancini by placing netminder Thatcher Demko on the injured reserve.

Demko’s placement on the IR will likely be made retroactive to February 8th. He left the Canucks’ game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after only 10 minutes due to a lower-body injury. During the 4 Nations Face-Off break it was announced that Demko wouldn’t join the team on their current five-game road trip and his recovery timeline is considered week-to-week.

It’s becoming somewhat of a lost season for the eight-year netminder. Due to lingering injury issues from the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Demko’s 2024-25 debut was delayed until December 10th. He hasn’t been inspiring when healthy either managing a 6-6-3 record in 17 starts with a .891 save percentage and 2.87 goals-against average.

The newfound injury concerns are especially unfortunate when considering Demko’s season last year. The San Diego, CA native was instrumental in Vancouver’s return to the postseason posting a 35-14-2 record in 51 starts with a .918 SV% and 2.45 GAA. His 21.2 Goals Saved Above Average according to Hockey Reference accounts for 82.8% of his total GSAA throughout his career.

Demko’s future in British Columbia became even cloudier yesterday when the Canucks’ signed fellow netminder Kevin Lankinen to a five-year extension. Lankinen has been objectively better for Vancouver this season and his new contract will run four years longer than Demko’s current deal with the team.

Meanwhile, the freshly acquired Mancini could debut with the Canucks this evening. He’s tallied one assist in five games in AHL Abbotsford since being acquired from the New York Rangers as a part of the package for J.T. Miller.

Vancouver may still need an injury replacement for Quinn Hughes during tonight’s contest and Mancini would have to battle defenseman Elias Pettersson for that role. Pettersson has proven better defensively in limited action but Mancini has outscored him with one goal and four assists throughout 15 games with the Rangers.

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