Elliotte Friedman lit the Canucks world on fire Monday night. In an X post, Friedman reported that the Canucks have made their veteran players available. This currently does not include Quinn Hughes. The report comes shortly after the Canucks’ front office rejected the idea of a rebuild. I guess this 180 is what happens when you’ve only won 3 games throughout November. The question for now is: who’s getting moved? Now I don’t have all the inside information on the Canucks, but usually it hasn’t been too hard to tell what’s just smoke and what’s for real.

So here’s my ranking of each Canuck veteran's likelihood of getting moved, based on their value, their contract, and just plain vibes.

Elias Pettersson - 2/10

This could age poorly.

These days, you cannot mention the words “Canucks” and “trade” without Elias Pettersson making his way into the conversation. After he found his way into heated trade rumours last season, he eventually emerged victorious over J.T. Miller. But the Canucks are bad again, and Pettersson is once again finding his name in the rumours. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos has even put Pettersson on his first trade board of the season.

I just don’t see why this would happen anymore, though. The team committed to Pettersson by trading Miller last season. So far, he’s made their decision look like a smart one. He’s picked up 20 points in 23 games while also leading all forwards in the league in blocked shots. He’s giving a 200 foot effort, looking much more like the previous Elias Pettersson who earned that ginormous 8 year, $11.6 million contract.

Oh yeah, that’s an important thing to mention. He’s making $11.6 million per year.

While I already don’t envision the Canucks moving on from him, and I don’t see Pettersson himself wanting out of Vancouver, I also struggle to imagine any team would want to take on that cap hit. Even if he’s producing at a much better level than he was last season, that’s a high price. Maybe teams would want to trade for him if the Canucks would retain salary, but I want to believe they wouldn’t retain unless the return was eye-popping.

It feels like Pettersson isn’t going anywhere. Even if they enter a rebuild, someone’s gotta score at some point.

Brock Boeser - 3/10

Every time Brock Boeser has appeared destined to part ways with the Canucks, he finds himself back on the roster the very next season. At this point, I’m not sure why he would be a guy the Canucks would look to trade. Boeser is 28 years old now and in the first year of a 7 year, $7.25 million contract that he signed half an hour into free agency this summer. The contract includes a full NMC for the first 4 years of the deal, which is one of just a couple obstacles to a potential trade.

First off, I don’t see Boeser waiving the NMC. At least not this season. He signed back in the offseason knowing that this was not a surefire way to make the playoffs. He is committed to Vancouver and has been for the past decade. Maybe in a couple years, Quinn Hughes will leave and Boeser will be more likely to want out, but for now, I don’t see him budging.

Secondly, I don’t see why the Canucks would want to part with him anyway. Sure, if they’re looking to make their roster younger, trading a player in his prime that could get you a solid return seems like a great idea. But you still need some veteran players to stick around on your team. Boeser has been a leader for this team for a while now, and if you’re bringing in younger guys, it’s important for players like Boeser to take on the mentoring role to prepare these guys to make their next steps.

In my heart, Boeser seems like a guy that should be a Canuck for life. I have no problems keeping him around through the next phase of Canucks hockey, even if he could fetch us a nice profit.

Filip Hronek - 3/10

This one was shot down by Hronek’s agent so soon after Friedman’s X post that I wouldn’t be surprised if Allan Walsh already had it in his drafts.

Hronek’s value would be very high. He’d be a solid 2nd defenseman on most teams, and is really an all-around player. He can quarterback a power play, absolutely fire shots on net, penalty kill, block shots, and use his physicality. 

Hronek is in year 2 of an 8 year, $7.25 million contract. While that was a little scary when it was signed, he has proven that he is absolutely worth the money, especially with the cap rising. This part of the contract would not be a barrier to a potential trade. He does have a full NMC for the next 3 seasons, though, which is what Allan Walsh was quick to point out.

I don’t think the NMC should be what stops a Hronek trade. I think his value to the Canucks should stop it. There are 3 defensemen on the Canucks who are older than Hronek, and while their value isn’t quite at the same level, it still feels like they should prioritize moving those players first. Hronek is just 28 years old and can still be a valuable piece for this defense for years to come.

With so many young defensemen coming up through the Canucks’ system right now, it’s important that they keep a couple veteran pieces around to act as mentors. Hronek can be perfect for that role. I think it’s worth holding onto him, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Canucks feel the same way. Clearly his agent doesn’t see him moving teams anytime soon.

Jake DeBrusk - 4/10

This feels similar to Brock Boeser, but in a slightly different way. When Jake DeBrusk signed in Vancouver, the Canucks were coming off a very successful 2023-24 campaign, which saw them 1 game away from the Western Conference Finals. It was an appealing destination for a free agent to choose to continue their career in. But Jake DeBrusk’s decision appeared to hinge on something other than success: location. 

Jake DeBrusk was born in Edmonton, where his dad, Louie, was playing at the time. DeBrusk grew up in western Canada. He even played his junior hockey in the WHL. After spending close to a decade in Boston, when the time came for him to be a UFA, he was guaranteed to sign somewhere out west. The rumours came down to the three most obvious landing spots: Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary. Obviously, Vancouver emerged victorious.

