Canucks Live: Another reunion with a former captain, more trades! And lack of a practice facility strikes again

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Just when you thought you were out …

The NHL roster freeze for Christmas is looming, between Dec. 21 and 28 no players can be moved. And you may have thought with Quinn Hughes gone the maelstrom around the Canucks was over. Not so.

The biggest shoe has already dropped. Hughes was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild on Friday in one of the biggest blockbusters in recent memory. Hughes was not injured like Jack Eichel when he was traded. He was not part of a sign-and-trade, the way Mitch Marner left Toronto. No, this was a team in desperate need of a rebuild dealing one of hockey’s best defencemen to another team when it became clear he would not extend his contract, and every team was interested in his services to some degree.

With the Hughes drama over (at least for now), teams will move to better their teams sooner rather than later. For their part, the Canucks sent a memorandum to the league indicating they were open for business. Sources indicated that not only are the unrestricted free agents available, but that Vancouver will listen on Marcus Pettersson, Conor Garland, Drew O’Connor and many other players with forms of trade protection. While some might not be willing to leave town, others might not be excited to stick around for a rebuild and would consider waiving to a more favourable situation.

Certainly, the likes of Marcus Pettersson, Tyler Myers and Filip Hronek would have value on the market, but they have ultimate control of their situations. It would be unwise for the Canucks to carry $13 million in the form of a goalie tandem, though it remains to be seen whether the Canucks can or will move either netminder. 

In the same piece there’s the fantastical approach of making trades, and they propose another blockbuster.
Vancouver Canucks get:
D Owen Power, F Jack Quinn

Buffalo Sabres get:
F Kiefer Sherwood, F Conor Garland, F Nils Hoglander

In what is colloquially known as a “fantasy hockey trade” in the halls of most NHL front offices, a few scouts opined this is one that might work. Both teams very clearly need to make some moves for various reasons. Buffalo has been out of the playoffs since 2011 (Adele’s song Rolling in the Deep was the No. 1 song that year, for reference), while Vancouver clearly wants to retool.

The feeling is that new Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen might want to move off Owen Power’s deal and bring in some established veterans who bring a different dynamic to a Sabres team with tons of skill. Vancouver needs young skill in the lineup, and both Power and Quinn fit that profile.

Getting off Garland’s deal before any form of trade protection kicks in would be important to reaching Vancouver’s stated goal of getting younger. Buffalo surely values Garland’s work ethic and scoring ability. Sherwood is coveted around the NHL, and Buffalo has the requisite cap space to offer him the $4 million per season he is reportedly seeking. Höglander would be a good fit in the middle six for Buffalo, and would benefit from a change of scenery given his inability to find a consistent role.

The Canucks get significantly younger in this deal, potentially stabilizing the left side of the defence for years to come. Power is currently playing the right side in Buffalo, meaning the Canucks can deploy him as they see fit. He might have fallen out of favour under Lindy Ruff, but Power has the potential to be a top-pairing defender, and he turned 22 a couple of weeks ago. Hughes gives the Canucks something they do not have in great supply: a winger with scoring potential. There are players ahead of him in Buffalo, something he will not have in Vancouver outside of Brock Boeser. He would immediately slot into the Canucks’ top six and play valuable power-play minutes.

The trade might be a fantasy trade, but each player is uniquely fit to their new team and the deal accomplishes the goals of both. The new Sabres help immediately, and the new Canucks help the team get younger and more skilled.

Boston Bruins get:
F Kiefer Sherwood

Vancouver Canucks get:
2026 second-round pick

The concept of a fantasy trade is fun, but the chances of a trade like this happening are much higher.

Vancouver was said to be seeking a first-round pick for Sherwood given his cap hit and hot start to the season. However, he has scored one goal in the past 12 games, and is currently playing on the third line — where he would likely play on a contender. Sherwood’s physical play has earned him the “hard to play against” moniker, something that is valuable in the playoffs.

Boston is believed to have interest in Sherwood, a player who fits perfectly with the Bruins’ playoff style and someone who would aid in any playoff series against the likes of the Florida Panthers or Tampa Bay Lightning.

Of course when a player leaves Vancouver you get comparisons between the new club and the old club. And Hughes remarking about the Wild’s tremendous practice facility has open the old wound that there’s a lack of one in Vancouver, the only NHL team without a practice facility.

Another day, another mention of the Vancouver Canucks’ lack of a practice facility. As the last NHL team without a plan for a dedicated facility, with the Calgary Flames in the process of constructing one along with their new arena, Vancouver has become somewhat infamous for their practice structure — doing-so at Rogers Arena or UBC if their main venue is booked. The topic has garnered traction throughout various points of different seasons, including now, after former Canuck Quinn Hughes spoke on his new team’s practice facility.

“It’s a great facility, and I’m looking forward to nothing being new — just kind of not knowing where to park and where the entrance is and all that stuff,” Hughes said of the Minnesota Wild’s practice facility. “Yeah, it’s a beautiful facility for sure.”
This isn’t the first time a former Canuck has been asked about practice facilities. Former Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet made it clear that a practice facility was something he was hoping for in negotiations to stay in Vancouver. When he ultimately parted ways with the Canucks to join the Philadelphia Flyers as head coach back in May, he spoke excitedly about his new team’s practice setup.
“I walked around that facility (and) there’s so many tools to work with,” he said. “There’s three sheets of ice. Those are attractive things to help me be a better coach. I can’t speak for the past, all I know is what I see now and the people I deal with now and it excites me.” 

Up next is a Friday date with another former captain. Bo Horvat is leading the charge for the Islanders so much so that he’s in the conversation for Canada at the Olympics.

Vancouver Canucks (13-17-3, last in the Pacific Division, last in the NHL) vs. New York Islanders (19-12-3, second in the Metropolitan Division, seventh in the NHL)
Elmont, New York; Friday, 4 p.m.
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Islanders host the Vancouver Canucks trying to continue a five-game home winning streak.
New York is 19-12-3 overall and 10-6-2 at home. The Islanders have conceded 93 goals while scoring 99 for a +6 scoring differential.
Vancouver has gone 9-7-2 on the road and 13-17-3 overall. The Canucks have an 11-3-2 record in games they score at least three goals.
The matchup Friday is the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.
TOP PERFORMERS: Coquitlam’s Mathew Barzal has scored nine goals with 17 assists for the Islanders. Bo Horvat has five goals and one assist over the past 10 games.
Filip Hronek has two goals and 15 assists for the Canucks. Evander Kane has three goals and two assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Islanders: 6-3-1, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.9 assists, 2.8 penalties and 5.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.
Canucks: 4-5-1, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.6 assists, 4.1 penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

Check back for more Canucks news throughout the day …