Vancouver Canucks Willing to Trade 2026 First Round Pick in Order to Get Back on Track

As we inch closer to American Thanksgiving, which is Thursday, November 27th, trade talks are expected to pick up around the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks hoping to be in the thick of things as Patrik Allvin and the team's management group continue to eye up center options.

Aside from acquiring Lukas Reichel last month in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Vancouver Canucks haven't had much luck on the trade market in terms of center help, but that could change in the months ahead, if Patrik Allvin is willing to part with one of his biggest assets.

On Monday afternoon, National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman was a guest on Donnie & Dhali where he spoke about the team's ongoing search for help down the middle.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Vancouver Canucks are not wanting to trade top prospect Braeden Cootes or their 2026 first round pick, but he did add that if they were to part with the latter, it would have to result in the club landing a young centerman with team control, as in under contract long-term or still having RFA status.

Vancouver's unwillingness to move on from their 2026 first round pick has been mentioned before by Elliotte Friedman, who reported on the matter in late October (https://www.canucksdaily.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/vancouver-canucks-refusing-to-budge-on-one-core-piece-amid-trade-talks-heating-up), saying that the Canucks have made it clear they're not moving that asset at this time.

We'll have to wait and see where things go on the trade front in the near future, but if the Vancouver Canucks start getting better results in the coming weeks and feel like they can compete for a playoff spot, then Patrik Allvin might have to move that first round pick for a centerman for perhaps someone like Pavel Zacha of the Boston Bruins.