Now here we are, a year and a half later, and the Canucks are putrid. Is that something that really matters to DeBrusk, though? He signed long-term in Vancouver with the clear intention to spend the latter half of his career close to home. With a full NMC for the next two seasons, is it likely that he accepts a trade to leave? I don’t think so.

Unless of course, Edmonton is the team making the trade. I want to believe Vancouver is done helping out Edmonton after gifting them Vasily Podkolzin and taking on Evander Kane’s full cap hit, but you really can’t put it past them. It feels unlikely that Edmonton would be able to make the move money-wise, but who knows? 

One would have to assume Calgary isn’t looking to buy.

I’m entirely happy to keep Jake DeBrusk. He seems like a great person, and you need to keep some capable NHL players on board. I highly doubt he’d accept a trade to go just anywhere, so I would imagine he stays for now, and I don’t mind it. Though I guess there’s no telling what will happen by 2027-28 when his clause turns into a 15 team no trade list.

Marcus Pettersson - 4/10

As hilarious as it would be to trade for a guy, sign him to a 5-year extension, and then trade him all in the same year, I think even the Canucks are above that.

Marcus Pettersson has already shown that he’s a good leader in the locker room. He's the exact player that the younger guys can be learning from, so it’s probably worth keeping him around. He also has a full NMC for the next 3 seasons, because the Canucks apparently just hand those out like it’s nothing.

It would be a really bad look to trade him immediately after signing him. That just sends out a message to players across the league that if they choose to sign in Vancouver, they may just be shipped out immediately.

I’m happy to hold onto Marcus Pettersson. But if the Canucks feel the need to choose between keeping him or Hronek and trading the other one for younger value, I’d want them to keep Hronek all day.

Tyler Myers - 5/10

Tyler Myers’ Canucks tenure has been an absolute rollercoaster. 

It all started in 2019, when Jim Benning pulled a Jim Benning classic and signed Myers to a 5 year, $6 million contract. Myers was never worth even close to that at any point. Sometimes I wish I could experience hockey through the eyes of Jim Benning, so I could see whatever he was seeing.

Anyway, the bulk of that contract was a trainwreck. To his credit, he did turn it around in the last year of the deal, which was the same year that the Canucks won the Pacific division. Still not worth the $6 million, but certainly worth the 3x3 that he signed after that season.

Last year, in the first year of that deal, Myers was solid. He was showing that even past his prime, he could be a serviceable top-4 defenseman. Defense was a major problem for the Canucks for the first half of the season (flashbacks to Soucy-Juulsen), but Myers was steady.

We are now in his age 35 season, and the stats have dramatically fallen off. It’s been disheartening to see. While assuming a full-time role as one of the Canucks’ alternate captains, his on-ice play has taken a step back, which I guess is to be expected at this point in a player’s career.

Myers has always seemed like one of the better leaders on the team. Back during some difficult times earlier in the decade, there were times where Myers was the only player who would face the media, protecting his teammates from the frustration. He’s been a valuable member of this team for a while and I wouldn’t be shocked if he wants to see through his career as a Canuck. He has a NMC until July 1st, so the option is in his own hands for this season.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if he wants to chase a ring, though. His longest playoff run came in 2018, when his Winnipeg Jets lost to the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals in 5 games. He seems to be on his last legs of being a relatively impactful player in this league, so if he wants to win a Stanley Cup, now would be the time. And despite his leadership, if the Canucks are able to get value out of a Myers trade, I think they should go for it.

Conor Garland - 6/10

Conor Garland is the most intriguing player to look at during these rumours. While most players on this list have a full NMC for the current season, Garland does not fall under this category. Not yet. This past July 1st, Garland re-upped with the Canucks on a 6 year, $6 million deal (which is a contract that has never gone bad for the Canucks ever). When July 1st, 2026 rolls around, Conor Garland will have a full NMC for the next three years. Meaning if they want to trade him, they better do it soon.

Garland is a fan favourite in Vancouver. He brings a lot of heart with him, which is something the Canucks lacked a lot of last season. He’s also a consistent scorer, floating around the 50 point mark every season. His value would be high. If the Canucks are looking to trade veteran players to become younger, Garland has to be at the top of the list right now.

I find it hard to believe the Canucks would struggle to start a bidding war over a player like Garland. He brings something to the table that a lot of teams want more of. He can score, PK, and even fight every once in a while. He gets into the gritty areas and is an elite puck protector. With all this said, I don’t think Garland’s a player the Canucks absolutely need to keep for the franchise’s next steps. I also would love to see him play in the playoffs again.

Though I like Garland as a Canuck, sometimes it’s worth looking past emotions and thinking about the value the team could receive in place of him. It might be something that fits our timeline a lot better.

