In this edition of the Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators have shown interest in Tyler Myers. Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets have shown interest in Bo Horvat. Also, Luke Schenn is another player who the Canucks should receive a lot of trade calls for.
Maple Leafs & Senators Interested in Myers
Canucks defenceman Myers has emerged as a trade candidate for the club. Ottawa Sun writer Bruce Garrioch noted the Maple Leafs are interested in the 6-foot-8 defender (from ‘GARRIOCH: Erik Karlsson will return to his home in Ottawa, but not the Senators’ lineup,’ Ottawa Sun, Nov. 17, 2022).
“There’s also been talk the Vancouver Canucks are willing to move defenceman Tyler Myers and the Leafs have been among the teams kicking tires there.”
The Maple Leafs are likely interested in adding Myers, as they’ll be without defenceman Jake Muzzin. Toronto placed Muzzin on injured reserve, and he should be out of the lineup until March. The Maple Leafs aren’t the only team rumoured to be interested in Myers, as the Senators showed interest in the blueliner.
On 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Jeff Marek noted he wouldn’t be surprised if the Senators were in talks with the Canucks. Elliott Friedman added Myers is a name that most think the Senators are interested in, but he has a partial no-trade, with a 10-team no-trade list. However, Rick Dhaliwal confirmed Myers or any other Canucks player has not rejected a trade between the Canucks and Senators, although a deal has not been close between the two clubs.
Related: Canucks Should Target 3 Blue Jackets Players in Horvat Trade
A deal involving Myers would relieve the Canucks of the last two years of his five-year, $30 million deal. The organization will likely retain a sum of his salary to complete a trade.
Columbus is Interested in Horvat
Friedman mentioned the Blue Jackets as a team that might be interested in Horvat. The captain is in the final year of his deal and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent. After a hot start to the season, Horvat’s asking price is likely a lot higher. President Jim Rutherford noted re-signing Horvat is the club’s number one priority, but if the team can’t, they’ll hope for a good return.
“I give him a lot of credit. He could lose his focus here and be thinking about what’s going to happen with his contract and whatnot, but he came in ready to play and he’s played terrific for us,” Rutherford said. “I hope that keeps going. I hope we can sign him. If we can’t sign him, the better we play, the better return we’re going to get for him, so it works out for everybody, but ideally we can figure out a way to keep Bo in Vancouver.”
Friedman noted the club is getting calls on a few players, including the captain. He added Blue Jackets need a centre, and a deal for Horvat makes sense. However, the Blue Jackets will likely only trade for Horvat if they can sign him to a long-term deal.
“There are some teams he makes sense as a rental and other teams where he doesn’t make sense as a rental, and they’re definitely one of them.”
Interest in Luke Schenn
Schenn is also involved in trade rumours. Dhaliwal said on Donnie & Dhali he expects the Canucks to get a lot of calls on the defenceman.
“The Canucks could talk with Schenn’s agent, along with a trade partner to see if he’s a rental or a re-signing,” Dhaliwal said. “Don’t believe they’ve talked to his agent yet about a new deal. Last year’s deadline, the Canucks got a ton of calls on Schenn. They’re going to get a ton of calls on Schenn again, this is a player that is coveted. I’m already hearing about Schenn and some teams.”
Dhaliwal adds when Travis Dermott returns, the Canucks will have a log jam on the backend. Schenn has been a valuable player on the team’s blue line. He leads the league in hits with 76. He also has a low cap hit of $850,000 in the final year of his contract.
Canucks Interested in Brunette
With Bruce Boudreau’s future in question, a few names are popping up as replacements for the Canucks’ head coach. New Jersey Devils assistant coach Andrew Brunette could be a potential replacement for Boudreau.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported the club spoke with him before he joined the Devils. Friedman added the Canucks checked in on Brunette’s availability during training camp as well. He adds the Canucks haven’t asked about Brunette during the season and doesn’t think he has a way to leave New Jersey. However, Dreger provides a conflicting report which indicates Brunette has a clause in his agreement that would allow him to speak to other organizations with head coaching vacancies.
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Even if the Canucks don’t add Brunette during the season, he will likely be a top candidate if the organization decides to wait until the offseason before firing Boudreau. Brunette was an assistant coach with Minnesota Wild and served in other roles with the club during his tenure from 2012-13 to 2018-19. He joined the Florida Panthers as an assistant coach in 2019-20 before becoming the interim head coach during the 2021-22 season. He posted a record of 51-18-6 in his single season as a head coach.