Vancouver Canucks listening to offers on veterans: NHL trade rumors heating up as deadline approaches

The Vancouver Canucks have officially entered the NHL trade rumor mill in a significant way. After a disappointing 9-12-2 start to the 2025-26 season, the organization has let it be known across the league that they are willing to listen to offers on veteran players. According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, multiple sources confirm the Canucks are exploring the market with a specific mandate to get younger, though management insists this isn’t the start of a full-scale rebuild that many fans have been clamoring for.

The timing of this news is particularly noteworthy. With the March 6 trade deadline now just over 100 days away, the Canucks find themselves closer to the bottom of the league standings than to a playoff position. Vancouver currently sits seven points out of a postseason spot while being just four points away from dead-last in the NHL. This reality check has apparently prompted president Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin to take action sooner rather than later.

What Elliotte Friedman reported about the Canucks trade approach

In his Monday night article for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman delivered the news that has set the Vancouver hockey market ablaze. “According to several sources, the Vancouver Canucks have let it be known that - in an effort to get younger - they are willing to listen to offers on ‘veteran players,’” Friedman reported. The veteran hockey journalist didn’t specify which players are being shopped, but his reporting makes clear that management has begun actively engaging with rival teams about potential deals.

Friedman’s sources indicate this move stems directly from the team’s underwhelming performance through the first quarter of the season. The Canucks entered this campaign with playoff aspirations, hoping to convince captain Quinn Hughes to sign a long-term extension. Instead, they’ve stumbled out of the gate in familiar fashion, missing the postseason in four of the last five years and posting just three playoff appearances in the last dozen seasons. This track record has left the front office searching for solutions.

The organization has earned a reputation for swift action when they identify a problem. “Knowing Rutherford’s history and the fact that the Canucks are currently 9-12-2, it may be a matter of when, not if Vancouver make some significant trades in the next few weeks,” noted The Hockey News in their analysis of Friedman’s report.

Which Canucks veterans are safe from trade talks

Despite the open-for-business approach, two names have emerged as unlikely to move. Elliotte Friedman explicitly stated that trading Quinn Hughes is “not their priority right now,” while also noting that defenseman Filip Hronek is a player teams “feel is unlikely to go anywhere.” This protection of their top defense pair suggests the Canucks believe they can retool around this core rather than completely tear down the roster.

Hronek’s reported safety is particularly interesting given his contract status. The 27-year-old defenseman represents exactly the type of veteran asset that playoff contenders covet at the trade deadline. However, Friedman’s sources indicate Vancouver has made it clear to other executives that moving him isn’t on the agenda. One rival executive told Friedman directly that Hronek is “another player teams feel is unlikely to go anywhere.”

This approach aligns with what management has said publicly about avoiding a rebuild. Both Rutherford and Allvin have repeatedly stated they believe the Canucks can compete for the playoffs, and protecting their top defense pair while moving other veterans fits the “retool on the fly” philosophy they’ve preached. The strategy appears to be: keep the elite talent, shed aging depth, and get younger in the process.

Veterans who could be moved before the deadline

The Canucks roster presents a complex puzzle for potential trade partners, with various contract structures creating different levels of difficulty. Let’s break down which veterans might realistically be wearing different jerseys by March 6.

Players with no-movement clauses complicating trade talks

Vancouver currently has seven players with full no-movement clauses, which gives them complete control over any potential trade. Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Marcus Pettersson, Tyler Myers, Kevin Lankinen, and Thatcher Demko can all veto any transaction. Additionally, Conor Garland, Teddy Blueger, and Drew O’Connor have modified no-trade clauses that allow them to block moves to specific teams.

This creates significant complications for management. While these players could still be moved if they waive their clauses, history shows that most veterans on struggling teams aren’t eager to facilitate their own departures. Jake DeBrusk, who is signed through the 2030-31 season at a $5.5 million cap hit, owns a no-movement clause that makes him particularly difficult to trade unless he specifically requests a move. Similarly, Elias Pettersson’s massive contract and full no-move clause give him complete power over his future.

