LATEST | Canucks' most ideal trade partner has been identified

The Vancouver Canucks will be one of the teams to watch over the course of the summer months leading up to the 2023-24 season. The organization is in the midst of a re-tool after trading away their captain Bo Horvat before the deadline, but their cap situation may hold them back from making any bigger moves or free agent signings this summer, so they may need to get creative.

With the NHL Entry Draft one month away, Thomas Drance and Scott Powers of The Athletic have identified Vancouver's most ideal trade partner in the coming weeks and months - the Chicago Blackhawks.

Drance and Powers discussed in a recent article on The Athletic what each team would want from each other and some interesting names and even draft picks were brought up.

From Vancouver's side of things, the 2023 11th overall pick was mentioned, as well as potential salary cap dumps involving Tyler Myers, Brock Boeser and Conor Garland. Myers has a modified no-trade clause and lives in British Columbia during the summer, so it's unlikely he'll be on the move or even want to waive his NTC.


As for the Blackhawks, their biggest asset mentioned was their cap space and the ability to take on the contracts of Myers, Boeser and Garland. But the pair mentioned a scenario where the Canucks could trade down at the draft, giving Chicago the 11th overall pick in exchange for the 19th overall pick as well as a second-round pick, possibly even 35th overall.

It's going to be interesting to see what Patrik Allvin has up his sleeve at the draft and in the summer as he tries to clear cap space for the organization.

Source: The Athletic