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Vancouver Canucks Face A Crucial Decision With Another Young Talent After Trading Arturs Silovs

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 19, 2025 10:54 AM ET

Arturs Silovs was traded by Vancouver for not having a roster spot, and now, the team need to make a decision on Linus Karlsson for the exact same reason as he has shown promise but has yet struggled to win a spot on the NHL roster.

The Vancouver Canucks have made several big moves this summer, including adding Evander Kane via trade, but their latest one was one that frustrated some fans, as the team moved Calder Cup Playoffs MVP Artus Silovs for a potentially underwhelming return.

Simply put, there was no room on the roster for Silovs with both Kevin Lankinen and Thatcher Demko locked in long-term, and now, the team are seemingly headed towards the same resolution with another player.

According to Jeff Marek, the team face a tough decision on 25-year old centre Linus Karlsson, who has managed to play in just 27 games at the NHL level over the past two seasons.

This comes despite scoring 99 points in his last 92 games at the NHL level for the Abbotsford Canucks, but with the team already playing Elias Pettersson, Filip Chytil, Aatu Raty and Teddy Blueger down the middle, there just doesn't appear to be room for Karlsson.

The former third-round pick of the San Jose Sharks has shown promise at the AHL level, but thus far simply hasn't gotten a significant chance in the NHL, and while Marek mentions the team trying to slip him through waivers, a 25-year old with talent like this likely wouldn't pass through.

Ultimately, the big decision will be whether or not the team should trade him or give him a chance on the fourth line somewhere, so now, we wait to see how this all plays out in Vancouver.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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