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Latest On Vancouver Canucks Trade Possibilities

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When looking back on previous NHL seasons, each seems to have one or two stories that, even if it wasn’t the most memorable part of that season, dominated the headlines. Last season, that story seemed to be the availability of Jakob Chychrun, which has carried into this season, and the year before was COVID absences and protocols, which carried into last season too. This season’s headlines, besides Chychrun, seem to be dominated by the Vancouver Canucks: their struggles, their work on extensions, and now, the availability of their players in trades.

Earlier this evening on Hockey Night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman continued that discussion. Friedman clarified the Canucks’ position, who apparently have just one untouchable player: Elias Pettersson. That one might feel obvious, but immediately begs another question: what about Quinn Hughes? As Friedman reports, while Hughes isn’t an untouchable, it would take “an absolutely mammoth offer” to pry the defenseman away from the Canucks. Despite having just the one untouchable, Friedman adds that the team isn’t interested in a rebuild or complete teardown, but instead is looking to change their mix and breath new life into the team. Finally from Friedman, it appears Vancouver isn’t willing to give Bo Horvat more than the $56MM J.T. Miller was extended for, however Horvat’s career-year has now put him over that number.

Pettersson, Boeser Game-Time Decisions On Saturday With Illness

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  • The Vancouver Canucks could be down a pair of star forwards this evening, with both Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser under the weather according to Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor, who spoke with head coach Bruce Boudreau. Boeser also missed Wednesday’s game with an illness and while Pettersson did not, recall that he had actually been sent home from practice on Sunday after showing up sick. Even with the turmoil surrounding Boeser and the likelihood that he ends up being dealt this season, Vancouver will need both players in the lineup with the hope that they can produce and get their season back on track going forward. Boeser has 16 points in 22 games thus far, while Pettersson appears to be taking the next step with 34 points in 29 games to date.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Lane Pederson

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Seeking help to continue their 7-3 run in their last ten games, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled Lane Pederson, one of the AHL’s hottest goal scorers, from their minor-league affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.

Pederson, 25, was acquired by Vancouver as part of the October Ethan Bear trade. At the time, we wrote that in adding Pederson the Canucks were adding a “capable AHL scorer” who would be able to “help bolster the Abbotsford Canucks.”

That’s exactly what he’s done, as after going scoreless through his first four AHL games with the Chicago Wolves, Pederson has scored 17 goals in just 18 games in the Canucks organization.

His hot streak has led the AHL Canucks to seven wins in their last ten games, helping them rebound from a difficult start and re-inserting them into the AHL’s Pacific Division playoff race.

AHL success is not foreign to Pederson, as he has scored near a point-per-game rate in that league since 2019-20, when he scored 16 goals and 34 points in 37 games for the Tucson Roadrunners.

Both the Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks gave Pederson, who went undrafted out of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, extended looks in the NHL. Pederson got a 15-game trial in Arizona in 2020-21 and 29 games for San Jose last season. In total, though, Pederson has just five NHL points to his name.

With this recall, the Canucks will likely give Pederson a shot to see if his red-hot scoring can translate to the NHL level. It’s certainly possible that Pederson is one of those players who has the tools to excel against AHL defenses but not against tougher NHL competition, and that seems to be the conclusion Arizona, San Jose, and the Carolina Hurricanes reached by letting Pederson move on. But even so, with this recall, the Canucks have decided that they want to find out for themselves.

Latest On Bo Horvat

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Dec 13: With speculation running wild, Horvat has (very unusually) released a statement through the club:

I am focused on this season and playing for the Vancouver Canucks, helping the team in any way I can. I will not have any further comments this year about my future.

Dec 12: While there’s been near-weekly reports about the Vancouver Canucks and Bo Horvat growing further apart in extension negotiations, it seems today’s update might be the nail in the coffin for Horvat’s future in British Columbia. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun added to a report from CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal that Horvat rejected an offer from the Canucks “a couple of weeks ago,” saying the team is now entirely focused on Horvat’s trade market between now and the March 3 deadline.

