VANCOUVER — A tightly contested playoff picture left the Vancouver Canucks quiet as the NHL’s trade deadline passed on Friday.
The cost of bringing in new faces was high, while other teams around the league weren’t willing to meet the Canucks’ ask for players, said general manager Patrik Allvin.
“Definitely was an interesting market and some of the moves here,” he said. “And the reason, the biggest reason, I felt that we didn’t do any moves here today was that there was not a whole lot of market return on our players, unfortunately. That didn’t really make sense for us.”
Vancouver (28-22-11) remains in the playoff race, as one of four teams chasing the Western Conference’s second wild-card berth.
Where the club sits in the standings may have complicated deadline talks, Allvin said.
“If we would have positioned ourselves a little bit better, that definitely would have made it easier,” he said. “I guess the market is always tough to read, but with so many teams still involved (in the playoff race), you could see some of the players that got moved, the prices were high.”
The lone deal the Canucks made ahead saw veteran defenceman Carson Soucy shipped to the New York Rangers Thursday for a third-round pick in this summer’s draft.
It follows a big move the team made on Jan. 31 when Allvin shipped star centre J.T. Miller to the Rangers.
The deal also sent defenceman Erik Brannstrom and defensive prospect Jackson Dorrington to New York, while the Canucks received centre Filip Chytil, defenceman Victor Mancini and a conditional first-round draft pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft.
Hours later, the Canucks flipped the pick in yet another transaction. Along with the selection, the team dealt forward Danton Heinen, blueliner Vincent Desharnais and the rights to forward Melvin Fernstrom to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenceman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor.
Pettersson and O’Connor have since signed extensions with the Canucks.
“I think they’re starting to fit in really well on and off the ice, starting to understand how (head coach Rick Tocchet) wants to play and what their roles are, continue to build chemistry,” Allvin said of the additions.
Trade rumours have swirled around several of Vancouver’s players in recent weeks, including sniper Brock Boeser, who’s set to become a free agent on July 1.
The 28-year-old right-winger has 18 goals and 19 assists in 54 games for the Canucks this season, well below the career highs he posted in goals (40) and points (73) during the 2023-24 campaign.
Conversations with Boeser and his agent have been taking place all season, Allvin said, but a deal hasn’t been within reach.
While other teams made offers for Boeser leading up to the deadline, there weren’t any Vancouver was willing to accept, he added.
“It’s definitely not a surprise, I don’t think for either one of us, that Brock is still here,” Allvin said. “I would imagine that Brock is extremely hungry to finish off strong here and prove that he is a good player in this league. And we will continue to talk.”
With 21 games left in the regular season, the Canucks are hoping Boeser — and his teammates — can rediscover their offensive prowess and help push the team into the playoffs.
Finding some consistency will be key, Allvin said.
“I do think that this group is talented enough, and has shown in different games against different opponents, good ones and bad ones, that we’re capable of playing really good hockey,” he said.
The Canucks’ underlying numbers in recent games have been promising, the GM added, but goal scoring remains a challenger.
“I think in terms of defending, in terms of the details, that hopefully will pay off down the stretch here,” he said. “It’s coming along really well, and then hopefully we can be a little bit more creative and get some puck luck, too.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
