Canucks this week: Tkachuk slams Canucks, trade talks target Boeser, Pettersson

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The NHL trade deadline is March 7 and it feels like no Vancouver Canuck is safe, well, outside of Quinn Hughes. And maybe that’s what comes for a team that is now projected to miss the playoffs after a disastrous 5-2 loss to the Ducks on Thursday, their third in four games since the 4 Nations break.

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I’m not saying they will miss the playoffs but a few in the media is starting to:

At the beginning of the week Stathletes projected the Flames will finish one point before the Vancouver Canucks based on their trajectories and hence has given them a better chance at making the playoff cut.

Todd Fuhrman a former Vegas oddsmaker agrees saying: “I like the chemistry that we’re seeing in Calgary much more than in Vancouver. I know we’re discounting the Canucks right now … and when you have all of those pieces there (the Vancouver Canucks) that’s a more talented roster. But hockey isn’t about the names on the back of the jersey it’s the guys that are playing for one another and I think Calgary for me despite being discounted by odds makers is the team to try to secure that last wild card spot.”

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Just another reason to dislike Tkachuk

Athlon Sports picked up Brady Tkachuk’s criticism of the Canucks for cocooning Quinn Hughes for the 4 Nations tournament on the Spittin’ Chicklets podcast.

“I actually FaceTimed Quinn when he was figuring it out — when people were saying, ‘Quinn might come, Quinn might not come,’” Tkachuk said. “I think he was all about coming, but I just don’t think he got cleared by Vancouver to play.

“Yeah, a little shady business to begin with there. We all know who they were cheering for.”

Can Pettersson get the Vancouver Canucks to the playoffs?

“Well, no one can accuse the Canucks of being dull,” writes Greg Wyshynski for ESPN.

“The J.T. Miller trade sought to end the NHL’s most notable feud between teammates, freeing Elias Pettersson to recapture his game … which he hasn’t. Starting goalie Thatcher Demko can’t stay healthy, while his backup Kevin Lankinen was just handed a five-year contract extension. And don’t even get us started on the “Quinn Hughes is coming” 4 Nations Face-Off hullabaloo. That all happened against the backdrop of a Canucks team that has done anything but cement the final wild-card spot in the West.

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“Player who must step up: Pettersson. Could it be anyone else? Miller was traded on Jan. 31. Pettersson has three assists and zero goals through eight games since, and that’s not even mentioning his disappearing act at the 4 Nations tournament. Pettersson has got to get his game going if Vancouver is going to make the playoffs.

Why the Canucks won’t — but should — make a trade deadline blockbuster

Sean McIndoe of The Athletic gives every team a cursory nod toward why they won’t make a blockbuster trade, and a section on why they should. Here is what he had to say about the Vancouver Canucks:

“Obviously not, because: They already traded J.T. Miller, so what else do you want them to do, trade Elias Pettersson?

“BUT: They should trade Elias Pettersson.

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“No, really, they should. Or at the very least, they should be having some extremely honest conversations about whether they want to be married to him and his $93 million contract until 2032. I’ve been a fan of his for a while now, but this season worries me, and the 4 Nations was downright terrifying. It’s possible he’s just not the same guy he was once, and if that’s true then the Canucks need to get out now, in what’s likely to be their last chance. The off-season? That could be too late to have any kind of market. Dangle him now, let him be the deadline’s biggest prize, hope some GM who thinks he’s getting fired in April offers something decent, and then make a run for the getaway car and book it out of town.”

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Are we seeing Brock Boeser’s last days as a Canuck?

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“He’s 28 and set to become a UFA for the first time in his career this July 1. President of hockey ops Jim Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin stare down some difficult decisions in the coming weeks and months,” writes Matt Larkin on the Daily Faceoff.

“On one hand, there’s still reportedly mutual interest in keeping Boeser a Canuck. As my colleague Frank Seravalli pointed out last week, someone still needs to do the scoring on this team. Boeser is off his pace from last season, but he’s still tracking for close to 30 goals, and his 5-on-5 play driving metrics haven’t actually changed that much from last season’s.

