On the heels of trading Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars, the Vancouver Canucks are trading forward Conor Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Pending trade call, Connor Garland is being traded to Columbus in exchange for a 2nd RD pick and 3rd RD pick
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 6, 2026
In return the Canucks will receive Columbus' second-round pick in 2028 and a third-round pick in 2026, and they will not retain any salary.
This clearly signifies that no player on the Canucks is trade exempt, and that Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin and the rest of the Canucks front office see no issue with gutting the current roster, as Garland has a new six-year contract extension set to begin next season that Allvin just signed him to last July.
Garland is currently in the final year of the original 5-year $24.75 million contract that former Canucks General Manager Jim Benning signed him to in 2021, but with the Canucks set on overhauling their roster and plunging into a rebuild, talented players who can fill a depth role like Garland are expendable as they are in demand by teams who are trying to contend.
Much like the rest of the team, Garland’s production has suffered since Quinn Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild, totalling just 10 points in 25 games since the trade, and 16 points in 25 games prior to the trade.
Garland will have a tremendous opportunity with the Blue Jackets, as they have been on fire since hiring Rick Bowness to be their new head coach on January 13th and are currently just 1 point out of a playoff spot.
Garland will be 30 next week, and while he is currently averaging a career high in minutes, he will likely be more of a complimentary piece on Columbus as his mix of grit and skill should be a strong fit on a team that does not revolve around a few superstars and focuses on hard work and playing detail oriented hockey.