Vancouver Canucks Rumours: Dan Hamhuis Has his Future in his Hands

As the Vancouver Canucks are approaching the NHL trade deadline, Dan Hamhuis is a player who is most frequently mentioned in rumours.

Are the Vancouver Canucks buying or selling at this year’s trade deadline? We don’t know. We can’t know. Not even Jim Benning can. Because both Radim Vrbata and Dan Hamhuis, the club’s most valuable trade baits, will have a word in this conversation.

The reason why Dan Hamhuis has a full no-trade clause in his contract should be clear. He wants to stay where he is. Or, since he signed his six-year contract extension in 2010 and can’t have known what will be in six years, he wants to decide when he will go where and whether he will go at all. After all, he turned down big offers to land with the Canucks.

Hamhuis was born and grew up in the small town of Smithers, British Columbia, roughly 200 miles West of Prince George and 400 miles Northwest of Vancouver. He spent his junior career with the Prince George Cougars and is part of the group that purchased the Western Hockey League club in 2014. But, life’s a b*tch — so Hamhuis was drafted by the Nashville Predators 12th overall in 2001.

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The 6-foot-1, 210-pound defenceman played in Nashville for six seasons and became an NHL star, but his team failed to make it past the first playoff with Hamhuis on their blue line. So, in 2010, Hamhuis wanted change. He wanted to win a Stanley Cup — and he also wanted to make life as good and easy as possible for his family. The move to Vancouver only made sense.

At the time, the Canucks were an absolute force in the NHL’s Northwest Division. They won the division title in four of the past six seasons and were only getting better — Dan Hamhuis was going to make the team better.

In his first season with the club, Hamhuis and the Canucks made the Stanley Cup Finals after winning the Western Conference Championship and the President’s Trophy as the NHL’s best team. We all know how that playoff run ended. Still, Hamhuis found success in Vancouver, he became an Olympic gold medal winner with Team Canada as a Canuck, and Vancouver is the place he and his family call home.

Today, the Canucks are falling far out of playoff contention and Hamhuis’ future is uncertain. Not only because he is in the final year of his six-year contract that seemed to last forever when it was first signed, but also because Hamhuis is the main piece of Canucks trade rumours heading toward the deadline.

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Luckily, Hamhuis got that no-trade clause included in his deal. Today, it is all about his priorities. No matter what Benning wants to do with him, it is Dan Hamhuis — and only him — who gets to decide what happens.

For Hamhuis, staying in Vancouver would make total sense. As said above, it is the place he calls home, it is a beautiful city to live in, and his family is a factor as well. However, no one can tell me a player like Hamhuis would accept to end his career without a Stanley Cup ring without trying everything he can to get one.

There are several possible destinations out there, too. The most important one: the Washington Capitals. Whether it was insiders or fans who first came up with the idea, Hamhuis and the Caps have often been mentioned in the same sentence. Washington has been sitting in first place in the league for a while now, and they are one of the biggest Stanley Cup favourites.

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• Which team won the Bo Horvat trade?
• What to expect from newcomers Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty
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• Canucks kick off 2023 with disappointing 6-2 loss to Islanders
• 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg

Washington has been sitting in first place in the league for a while now, and they are one of the biggest Stanley Cup favourites. Their defence is already pretty well set, which is one of the reasons why they are in their current position, but an experienced leader like Hamhuis could definitely help in the pursuit of the Cup. Other teams, like the Boston Bruins — yes, the Bruins — could be interested as well.

If Benning decided he wants to trade Hamhuis, that would most likely indicate that Hamhuis would not be re-signed for the next season. In that case, Hamhuis might as well go to Washington, Boston or wherever the hell else, and make a push at the Stanley Cup — that’s what players live for.

Still, if Hamhuis values home and family higher than career success, so be it. He could finish the season with the Canucks, perhaps even hope to re-sign with the club. If that doesn’t work out, the Calgary Flames or Edmonton Oilers could be interested in signing him for next season. Those are the next-closest teams to home, and both have enough talent on their roster to make a serious push at the Stanley Cup in the next three years or

If that doesn’t work out, the Calgary Flames or Edmonton Oilers could be interested in signing him for next season. Those are the next-closest teams to home, and both have enough talent on their roster to make a serious push at the Stanley Cup in the next three years or so, if they can get rid of their weaknesses. Especially the Oilers are in desperate need of veteran help on the blue line.

Quo vadis, Dan?

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What do you think will happen with Dan Hamhuis and the Vancouver Canucks? Let us know in the comments below!