Derek Forbort - 6/10

Forbort somewhat unexpectedly signed back with the Canucks in the offseason, rather than going to a team that may be able to offer him a better chance at making the playoffs. Forbort was an elite penalty-killer last season, helping the Canucks to the 3rd best mark in the league. While he provides no offense of any sort, his defensive ability is perfectly on point when he’s at his best.

It seems like Forbort would be a very obvious trade candidate, but the difficult part is the fact that he’s currently on LTIR with no return in sight. The Canucks are really bad at disclosing injuries (like it’s actually insane how bad they are) so it’s tough to tell if he’ll even be back in time for the Canucks to send him to a contender. 

I would imagine that this is Forbort’s last season as a Canuck one way or another, so if he is eventually healthy, you may as well trade him for whatever you can get.

Teddy Blueger - 7/10

Blueger’s a 4th liner in a contract season on a non-playoff team. He seems like the most obvious candidate to be a trade deadline move. There’s surely no way he would want to re-sign in Vancouver if they were looking to become younger and less competitive.

The clause on his contract is a 12 team no trade list, so there aren’t too many hoops to jump through to make a trade work. I can particularly envision a team with a struggling penalty kill looking at Blueger as a potential option, as he is one of the most dominant penalty-killing forwards in the whole league. Just look at how much Vancouver’s penalty kill has bled this season while he’s on IR. Washington? Ottawa? Some playoff teams will be very intrigued by Blueger’s defensive ability.

Since he’s hardly played this season, it’s hard to imagine what his value will be by the time the trade deadline rolls around. I think if teams are desperate enough, they can get a valuable pick out of him, and that’s a worthy trade. Even if it means having a penalty kill that fires at 65% for the rest of the season.

Evander Kane - 9/10

This is just one that needs to be done. He doesn’t really add much of anything to the team. If they’re trying to get younger, trading a 34-year-old seems like an obvious move. Kane is in the final season of a 4 year, $5.125 million contract that he signed in Edmonton. The Canucks acquired him in the offseason for a 4th round pick in an attempt to make the team “difficult to play against.” The Canucks are 9-12-2. They are very easy to play against.

Kane has a 16 team no-trade clause, which shouldn’t be too hard to work around. As the season goes on, his value is likely to grow. Maybe this isn’t a move that has to be done immediately. At the trade deadline, teams get desperate. It is still very likely that the Canucks can make back more than the 4th they gave up for him. He has 11 points in 23 games so far this season, which isn’t too good, but that involves an unsustainably low shooting percentage of 4.6%. Kane’s career shooting percentage is 9.9%, so if he can regress closer to the mean in that aspect, his value will rise more. He was fantastic in the Oilers’ most recent playoff run. That should turn some heads for teams looking to make their mark.

This is a veteran player that makes the most sense to get traded. If the Canucks aren’t going to make the playoffs anyway, they don’t need Kane. If the Canucks want to make their roster younger, they aren’t going to want to re-sign Kane.

Credit where credit’s due, Evander Kane has been pretty active in the community. Recently he was part of the group that visited the BC Children’s Hospital. It’s been nice to see him make an effort to give back to the city of Vancouver. And now that I’ve said something nice about him, let me just say that the sooner he’s off my hockey team, the sooner the light returns to my eyes.

Kiefer Sherwood - 9/10

As sad as it is, it feels like something that needs to happen. I find no pleasure in writing this. I’m just turning off the emotions. Here are the facts:

Kiefer Sherwood makes just $1.5 million.

Kiefer Sherwood has no trade protection.

Kiefer Sherwood’s value is through the absolute roof.

Kiefer Sherwood is a free agent at the end of the season.

Kiefer Sherwood is 30.

All these things just point towards the idea that trading him is the right move. Remember when Tanner Jeannot fetched Nashville a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th? That’s the kind of value that we may be looking at with Kiefer Sherwood. That value is really hard to pass up, especially for a guy who might just leave us anyway in the offseason. He probably would.

Kiefer Sherwood is a 1 of 1 player. Nobody in the league hits as much as he does. In fact, nobody has ever hit as much as he did last season. Not only does he have some of the best physicality in the NHL, but he also has the scoring. In 23 games played so far this season, Sherwood is already at 12 goals and 16 points, on pace to pass the career highs he set last season. He also kills penalties and has recently been moved to the first power play unit. 

If you trade away Kiefer Sherwood, you are never finding another Kiefer Sherwood. However, it’s hard to reject the value you’d be getting back.

The reports that have followed Friedman’s X post have pretty much all had Kiefer Sherwood as the focus of opposing teams. He’s a guy who any playoff team would be incredibly lucky to have. His game translates to the playoffs perfectly. Physicality is always a huge factor, and no one’s better than Kiefer Sherwood. He deserves to play playoff hockey again, and unfortunately, the Canucks just don’t seem like they can get him there themselves. Trading him is sad, but it’s good for the team’s future and it’s good for Kiefer Sherwood.

The Canucks have their work cut out for them this season. They seem to finally be committing to a direction, which is to make the team younger. Some difficult choices will be made, and at the end of the day, there will be fans that are upset at their decisions no matter what. But this roster just cannot stay the way it is. It just doesn’t work.