“He can still be part of the medium-term solution. On the other hand: it’s risky for Vancouver to go beyond March 7 at 12 p.m. with Boeser unsigned. What if the two sides don’t agree on a deal and he walks for nothing in the summer? Considering it’s a seller’s market and Boeser could net a package including a first-round pick and respectable prospect, the Canucks have to at least entertain offers for him.”

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Boeser is a popular subject as we approach the deadline. Sportsnet looked at four possible destinations for the winger.

“Whichever road the Canucks choose, Boeser is bound to attract suitors from across the league. Here are four teams that could benefit from having a player like him join its roster.

Minnesota Wild

Starting with perhaps the most obvious destination, there are plenty of reasons why Boeser seems like a good fit for the Wild.

Aside from the fact it would be a homecoming for Boeser, he fills a hockey need for the Wild. Despite sitting third in the Central Division, four points before the Colorado Avalanche with one game in hand, the Wild have just a plus-five goal-differential.

Since star winger Kirill Kaprizov was injured on Jan. 26, the Wild were shut out on back-to-back nights heading into the 4 Nations break and to make matters worse, general manager Bill Guerin said on Saturday that Kaprizov may be sidelined for longer than expected.

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Without their perennial 40-goal man, the Wild’s top-six doesn’t generate nearly as much offence. As it stands, Boeser’s point total would be fifth-highest on the Wild, a noticeable improvement on the right wing and could provide a boost to their struggling, Kaprizov-less power play that’s sitting 24th in the league at 19.2 per cent.

Florida Panthers

The defending Stanley Cup champions are no strangers to taking big swings in pursuit of greatness and with their competitive window as wide as ever, there’s no reason to believe that this year will be any different.

Is it possible that this club also pursues a top-six winger like Boeser, who could reasonably supplement some of the offence in Tkachuk’s absence?

Boeser wouldn’t outright replace the injured Tkachuk, who has twice eclipsed 100 points and is a point-per-game in four consecutive seasons, but he’s on pace for 27 goals and can provide some goal-scoring ability to complement the Panthers’ big guns.

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Last season’s 57-goal man Sam Reinhart has the first-line right-wing spot cemented, but Boeser could be an upgrade on Evan Rodrigues, who has performed well for the Panthers as a secondary scorer but has never eclipsed 43 points in a season — something Boeser has done seven times and is on pace to do again this year.

This deal could be lucrative for the Canucks going the other way. Florida currently still holds its first-round pick for 2026, a draft class largely believed to be deeper than 2025. If the Canucks can fetch a first-rounder for Boeser — and the Mikael Granlund trade package suggests that is very doable — then having an additional 2026 first-round pick can be an incredible asset, especially if the Canucks decide to make additional moves at the deadline.

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Los Angeles Kings

The Canucks aren’t a team who fear intradivisional trades. See last season’s Elias Lindholm-Andrei Kuzmenko trade with the Calgary Flames or the shipping of Vasily Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers earlier this season. For that reason, it’s not crazy talk to consider a trade between the Canucks and their divisional rival the Kings.

So how would Boeser fit? For starters, he could assist in sparking their dismal power play, which sits at 15.2 per cent and is good for second-worst in the Western Conference, behind only bottom-feeding Anaheim. Boeser has 14 power play points so far this season, hit a career-high of 25 last season and has never dipped below 14 in a full year. He’s also got 40 power-play goals since the 2021-22 season, despite missing some games in nearly every year in that time.

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Much like the Wild, the Kings are also in search of a difference-maker come the post-season. They haven’t won a playoff round since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014 and the Oilers have bounced them from the playoffs three years running. If they do face a familiar foe this spring — entirely possible given the makeup of the Pacific Division — Boeser has some experience scoring against the Oilers, with 10 goals and six assists against Edmonton since the start of the 2023-24 season.

