Cost For Canucks' Top Trade Target Revealed

If the Vancouver Canucks want to try to trade for Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel, they're going to have to pay up. At the same time, the cost probably isn't as bad as some might have previously thought.

Per Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal, that trade cost for Guentzel is going to run the team a first-round pick, a top prospect, and a roster player. The first-rounder is to be expected, as is the roster player. In terms of roster players, though, who do the Canucks have that would make sense for both them and the Penguins? Andrei Kuzmenko and Nils Hoglander are two players whose names have been perpetuated in trade rumors all season long.

In terms of top prospects, the Canucks don't have many. Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Tom Willander are most certainly off the table. Vasily Podkolzin has some NHL experience and could work for an extremely old Penguins team, while Arshdeep Bains seems to be knocking on the door for his opportunity in the NHL. I can't imagine the Canucks would be thrilled to give either of those two away, but hockey is a business, and you have to give in order to get.

On the other hand, there's still debate as to whether or not a Canucks trade for Guentzel makes any sense. Among the players Vancouver will need to re-sign are Elias Pettersson, Filip Hronek, Nikita Zadorov, Dakota Joshua, Sam Lafferty, and Casey DeSmith. If Guentzel does receive a big raise from the Canucks in the summer and stays with the team, that means Vancouver is making multiple sacrifices elsewhere on their roster. With the Oliver Ekman-Larsson buyout further restricting their cap flexibility starting in 2024-25, that might not be the smartest move with respect to long-term success.

Dhaliwal was careful to note that Guentzel and his agent were taking things slow as the trade deadline creeps closer. It will be interesting to see how things play out should the Canucks or Penguins slip up in their playoff races.