LATEST | Insider addresses the rumours linking Minnesota Wild centerman and the Canucks

The Canucks desire to add a top six forward ahead of this year's deadline has sparked a number of rumours of potential targets.

With the Canucks recently reuniting the Lotto Line, the team may seek a 2nd line centre as opposed to a winger.

That has led some Canuck fans to call for the team to call about Minnesota Wild centre Joel Eriksson Ek.

The soon-to-be 27 year old has seen his production improve on a yearly basis, and is on pace for his third straight season with at least 20 goals.


He also posts some of the best defensive metrics among forwards in the league and is locked up through 28-29 at $5.25 million per season.

While all those factors make him a great fit for Vancouver, Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast that they are the same reasons Minnesota would have no interest in trading Eriksson Ek.

Friedman said of the rumour.

Minnesota has had a rough start to the season, and have fallen farther from playoff contention during a 2-7-1 stretch in their last 10.

The team is saddled with a $14.7 million cap hit from the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter this and next year, and will see no trade clauses activate for core players like Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov at the end of the season.

Friedman said rumours connecting Jake Guentzel to Vancouver have more validity.


https://thecanuckway.com/posts/vancouver-canucks-trade-minnesota-wild-joel-eriksson-ek-rumor-01hkzqm4mpwk