- 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]
Canucks Rumors
Vancouver Canucks Recall Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Reassign Arshdeep Bains
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Canucks May Treat Brock Boeser As Their Own Rental
Meanwhile, the positive injury updates continue as the team is expected to activate (X Link) forward Tanner Pearson for tonight’s contest against the Vancouver Canucks. Pearson missed the Golden Knights’ final two games before the break due to an undisclosed injury. The former 20-goal scorer has notched nine goals and 19 points in 53 games for Vegas this season averaging 12:01 of ice time per night.
- Vancouver could be headed for treacherous waters with their pending unrestricted free agent forward Brock Boeser. The team has been playing too well to warrant moving Boeser at the deadline but not much traction has been made for a potential extension. In an article from Thomas Drance in The Athletic, he argues the Canucks will treat Boeser as their own rental for the deadline. Still, Drance argues that if Vancouver significantly falters leading up to March 7th, that could make a Boeser trade more palatable from their perspective.
Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes Expected To Miss Next Game
The Vancouver Canucks could be a few star players short in their first game back out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Head coach Rick Tocchett (shared via Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre) confirmed that forward Elias Pettersson and defenseman Quinn Hughes won’t be available against the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow due to injuries.
Canucks Sign Kevin Lankinen To Five-Year Extension
The Canucks announced they’ve agreed to terms with pending UFA goalie Kevin Lankinen on a five-year, $22.5MM extension. It’ll keep him in Vancouver through the 2029-30 season with a cap hit of $4.5MM. $8.5MM of his total compensation will be paid via signing bonuses, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports. The full breakdown of the deal is as follows, per PuckPedia:
2025-26: $2.5MM base salary, $2.5MM signing bonus, no-move clause
2026-27: $4MM base salary, no-move clause
2027-28: $3MM base salary, $2MM signing bonus, 15-team no-trade clause
2028-29: $2.5MM base salary, $2MM signing bonus, 15-team no-trade clause
2029-30: $2MM base salary, $2MM signing bonus, 15-team no-trade clause
Lankinen, 30 in April, was set to be one of the top options on the open market among goaltenders this summer after the Capitals retained Logan Thompson on a six-year deal. He’s seen a massive jump in market value since his spin on the UFA market last summer when he had to wait until after training camp started to land a one-year, $875K deal in Vancouver.
It’s a testament to the success Lankinen has enjoyed this season with the Canucks, who likely aren’t in postseason position without him. The Finland native had been an above-average backup to Juuse Saros with the Predators for the past two seasons. He was an inconsistent 1B option with the Blackhawks before that, hovering right around league average for his career with a .905 SV% in 112 appearances for Chicago and Nashville from 2020-21 to 2023-24.
Lankinen hasn’t been world-beating in his third NHL stop in Vancouver, but he has shown the ability to keep up solid numbers in extended usage. He’s started 32 of the Canucks’ 55 games amid continued injury woes for 2024 Vezina runner-up Thatcher Demko, on pace to shatter his career-high of 37 set in his rookie season with Chicago. He’s logged a .905 SV% and 2.53 GAA, numbers that look more impressive than in years past, thanks to dwindling league averages, but they’ve also come behind decent team defense. Factoring in his playing environment amid netminders with similar workloads, his performance looks more pedestrian. His 2.58 expected goals against average is the sixth-lowest out of the 48 goalies to play at least 20 games this season, per MoneyPuck. Considering that comparatively easy workload, his 1.6 goals saved above expected only rank 28th out of that 48-player group.
That makes a $4.5MM annual commitment for the rest of the decade look like fair compensation at best and a risky bet at worst. Thanks to a quickly rising salary cap, it should age far better than similarly-priced deals over the past few seasons. Still, Lankinen’s age and broadly consistent play over the past few years means he is what he is – a decent, but not great, option between the pipes who can sniff 40 starts. Considering his AAV is only $500K less than what emerging Kraken starter Joey Daccord landed on his recent extension, there’s undoubtedly a bit of sticker shock when combined with the five-year commitment and extensive trade protection.
He is an acceptable insurance option if Demko’s health continues to pose long-term concerns as he enters the final year of his contract in 2025-26. The two-time All-Star missed the first 24 games of the season with the popliteus muscle injury he sustained in Game 1 of Vancouver’s 2024 postseason run, another two in January with a back injury, and is now listed as week-to-week with a lower-body issue coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Understandably, his numbers haven’t been great when healthy this season. He’s got a .891 SV% and 2.87 GAA with a 6-6-3 record in 17 appearances, but he’s faced far worse defense than Lankinen and has still managed to save a goal above expected, according to MoneyPuck. On a per-hour basis, Demko has fared slightly better with a 0.064 GSAx/60 compared to Lankinen’s 0.048. However, it’s still a far cry from last year’s elite .918 SV% and 22.0 GSAx.
While it’s a significant commitment to keep Lankinen in British Columbia, it’s a necessary one without many other options in the pipeline as a potential Demko successor. No. 3 option Arturs Silovs was expected to compete for the backup job this year after a strong playoff showing for the Canucks in 2024 but has been borderline unplayable when given the chance, logging a 4.11 GAA and .847 SV% in seven NHL appearances this season. They don’t have any blue-chip prospects in the system between the pipes either, so getting at least some long-term security at the position was understandably a top priority for general manager Patrik Allvin.
Lankinen will be 35 years old when his contract expires, so this will easily be the biggest payday of his career. He’ll be able to test unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2030.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.