What the Canucks’ recent additions says about their trade deadline plans

With the recent additions of both Travis Boyd and Jimmy Vesey, the Vancouver Canucks will have a surplus of forwards once the team gets healthier.

At full strength, the Lotto Line will most likely get reunited while Bo Horvat centres the second line between Nils Hoglander and Tanner Pearson. Where things get interesting, however, is the team’s bottom six.

More from The Canuck Way

• Which team won the Bo Horvat trade?
• What to expect from newcomers Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty
• Back to the future: How the skate uniforms became a regular Canucks’ feature night
• Canucks kick off 2023 with disappointing 6-2 loss to Islanders
• 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg

As it currently stands, there are 10 players vying for the remaining six spots in the lineup: Vesey, Boyd, Adam Gaudette, Jake Virtanen, Brandon Sutter, Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Zack MacEwen, Jayce Hawrluk, and Tyler Motte.

Now, one of the reasons that this logjam was created is due to injuries. But make no mistake, signing Vesey and Boyd while already having a plethora of bottom-six players means that the Canucks are ready to sell at the trade deadline.

Even with him sidelined, the big fish is still Pearson. Meanwhile, we all know how much Vancouver would like to find Virtanen a new home, and now there’s been reports that Sutter might have suitors around the league too.

Those are the three players most likely to be dealt, but the chances that all of them are gone in a few weeks’ time is still slim. Outside of those names, I don’t see any of the other skaters being dealt anytime soon. Boyd and Vesey just joined the team and the remaining players either have negative value due to bloated contracts (Roussel and Beagle) or are cheap and more valuable to the Canucks than whatever they might fetch in a trade (MacEwen, Gaudette, Hawryluk and Motte).

Another factor that will create additional trade buzz is Canada’s recent change in quarantine policy, as foreigners are only required to isolate for one week now instead of two.

So with Vancouver’s logjam of forwards and the lighter quarantine policy, it seems like the team is headed towards selling a number of their players by the trade deadline. The current bye week will also allow injured players to heal and return to the lineup, which creates even more urgency to get some deals done and open up the roster space required for returning skaters.

But what do you think, Canucks fans? Does the team’s recent additions signal that they’ll be sellers at the trade deadline? Let us know in the comments below!