Speculation will now be entirely focused on potential destinations and, more so for Canucks fans, possible return packages.

It’s a foregone conclusion that the Canucks would ask for a high-end defense prospect as the centerpiece of any Horvat trade. The 2023 NHL Draft, while stacked, is weak with defensemen, especially near the top. For the team’s most significant area of need, trading for an already-drafted defenseman will likely spark the team’s pool of young players.

Trading for Ethan Bear helped in the short-term for Vancouver, who was bleeding goals against early in the season. But it doesn’t solve the issue that Jack Rathbone, a 95th overall pick, remains the organization’s top prospect on defense.

When you think of contenders looking to add at center at the deadline, you think of the Colorado Avalanche. It does make sense that they would have an interest in Horvat when the time comes, but whether there’s a trade fit there is less certain. Considering Bowen Byram is likely untouchable, the organization doesn’t have any under-23 defensemen that would move the needle for Vancouver.

There is, however, Samuel Girard. If Vancouver remains insistent on making moves like a team with playoff aspirations, that acquisition could make some sense. He’s off to yet another disappointing start this season though, with just five points in 20 games. While it looked like a sure bet two years ago that Girard would develop into a high-end top-four defenseman, doubts are beginning to grow.

For now, it’s wait-and-see time for the Canucks. Horvat’s value is at its peak with his goal-scoring through the roof, leading to what could be a franchise-altering deadline deal.

Latest On Elias Pettersson

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  • Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau told the media today, via The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, that star centerman Elias Pettersson was sick today and was sent home from practice. While this is likely just a normal illness that anyone might deal with over the course of a winter, Pettersson’s health is a situation to monitor given his importance to the Canucks. In 28 games this season Pettersson has 34 points and has also played some of the best defensive hockey of his career.

Artturi Lehkonen Returning To Colorado Avalanche Lineup

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After suffering a concussion on December 3rd, Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen is expected back in the lineup for this afternoon’s contest on the road in St. Louis against the Blues, says Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Lehkonen was never placed on IR with the injury, missing three games and seven days total. At last report on Thursday, the veteran had been placed in concussion protocol. According to Durando, Lehkonen will skate on the top line this afternoon alongside Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin.

Colorado’s injury woes this season have been well reported, the consistent and significant injuries sending the reigning Stanley Cup Champions into a fight for a playoff position even at the one-third mark of the season. After losing Nichushkin for over a month, the team then found out they’d be without perennial Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon for four weeks, only compounding the issue. Beyond just their stars, which also includes Gabriel Landeskog, who has yet to play this season, Colorado has lost a number of secondary and depth options for small and large portions of the season.

Lehkonen has been one of the bright spots for the Avalanche so far this season, recording seven goals and 11 assists through 22 games, well on his way to a career-year. The team will need him to keep that scoring pace up in order to do their best to navigate other injuries, like MacKinnon’s, but it’s not yet known what sort of lingering effect, if any, will come with the concussion.

Staying on the injury front, Durando adds that Darren Helm and Evan Rodrigues are not yet ready to return to the lineup. Helm, who has yet to play this season, has been close to returning and was even a possibility to play this weekend, but will clearly need to wait a little bit longer to make his season debut. Rodrigues hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury against the Vancouver Canucks back on November 23rd, but had been a bright spot amid the injuries, with nine points in his first 18 games for Colorado.

Latest On Luke Schenn

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According to Schenn, though, a trade isn’t his first choice for how to proceed on his expiring contract. Per The Athletic’s Harman Dayal, Schenn “wants to re-sign with the Canucks” and has said that his top priority “is to be part of a winning team” in Vancouver. (subscription link) Can the Canucks devote some of their limited financial flexibility to Schenn, who for all his virtues remains a 33-year-old physical defenseman? Schenn’s side of the equation seems settled, so the open question is whether Schenn’s interest in signing an extension is shared by his team.

