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Patrik Allvin has been one of the busiest GMs in the NHL since the calendar flipped to 2025 and with the trade deadline right around the corner, the Vancouver Canucks could be quite active on the market.
We're officially two weeks away from the National Hockey League's trade deadline for the 2024-25 season and Patrik Allvin has already made some big moves, dealing J.T. Miller to the Rangers and acquiring Marcus Pettersson from Pittsburgh both in the same evening in late January.
Vancouver Canucks' trade needs revealed by insider
In a video on TSN.ca on Friday, Farhan Lalji shared that the Vancouver Canucks have two needs heading into the trade deadline on March 7th - center depth and scoring help on the wing.
'So with that said, what are the Canucks' needs heading into the deadline? Well they need some offense, especially without Pettersson and if you'd have asked me prior to the Miller trade, I would have suggested this team needs defense. But the addition of Marcus Pettersson has certainly stabilized Vancouver's top-four on the blueline.' Lalji said.He added, 'So with Pettersson and Chytil, maybe the need is for some center depth. But they could also use some assistance on the wings. You've got Brock Boeser, who's a pending unrestricted free agent. So there is some concern about what his future is going to look like. The club and Boeser haven't really engaged in significant contract discussions, so will they potentially move on from Boeser? Well given the fact that this team needs offense, they are ranked 23rd right now in the league in terms of goals per game. Boeser can give them that. Essentially their built-in rental. So it doesn't make sense to move on from him, but it also doesn't make sense to let him walk away on July 1st, so it'll be interesting to see what happens there.
The biggest need for the Canucks right now, find some offense for this team, that even in the last four games heading into the break when they were 3-0-1, averaged just two goals per game in regulation.'
There are a number of solid options available on the market right now, according to TSN's Trade Bait Board, that Patrik Allvin and the Vancouver Canucks should consider over the next couple of weeks, all of whom will come at varying costs.
In terms of depth down the middle, Ryan Donato of the Chicago Blackhawks, Jake Evans of the Montreal Canadiens, Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins and Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders are all potential fits for the Vancouver Canucks.
As for the wing, there aren't many scoring options available that won't either cost an arm and a leg, or have too much money and term attached.
The most notable scoring winger on the market right now is Rickard Rakell of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but Nashville's Gustav Nyqvist, who's coming off a career-year in 2023-24 and is a pending UFA, could be another option for Patrik Allvin.
It's going to be a busy two weeks around the National Hockey League and it'll be interesting to see what Patrik Allvin and the Vancouver Canucks have up their sleeve before 12 pm PT on March 7th.
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