Vancouver Canucks scouts spotted at a pair of Eastern Conference team's facilities as trade talks heat up

It's been a busy week for the Vancouver Canucks organization after the team decided to make their pending unrestricted free agents available on the NHL's trade market and as the weeks roll on, the expectation is that those talks will heat up and potentially, we could see a move before the holiday roster freeze, which begins on December 20th.

In recent weeks, the Vancouver Canucks have sent scouts to watch several teams including the Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs, and after Saturday, two more clubs were added to that list.

On Saturday afternoon, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now reported on social media that the Vancouver Canucks were among nine teams that sent scouts to watch the New Jersey Devils face off against the Philadelphia Flyers.

It's quite interesting that the Canucks were keeping an eye on the Devils and Flyers this weekend, especially after Quinn Hughes has been linked to New Jersey on countless occasions and while he might not be available at the moment, Patrik Allvin might want to see who his potential targets could be in a deal down the road.

There's no question that defenseman Simon Nemec and forward Dawson Mercer would be on Vancouver's radar if the two teams were to ever go in-depth in trade talks involving Quinn Hughes, and it was a good showing on Saturday as both picked up a goal a piece in New Jersey's 5-3 loss.

If this becomes a common theme over the weeks and months to come, that Vancouver is sending a scout to attend New Jersey Devils games, it's probably a good indication that the two sides are eventually going to enter trade talks, whether it's in regards to Quinn Hughes, Kiefer Sherwood or perhaps even Conor Garland.