Latest On Bo Horvat

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With every day that passes, it seems a new report emerges about the lack of progress in Bo Horvat extension talks. Today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that “it’s not trending well.” Horvat is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

Of course, some of the same things were said this summer about the Vancouver Canucks and J.T. Miller, before the two sides eventually agreed on a seven-year, $56MM extension that includes a full-no-movement clause through 2026-27. Most insiders at the time had expected the Canucks to trade Miller instead of extending him, something that obviously didn’t happen as the veteran forward instead cashed in with a deal that includes $8.5MM in signing bonuses the first year.

So, until he actually hits the open market or is traded, things could change with regard to Horvat. But it is Miller’s contract that might end up forcing the Canucks to move on. The team is not good enough to contend for the Stanley Cup right now, despite a pair of crazy victories in recent days, and also has several expensive, underperforming contracts on the books.

Miller is still scoring at a good clip but has been anything but consistent this year, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s deal looks like one of the worst in the league as he plays through his age-31 season. The veteran defenseman will carry a $7.26MM cap hit for another four more years (and that’s not counting the portion the Arizona Coyotes are retaining).

Signing Horvat, then, would just add more money onto the pile without actually improving the Canucks roster. There’s no doubt that the 27-year-old center will be commanding more than his current $5.4MM cap hit in a new deal, especially after scoring 20 goals in his first 20 games this year. Goal-scoring centers are some of the highest-paid commodities in the league, as seen by Miller’s massive extension after a career-best 32 goals in 2021-22.

It should be noted that Horvat does not have trade protection in his current deal, meaning the Canucks could auction him off if necessary. Friedman notes that Canucks president Jim Rutherford will likely wait until February to try and squeeze the most value out of any deal, and suggests Luke Schenn as another chip he could cash in.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Christian Wolanin, Move Thatcher Demko To IR

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Dec 6: It turns out Wolanin was just an extra body for last night’s game. He did not suit up in Vancouver’s insane come-from-behind win against the Montreal Canadiens, and the team returned him to AHL Abbotsford on Tuesday.

Dec 5: The Vancouver Canucks have moved goalie Thatcher Demko to injured reserve, freeing up a roster spot to recall defenseman Christian Wolanin from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, according to a team announcement Monday night.

Three days ago, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Demko would be sidelined for six weeks with an injury and that Vancouver avoided a “worst-case scenario.” Although they did recall Collin Delia at the time, they did not have to make a corresponding transaction to do so.

Wolanin, 27, has yet to suit up for the Canucks this season. A veteran of 70 NHL games, he signed a one-year contract in Vancouver in July.

While none of the Canucks regular defensemen are hurt, Wolanin earns a call-up based on performance. His 24 points in 20 games are second in scoring among AHL defensemen, only behind Darren Raddysh’s 26 in 19. He’s eighth in league scoring among all skaters.

A fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2015, Wolanin is on his fourth NHL organization after spending time with the Kings and Sabres (for one game) over the past three seasons.

Vancouver Canucks Activate Jack Studnicka

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Earlier this evening, the Vancouver Canucks announced they have activated forward Jack Studnicka off of IR. No corresponding move was announced, and with Studnicka bringing the roster to a complete 23 players, no move was needed. Vancouver will host the Arizona Coyotes this evening.

Although the Canucks seem to have some other big pictures issues to deal with when it comes to turning their season around, such as Brock Boeser’s production and Thatcher Demko’s performance, and now injury, getting Studnicka back to health and rounding out the team’s depth is surely welcomed. The forward has just a goal and an assist so far this season in eight games, seven of which have come with Vancouver, but the once highly-touted prospect does have a knack for offense, turning in 35 points in 41 games at the AHL level last year. Getting some level of that production out of the winger at the NHL level would be much welcomed at this point in the season.

The 23-year-old was originally a second-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins back in 2017 and while he had played in parts of four seasons with Boston, he was never able to settle in as a regular contributor. Boston dealt him to Vancouver back in late October for goaltender Michael DiPietro and defenseman Jonathan Myrenberg.

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