Vancouver Canucks fans have been clamouring for a rebuild for some time, and only recently has management acknowledged that it is necessary to make this team a Stanley Cup contender. But traditional rebuilds rarely work.
Ask the fans of the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, and Chicago Blackhawks who have endured disappointment for a decade or longer. The Buffalo Sabres needed 14 years, the Anaheim Ducks eight years, and the Utah Mammoth/Arizona Coyotes 12 years just to make it back to the playoffs.
Even the “successful” rebuilds have not just relied on lottery draft picks. The Montreal Canadians, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Tampa Bay Lightning had tremendous luck in drafting core players in the second and third rounds.
So, will Canucks fans really tolerate a 9-12 year process that will likely be unsuccessful? Is luck really going to touch this organization? Does management really have the patience to follow through on a complete rebuild? Is ownership really willing to sacrifice revenue for this long?
For those of you who answered “no” to any of the above, do not fret. There is a way to accelerate the process and execute the one year rebuild. It starts with signing Connor Bedard to an offer sheet of 4yrs, $18M AAV.
Before you stop reading, let me address the “You imbecile! The Blackhawks will obviously match this offer” sentiments. For this to become reality, not only must Bedard become an RFA on July 1st, but he would have to want to play for the Canucks and leverage this in negotiations. Then, the Canucks must draft Gavin McKenna and retain their first-round picks from 2027-2030 as compensation for signing Bedard.
The length of the offer is the key as this makes the Blackhawks more vulnerable to losing him. Bedard will be an unrestricted free agent the earliest the CBA will allow. The Blackhawks will have only three years to convince him to stay with the organization or be forced to trade him. Is this enough time for them to build a perennial playoff team? What is his trade value with only one year remaining on his contract? How does this return compare to the compensatory four first-round picks they'd be getting from the Canucks? How would Bedard’s departure this off season affect their rebuild as compared to three years from now?
Why the Canucks might seriously consider this
Bedard fits the age of a core group of players on a rebuilding team. He is an elite right shot centre who was third in league scoring before suffering a shoulder injury in December. Since the Olympic break, he created more shot attempts, scoring chances, and high danger scoring chances than before his injury. All this while playing with rookie Ryan Greene and journeyman André Burakovsky. McKenna plays left wing and is the top prospect in this year’s draft whose exceptional vision, creativity, and hockey intelligence will complement Bedard perfectly. The two of them would be a lethal combination right from opening day.
The current roster lacks leadership. The captaincy is vacant. The locker room has a “culture problem”. Bedard has been “working toward becoming the voice and the heart” of the Blackhawks with his “elite work ethic, intense commitment to improvement, and spicy competitiveness". He would be the next captain of the Canucks.
“It was really bad” says Rutherford on the culture in the room before the deadline. Says what he’s seen since is the best it’s been since he’s been here. #Canucks
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) April 17, 2026
GMs have been reluctant to present offer sheets for fear of retribution. But with a growing salary cap and a roster with a limited number of high-end RFAs, the risk to the Canucks is minimal. If the Blackhawks match the offer sheet, the Canucks have simply manufactured a way of signing him as a UFA at the earliest possible time.
Why the Blackhawks might talk themselves into this
The Blackhawks have the cap space to match the dollar value of the offer therefore this strategy relies heavily on the length of the contract, and Bedard’s desire to play with the Canucks. With a four-year contract, the Blackhawks will have only three years to entice Bedard to re-sign, or they will have to trade him.
Bedard was drafted three years ago, and the Blackhawks have finished second-last in each of those years. Despite having 11 first-round draft picks in the last four years (three of them in the top three and four in the top ten), they have failed to surround him with a second line centre, a scoring winger, or a top pair defenceman.
Historically, teams that finish this poorly are still middling three years later. Unless they have a turnaround like the 2010-11 Avalanche, it’s unlikely they make the playoffs in the next three years. Why would Bedard want to re-sign with them after missing the playoffs for all six of his seasons with the club?
Season | Second last in the NHL | Three years later |
|---|---|---|
2010-11 | Colorado | 3rd |
2011-12 | Edmonton | 28th |
2012-13 | Colorado | 21st |
2013-14 | Florida | 23rd |
2014-15 | Arizona/Utah | 29th |
2015-16 | Edmonton | 25th |
2016-17 | Vancouver | 17th |
2017-18 | Ottawa | 23rd |
2018-19 | Los Angeles | 14th |
2019-20 | Ottawa | 21st |
2020-21 | Anaheim | 30th |
2021-22 | Arizona/Utha | 19th |
2022-23 | Columbus | 17th |
2023-24 | Chicago | TBD |
2024-25 | Chicago | TBD |
2025-26 | Chicago | TBD |
When Bedard chooses not to sign an extension, the Blackhawks would have to trade him. Almost every team would be interested in acquiring Bedard but without a guarantee of an extension, what is his trade value? The Quinn Hughes trade is the best comparable.
Hughes was arguably the best or second-best player at his position and had 1.5 years remaining on his contract before becoming a UFA. The Wild traded Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium and a 2026 first-round pick for him despite not knowing if he would sign long term with them. In three years, Bedard will be elite but is not likely to reach the stature of Hughes. Therefore, the maximum he would return the Blackhawks is a package of similar asset value. The four unprotected first round picks from the Canucks are a far more attractive return for Bedard considering the potential of the 2027 and 2028 picks being very early first rounders.
Despite a lackluster draft record since 2018, the Blackhawks have the second highest ranked prospect pool and have 12 more picks in the first and second rounds over the next three years. The Blackhawks having to trade Bedard in 2029 will be a massive setback for their franchise. It is far easier to reset their rebuild now, bolstered by the additional four first round picks. Kyle Davidson, the Blackhawks GM, just signed a multiyear contract extension. Having to trade Bedard in three years would be an abject failure of his management team. So, by not matching the offer sheet, he can blame Bedard for “wanting to leave”, can use the treasure trove of draft picks to market the future, and has the time to make up for his own ineptitudes to date.
Why Connor Bedard would love this idea
The only team worse than the Blackhawks this year is the Vancouver Canucks. But there are cornerstone pieces on the Canucks that are not on the Blackhawks. Elias Pettersson, Marco Rossi, and Filip Chytil are all second-line centres, Zeev Buium alongside Hronek has the potential to develop into a very impactful top defensive pair. And do not forget Mckenna will be playing on his wing.
Bedard was born and raised in North Vancouver and is where he still calls home. He has been a hardcore Canucks fan his entire life and still has a collection of Canucks merchandise that he kept after being drafted by a different team. He’s probably dreamed of wearing a Canucks jersey and winning a Stanley Cup for his hometown. Even the mightiest of Gods would envy the heights of reverence Bedard would reach if he brought a championship to this market.
Canucks fans would love this
Despite the history of multiple failures, there is still widespread belief that there are no shortcuts that lead to an effective rebuild. But if the traditional way of rebuilding has proven to be largely ineffective, organizations need to start thinking differently. The Canucks bottoming out at the same time as Bedard becoming a restricted free agent presents an opportunity to do something unorthodox and unconventional; an opportunity to acquire two franchise-defining players in the same off-season and execute the one-year rebuild.
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