NHL Rumors Hint at Vancouver Canucks Likely Parting Ways With One of Their Best Prospects
Photo credit: Bob Frid - Imagn Images.
A National Hockey League insider has revealed which top prospects the Vancouver Canucks could part with in a big trade at some point during the 2025-26 season.
Entering action on Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks are 3-2-0 to start the 2025-26 season and are currently on a two-game winning streak after taking the first two of their road trip against the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively.
While it's still early, the Vancouver Canucks have looked good in certain parts of their first five games, but if they want to make it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, after missing out last season, they may need to search for external help via the NHL's trade market.
NHL insider reveals which top prospects could be in play as part of big trade for Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks have been looking to make an addition to thier top-six forward group for quite a while now, with their target this past summer being a second line centerman.
The cost to acquire a centerman to play in the top-six was not going to be cheap and unfortunately for Vancouver Canucks fans, General Manager Patrik Allvin was unable to find one and didn't come close to, according to NHL insider David Pagnotta.
"I wish I had some sexy names to throw at you. I don't. Nothing that was overly impactful or anything that felt like it was getting close. I'm sure like every team, you do your due diligence, that's part of your job, you go out there, you poke around, you start to...like around that time of year you hear names that team's are necessarily shopping, but teams are poking around on and they kind of let that name kind of get out there a little bit and it leads to nothing, because there's nothing there." Pagnotta said in September.
He added, "I think the Canucks certainly tried to, you know, comb the market and see what was out there in terms of the center position. I just don't think they got close on anything."
He added, "I think the Canucks certainly tried to, you know, comb the market and see what was out there in terms of the center position. I just don't think they got close on anything."
As the season rolls along, there's no question that Patrik Allvin and his management group will continue to evaluate their options on the trade market based on how the team is performing and where they are in the NHL's standings, but if they do want to swing a big deal at some point before the deadline on Friday, March 6th, they may have to part ways with one of their top prospects.
According to NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal, he believes that if the Vancouver Canucks were to make a big trade this season, forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki and defenseman Tom Willander would be involved.
He went on to add that the Vancouver Canucks only have one real untouchable in their prospect pool and that's 2025 first-round pick Braeden Cootes, who was sent back to the Western Hockey League last week.
It's still a bit early to say who the Vancouver Canucks could potentially target on the trade market, but as we inch closer to American Thanksgiving and we figure out who is most likely to be in the mix for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, we could potentially see some action start to pick up.
Previously on Vancouver Hockey Daily
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 19 | 1173 ANSWERS NHL Rumors Hint at Vancouver Canucks Likely Parting Ways With One of Their Best Prospects Which top prospect do you think is more likely to be traded, if Patrik Allvin was able to complete a big deal this season? | ||
| Jonathan Lekkerimaki | 611 | 52.1 % |
| Tom Willander | 562 | 47.9 % |
| List of polls | ||