Pending free agents and movable assets

The most likely trade candidates are veterans without trade protection, particularly those on expiring contracts. Kiefer Sherwood, Derek Forbort, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and Evander Kane (who has a modified no-trade clause) are all pending unrestricted free agents who could be moved for future assets. Sherwood has been particularly notable this season, scoring a hat trick in St. Louis back in October.

Conor Garland represents an intriguing case. He doesn’t currently have trade protection, though his no-movement clause kicks in next season. His name has already surfaced in trade rumors as the Canucks reportedly shopped him in pursuit of a second-line center. With two years remaining on his contract at $4.95 million annually, Garland could provide value to a playoff team looking for middle-six forward depth.

David Kampf is another pending UFA, though he just signed on November 15, making an immediate trade unlikely. The Canucks also have to consider the injury situation, with Thatcher Demko, Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger, and Nils Höglander currently sidelined, potentially limiting their trade value or availability.

How trade protections are shaping the Canucks’ options

The sheer volume of no-movement and no-trade clauses on Vancouver’s roster represents a significant obstacle to any retooling effort. When a player has a no-movement clause, they not only control whether they get traded but also where they go. This dramatically reduces management’s leverage in negotiations and often results in lower returns.

Consider the case of Tyler Myers. The 35-year-old defenseman currently has a full no-movement clause, but it converts to a 12-team no-trade clause in the 2026-27 season. This makes him more likely to be moved next summer than at this deadline. Myers also serves as a key member of the leadership group, meaning his potential departure would create ripples beyond just the on-ice product.

For players like Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, the no-movement clauses essentially make them untradeable unless they specifically request a change of scenery. Both are signed long-term through at least 2031, carrying significant cap hits that would be difficult for any team to absorb even if they wanted to. The Canucks’ best hope with these players is that they buy into the retooling plan rather than seek exits.

The modified no-trade clauses held by Teddy Blueger, Evander Kane, and Drew O’Connor provide slightly more flexibility. These players can block trades to a predetermined list of teams, but management can still shop them to the majority of the league. Blueger and Kane, both pending UFAs, represent the most realistic trade chips among this group.

What this means for Vancouver’s future

The Canucks’ decision to listen to offers on veterans while protecting their core represents a delicate balancing act. Management is trying to thread the needle between getting younger and remaining competitive enough to convince Quinn Hughes to sign an extension before he can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-27 season.

This approach stands in contrast to what former Canuck Jannik Hansen recently advocated for. “It’s the third management team now that’s singing the same song. We’re going to retool, we’re right there, we’re almost there! We’ve seen over the past decade that it’s not really almost there,” Hansen said, calling for a proper rebuild.

However, the front office seems committed to their plan. While they may not be tearing everything down, the fact that they’re actively shopping veterans to get younger is a notable shift in strategy. The next 101 days until the trade deadline promise to be active ones in Vancouver. As Friedman noted, when Rutherford and Allvin want to get something done, they don’t wait around.

The challenge will be finding trades that actually bring back youth and future assets rather than just other teams’ problems. With so many veterans holding trade protection, the Canucks may have limited options. But with the organization clearly frustrated by another poor start, something has to give. The trade rumors surrounding Vancouver veterans are likely to intensify as the deadline approaches, making this one of the most intriguing storylines to watch in the coming months.

Vancouver Canucks fans have seen this movie before, but the ending remains unwritten. While management maintains this isn’t a full rebuild, the decision to actively listen to offers on veteran players signals a significant course correction after another disappointing start. The complexity of the roster, with its mix of no-movement clauses, long-term contracts, and pending free agents, makes any retooling effort a challenging puzzle to solve. As the March 6 trade deadline looms, the pressure mounts on Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin to turn their listening into action and give a frustrated fan base reason to believe this time will be different. Whether they can successfully get younger while keeping Quinn Hughes happy may ultimately define the next era of Canucks hockey.