After a noisy deadline, Vancouver stays quiet
Friday was the NHL Trade Deadline and while the Canucks had 13.5 million in cap space and are battling for a wildcard spot, they neither bought or sold. The only move they made this deadline was when Vancouver traded defenceman Carson Soucy to the New York Rangers for San Jose’s third round pick, a move seen as making room for Elias Pettersson (the defenceman).
A player that was surprisingly not dealt was Brock Boeser, who is a pending UFA who is looking for a massive raise. With extension talks at an impasse and the exorbitant prices other NHL teams made for wingers, many thought Boeser was on the move. However, Patrik Allvin and the management chose to stand pat.
Another player many thought would be traded was Pius Suter. Suter, a player described as a Swiss army knife (and not just because he’s Swiss), is having a career year for the team with 19 goals and is on pace for 38 points. The team perhaps could’ve gotten at least a pick for the 28 year old pending UFA.
Outside the Canucks, the Edmonton Oilers made some big splashes such as acquiring Trent Federic to add to the forward depth and Jake Walman to add to their defensive corps (and who can also hit the griddy). The team looks poised to go on another cup run.
Another contender that just got stronger is the Dallas Stars who acquired Mikko Rantanen and signed him to an extension worth 96 million dollars over 8 years. This comes after the Carolina acquired the Finn from Colorado earlier this year in a stunning trade (which would’ve been the biggest trade of the year so far had it not been for Nico Harrison).
With the trade deadline providing no clear direction where the team is heading, the Canucks will likely remain in the playoff hunt and if Quinn Hughes can come back healthy, have a good shot at making the postseason. However, what they will do in said postseason is an open question.
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