For the Canucks, the Kings have some draft capital, but more intriguingly they have some solid, if not underused, young players that might be of interest to Vancouver. Might they try to nab 23-year-old Alex Laferriere, which would free up a spot for Boeser on the Kings’ second line? Or perhaps Brandt Clarke, the defenceman selected eighth overall in 2021 but has not been given runway with the Kings and has spent the majority of the season playing fourth-line forward or sitting in the press box?

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Utah Hockey Club

This one could also be a bit far-fetched, especially considering they’re actively competing with the Canucks for the second wild-card spot in the West, but this is a team that could benefit from a player with Boeser’s acumen and at this stage of his career.

With just under $6 million of projected cap space before the deadline, Utah could reasonably make the numbers work on a Boeser trade. Of course, since the team isn’t in a playoff position, it makes little sense to acquire Boeser as a rental, so general manager Bill Armstrong will likely only make this trade if he believes his team can sign Boeser to a long-term extension. With some contracts coming off the books for Utah at the end of this season, it’s possible it has the cash to do that.”

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ESPN does a roundup of surprising names who should/could be moved. While it’s likely unsurprising to you, dear Canuck fan, both Pettersson and Boeser make their list.

“When the Rangers acquired J.T. Miller from Vancouver, it was meant to unburden Pettersson of his locker room feud and allow the star centre to find his game again. Since that trade, Pettersson has three assists and zero goals through eight games. Coach Rick Tocchet has called out his lack of confidence. He has only 11 goals in 51 games.

Pettersson is in the first season of an eight-year contract that carries an $11.6 million annual cap hit. Vancouver engaged in trade talks about Pettersson concurrent to those regarding Miller. His no-movement clause kicks in this summer. How much runway will the Canucks give him before making a call on his future? If they do trade him, it would be at the ebb of his value — his disappearing act in the 4 Nations Face-Off didn’t help.”

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And Boeser?

“Boeser, 28, has a $6.65 million cap hit. He has 18 goals and 17 assists in 50 games this season after topping 40 goals for the first time last season. He played in 81 games, which speaks to how he has shaken off questions about his durability. The Canucks are listening on him, but it makes more sense to them to hang onto Boeser.

That said, there has not been much traction on a contract. “I love it in Vancouver. So, yeah, it’s actually frustrating that nothing’s got done,” he told Sportsnet this week. “Obviously, it’s not all out of my control.”

That’s not all for Canucks trade targets though, even the unsexy subject of moving Carson Soucy gets some run.

“Teams that want a bigger defenceman can ponder Ristolainen (6-foot-4) and Soucy (6-5). The Flyers’ defenceman can throw the body but hasn’t been a viable point producer since 2019-20. He makes $5.1 million against the cap through 2026-27, and Kevin Kurz of The Athletic recently reported that the Flyers “haven’t got many calls” on him.

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Soucy is in the second season of a three-year deal ($3.25 million AAV). Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says he believes the Canucks have made him available after acquiring Marcus Pettersson from the Penguins earlier this season.”

ESPN has loads of Canucks content this week as they’re believed to be a primary player as the trade deadline approaches.
In this article they look more at what the Canucks would be looking to acquire rather than who they’re shipping out.

“Vancouver Canucks
Deadline status: Add scoring for the playoff push
Cap space: $8.97 million
Players, picks in play: D Carson Soucy, 2025 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick

The Canucks’ primary mission before March 7 is to find another forward who can help fill the scoring void created by the J.T. Miller trade.

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Moving on from Miller brought Filip Chytil to Vancouver. But is Chytil enough to make up for Miller’s production, given he had three straight seasons of more than 80 points? Chytil had three points in his first four games, which was a promising start. But the deadline could still provide the Canucks with a window to add another impact forward in their attempt to return to the playoffs.”

What does the Lankinen signing mean for Thatcher Demko?

“I think you only hand out a contract like that if you think things are going sideways, either by injury or by pure change of scenery … You asked me … will Thatcher Demko be a Canuck next season? My answer was no,” says NHL insider Frank Seravalli.

