#3. Ducks turn to Canucks for help
The Anaheim Ducks have been one of the worst teams in hockey for some time now, and there’s a reason for that. They just lack talent all over the ice, and scooping up Garland for the low can immediately help alleviate the pressure on their young stars.
The Ducks are one of the few teams that can afford to take on Garland right away, and they’ll be fine in the future when Ilya Lyubushkin and Jakob Silfverberg’s contracts will expire. The Ducks also have three third-round picks in the 2024 draft, so they shouldn’t really be opposed to losing a fourth here.
Likewise, the Canucks will be happy to acquire their third fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft whilst being able to move that salary for peanuts. There’s no guarantee Anaheim are actively trying to improve on their basement-dweller status, but it also wouldn’t make sense to continuously throw their top prospects to the wolves and stunt their growth.