Canucks Trade Buzz Explodes as Olympic Freeze Lifts

The Vancouver Canucks are expected to be busy once the NHL’s Olympic trade freeze is lifted Sunday night, even if nothing is imminent.

According to Thomas Dance of The AthleticVancouver currently does not have a deal lined up to be announced when the freeze ends at 8:59 PM PT. That said, the club is described as a ‘motivated seller’, with trade talks expected to intensify during the afternoon and evening.

With the March 6 trade deadline quickly approaching, rumors are swirling that a number of teams have trades in the hopper, ready to be announced as soon as the NHL allows clubs to resume business. Several Canucks have resurfaced in the league, most notably Elias Pettersson and Evander Kane.

Look for a push to move Evander Kane

Kane has been publicly available for weeks, but the market seems weak. Rick Dhaliwal reported on CHEK TV’s Donnie & Dhali that there is some interest in the 34-year-old winger, mentioning the Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles Kings as possible combinations. However, Drance later characterized the trade market for Kane as “virtually non-existent,” even with salary retained at his $5.15 million cap hit.

Kane has nine goals and 25 points this season, and while his underlying numbers suggest he can still lead the offense, contenders may be hesitant to pay for inconsistent production. There is also speculation that if no trade is achieved, more creative solutions – including contract termination – could be explored, although nothing concrete has been reported.

Pettersson, meanwhile, continues to be discussed in trade talks. During the Olympic break, there was talk that Los Angeles could see him as a potential replacement for injured winger Kevin Fiala. Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times and Ben Kuzma of The Province both noted increased interest from King.

However, Pettersson’s limited use in Sweden’s 2-1 loss to the United States, just nine minutes, with no shifts after the second period, likely raised questions for NHL teams potentially eyeing him. If he is dealing with some kind of injury, teams will hesitate. But if he’s healthy and there’s just no play, how will he be able to take a step further in the playoffs if he’s not on the biggest international stage in existence?

If Vancouver were to seriously consider moving him, Pettersson would have to waive his no-move clause.

Besides the top names, pending unrestricted free agents Teddy Blueger and David Kämpf could be the Canucks’ most realistic trade chips. Both have played important roles for their national teams at the Olympics and profile themselves as defensive depth centers who are attractive to contenders.

With the freeze ending Sunday and the deadline looming, Vancouver’s trajectory should soon come into sharper focus.

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