Canucks ‘not against’ moving Conor Garland: report

With the Vancouver Canucks transitioning toward a rebuild, most of their veterans have been linked to possible trade rumours. While most of those players have some sort of trade protection, one has yet to kick in: Conor Garland.

However, most of the conversation surrounding Garland has focused on how much the organization likes him and his impact in the locker room, and on their preference to hold onto him throughout the rebuild. But according to Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal, the Canucks’ view on the matter may have shifted:

“I’ve got more and more people telling me that the Canucks are now open to moving Conor Garland. That wasn’t the case for weeks and weeks. Teams were calling on Garland; Canucks really didn’t want to move him, but were listening. Now, there seems to be a shift, and I’m hearing the Canucks are not against moving Garland.”

Garland, 29, was acquired along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson from the Arizona Coyotes in the summer of 2021, in exchange for Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, a 2021 first-round pick (Dylan Guenther), a 2022 second-round pick (traded), and a 2023 third-round pick (traded). Fans viewed this trade as one of the worst in franchise history, but Garland was the lone bright spot in the move.

In his first four seasons with the Canucks, Garland was consistent, scoring between 46 and 52 points each year, topping out with 20 goals in a memorable 2023-24 season. He made up one-third of the Canucks’ third line with Dakota Joshua and Teddy Blueger, providing solid depth and contributing to the team’s first Pacific Division title.

That postseason, Garland scored some big goals, including the game-winning goal in Game 1’s comeback over the Edmonton Oilers, and two third-period goals that nearly sparked comebacks in Games 4 and 7.

The Scituate, Massachusetts native was rewarded with a contract extension as soon as he became extension-eligible on July 1 this past summer. He signed a six-year, $36 million contract that carries an average annual value of $6 million. Garland’s contract includes a full no-movement clause in years 1-3 and a 15-team modified no-trade list in years 4-6.

This season, Garland has seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points through 46 games, while averaging 19:12 minutes of ice time. While he’s battled through various injuries this season, Garland is still on an 82-game pace of 45 points – close to his totals throughout the first four years in Vancouver.

If Garland is not traded by March 6’s Trade Deadline, the Canucks will have another two-month window to move the player if they want to do so before his trade protection kicks in.