With a crucial 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks Wednesday night, the Vancouver Canucks are again showing signs of life as their push for a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs rages on. At the same time, it's hard to ignore Friday's NHL trade deadline, which looms large, especially over the Canucks.
You have a longtime Canuck like Brock Boeser trying not to think about playing for another team and failing to get a contract extension done. Defenceman Carson Soucy is a hot topic in NHL trade chatter, while Pius Suter, Nils Hoglander, and even Derek Forbort all have uncertain futures in Vancouver.
Soucy, 30, scored his fourth goal of the season, assisted by Hoglander, in the second period of the Canucks' win against the Ducks, and it also happened to be the game-winner. Suter was fifth amongst Canucks forwards in total ice time, while Forbort was fourth amongst Canucks defencemen in total ice time.
Boeser picked up the primary assist on Jake DeBrusk's second-period power play goal, which could plausibly be his last as a Canucks player. Ironically, the Canucks play Boeser's hometown team, the Minnesota Wild, on Friday night, but the 7 p.m. puck drop will take place well after the 12 p.m. trade deadline.
Despite their win against the Ducks, the Canucks still remain outside of a wildcard playoff spot in the Western Conference, as the Calgary Flames currently own the regulation wins tiebreaker (Calgary 23, Vancouver 22). That's as close as things are going to get, and with their next game coming after the deadline, the Canucks can no longer buy themselves time to make a decision on key players like Boeser.
If Patrik Allvin, Jim Rutherford, and Co. choose to sell at the trade deadline, their top trade chips performed well in what could have been their final hurrah in Vancouver on Wednesday night.