But there’s a lot that would need to play out. And he does have a not so inexpensive deal that stretches into next season that someone going to have to figure out is it worth buying on Thatcher Demko given what we’ve seen with his injury history.

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Prospectives

While he’s still a long shot for the NHL, The Hockey News did take note of a milestone from the Canucks 2024 sixth-round pick Anthony Romani.

“Vancouver Canucks prospect Anthony Romani hit an impressive milestone in the OHL on Wednesday. The Barrie Colts forward recorded his 100th career goal in what was his 212th career game. Romani is one of 11 active players with over 100 goals in their OHL career, joining recognizable names like Nick Lardis, Colby Barlow and Michael Misa. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL draft, Romani is up to 11 points in 18 games with Barrie. He is closing in on 200 points for his OHL career and needs just 16 more in order to reach the milestone. The Colts have already clinched their spot in the 2025 OHL Playoffs and are projected to capture the Central Division title this season.”

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The Athletic presented a novel idea, ranking the players picked with traded first-round picks since 2020. The pick Vancouver sent to Detroit for Filip Hronek landed a player ranked third in their list.

“3. Axel Sandin-Pellikka, RHD (Filip Hronek to Vancouver)

Detroit moved out an average-sized puck-moving defenceman in Hronek and hoped it would replace him long-term with ASP. He is a very intelligent and hardworking defender with a cannon of a shot, though his size will be an issue defending NHL forwards.”

The Power Rankings

ESPN has the Canucks at 18 in their power rankings, but in their focus on fantasy players suggest dropping the moribund Pettersson.

“Elias Pettersson, F: He isn’t shooting. He certainly isn’t scoring. Seven other Vancouver skaters have more goals than the 102-point performer from two years ago. As far as fantasy surprises go, the Canucks centre ranks right up there as one of this season’s most frustrating showings.”

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The Athletic has the Canucks at 17, but has an eye on them for the deadline:

“Never count out ol’ Jimmy Rutherford to make the deadline interesting. That man shoots from the hip and we have nothing but respect for that. What does that mean for the Canucks? We’ve got no idea. Maybe it means a fire sale. Maybe it means they’re surprise buyers. Maybe it means Elias Pettersson (the forward) is gone, and maybe Boeser too. Maybe it means a Boeser extension and some reinforcements for the playoff push. Whatever happens, we can’t wait to watch ol’ Jim do his thing.”

CBS Sports has the Canucks at 18th: “JT Miller is gone, but the Elias Pettersson problem remains. Pettersson hasn’t scored in 11 games, and the most troubling part is that he hasn’t even been putting shots on net. In his last five games, Pettersson has recorded three shots. That’s no way to break out of a slump. Pettersson is a former 100-point scorer with elite skill, so to see him struggling this badly is completely befuddling.”

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In The Bleacher Report the Canucks fell 3 spots to 17th: “There’s concern at both ends of the rink these days for the Canucks, whose 1.83 goals per game from Feb. 1 through Tuesday’s games were last in the league offensively, while the back end is again missing Thatcher Demko after he was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 8.”

Sportsnet has the Canucks at 19: “Patrik Allvin became the first Swede and second European after Jarmo Kekalainen to be an NHL GM when the Canucks hired him just over three years ago. He’s already traded one top-six centre this season in J.T. Miller, and it’s an ongoing subplot to see if he’ll move another in Elias Pettersson before the latter’s no-move clause kicks in on July 1.”

How the games were won and lost

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Thomas Drance for The Athletic: The Vancouver Canucks ended their post-4 Nations Face-Off skid Wednesday night, defeating the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in overtime in a slow-motion affair that suddenly became a third-period thriller. The win was punctuated by Quinn Hughes’ return to the lineup.

“Though the win wasn’t a work of art by any means, it was 2 points the Canucks needed as they look to salvage this trip after back-to-back losses this weekend in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Some underlying issues remain. It’s not as if the Canucks stacked up quality looks against a sturdy Kings defensive outfit Wednesday, and they blew a 2-0 lead in the third period, but the Canucks need points and secured 2.”

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