The Vancouver Canucks have been flip-flopping between the penthouse and the sub-penthouse of the NHL standings for a while now. As of this writing, they are currently in the former with 69 points thanks to a 32-11-5 record – tied with the Boston Bruins. As such, they will certainly be buyers at this year’s trade deadline as general manager Patrik Allvin has promised to be aggressive to give his roster the best chance of winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in its 53-year history.
With a franchise-setting record within their grasp, it may seem like the Canucks don’t need much to improve on. They have the most lethal offence in the NHL, a top-five defence and a Vezina Trophy-caliber goaltender in Thatcher Demko. What more do they need? Well, no team is perfect, and with the Lotto Line taking two of the Canucks’ top-six centers, they could use a better second-line pivot than Pius Suter or Teddy Blueger (no offence to those two as they’ve done a phenomenal job this season in their roles).
Even if Tocchet doesn’t load up his top line, the Canucks could still use a boost in the top-six. I am not sold on Elias Pettersson as a center. I believe he is much more dangerous on the wing, and to do that, the Canucks need another top-six center. Whether one of these targets plays with him or not, here are a few Allvin should go after before the trade deadline.
Sean Monahan, Montreal Canadiens
Sean Monahan will likely be a hot commodity before the trade deadline due to his cheap contract ($1.985 million), versatility (he can play all three forward positions), and skill in the faceoff circle (55.5 percent success rate this season). He also has regained a bit of his scoring touch as he already has 13 goals, the most since he scored 22 in 2019-20 with the Calgary Flames. While he isn’t the 30-goal, 82-point man from 2018-19 anymore, he can still fill a role in the top-six, on the power play and kill penalties.
The Canucks need more depth down the middle and Monahan could fill a role on the second line with Andrei Kuzmenko and Ilya Mikheyev if Tocchet decides to reunite the Lotto Line again. If not, he could still play with Pettersson and Kuzmenko and bump Mikheyev to the fourth line with Hoglander and Lafferty. Whatever the case, Monahan would add a lot more versatility to the lineup and create matchup nightmares for opponents as every line would be dangerous offensively. He also has experience in the playoffs and usually steps up offensively with 10 goals and 21 points in 30 career games.
As for cost, that could get dicey as the Montreal Canadiens could legitimately ask for a first-round pick and even a mid-range prospect in exchange for Monahan, especially if a bidding war starts between a few teams (from ‘About Last Night: Monahan’s trade deadline price is going up’, Montreal Gazette, 1/26/24). It could be a one-for-one trade, but as THW’s own Ryan Szporer, Trege Wilson and Blain Potvin mentioned to me, his recent hot streak, and the aforementioned valuable attributes could make him a top target for many teams that might be willing to give up more than just a first-round pick. I’m not sure the Canucks should get involved for more than that, especially since Monahan will likely be just a rental.
Adam Henrique, Anaheim Ducks
Speaking of valuable centers, Adam Henrique could cost a first-round pick as well, but considering his $5.825 million cap hit, the Anaheim Ducks might have to settle for a second-rounder and a prospect or young player instead. He also has a 10-team no-trade list, so it could be tough to trade him. That said, if the Canucks are not one of the 10 teams, he would be a perfect addition to their top-six. This season, he has 15 goals and 29 points in 46 games along with a decent plus-1 on a bad Ducks team. Like Monahan, he is also on fire right now with five goals in his last six games.
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Henrique is also money in the faceoff circle, especially since he joined the Ducks from the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18; he has a 53 percent success rate and has been at least 55 percent in four of the seven seasons. He could be a great winger or center for Pettersson or a winger for Miller as he has experience playing down the middle and at left wing. Power play and penalty kill (and scoring shorthanded – 16 career goals) are part of his repertoire too, not to mention he has speed and a history of scoring goals, with six 20-goal seasons under his belt.
Needless to say, Henrique will be targeted by aspiring playoff teams at the trade deadline. Like Monahan, he will likely be a rental, so the Canucks will have to be okay with giving up assets for only a few months of the former Windsor Spitfire. A second-round pick in 2025 and possibly a young winger like Vasily Podkolzin or Linus Karlsson might do the trick to bring him to Vancouver. Maybe Allvin can even broker a package involving Frank Vatrano. However, that would require adding their 2024 or 2025 first-round pick into the equation as well.
Yanni Gourde, Seattle Kraken
After discussing a couple of potential rentals, let’s talk about one with some term left on his contract – two-time Stanley Cup champion Yanni Gourde. He would be the best fit of them all since he would be here next season and provide some veteran playoff experience. He is a bit pricey at $5,166,166 average annual value (AAV), so cap gymnastics would have to be done beforehand to fit him in, but if Allvin can do it and the Canucks are on his 23-team trade list, he would add a ton of value to the lineup.
As most hockey fans know, Gourde was part of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s two Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and was a massive reason for their success – both in the regular season and the playoffs. The undersized 5-foot-9 dynamo plays the game a lot like Conor Garland, with work ethic and tenacity as his staples. He has been a consistent 20-goal scorer throughout his career and can be counted on for a lot of production once the postseason comes around. Just last season with the Seattle Kraken, he was one of the reasons why they surprised everyone and made it to the second round against the Dallas Stars. He had four goals and 13 points in 14 games and now has 20 goals and 42 points in 83 career playoff games. Needless to say, he plays his best hockey when the games get the hardest.
Speculating about acquiring Gourde could all be a moot point if the Kraken are in the playoff race at the trade deadline, but if they aren’t, he should be a top target for Allvin and the Canucks. A package of a first-round pick, second-round pick and possibly even a mid-range prospect like Vilmer Alriksson would be the ask for a guy like Gourde.
Canucks Will Be Interesting To Watch Heading Into March 8
One thing’s for certain, the Canucks won’t be sitting on the sidelines heading into the trade deadline. Allvin has already shown a propensity for making trades at this time of the year as he traded Bo Horvat nearly a year ago on Jan. 30, 2023, and acquired Filip Hronek on deadline day on March 1. He has also been one of the busiest GMs this season, adding Sam Lafferty, Casey DeSmith, Mark Friedman, and Nikita Zadorov via trade. If I was a betting man, I would expect at least one major deal involving a center, winger, or defenceman before the final bell rings on March 8. Whether it’s one of these targets remains to be seen, but for the first time in a long time, Canucks fans will be watching who the team will add rather than who they will trade away.
