NHL Rumors: 2 Vancouver Canucks Trade Candidates

No team in the league has heard from trade rumors this season than the Vancouver Canucks. Once Jim Rutherford took over as president of the hockey club, the rumor mills blew up and it's been so bad, several of the Canucks players and coaches have addressed the chatter in the media. While Rutherford won't be trading away all of his core, look for these two Canucks to move before March 21:

Brock Boeser

The 25-year-old winger started very slow this season and some started to question his future in Vancouver. Boeser's managed to turn it around this year and sits with 34 points in 53 games so far in 2021-22. The biggest reason why Boeser will be moved is due to his huge $7.5 million qualifying offer he's due next offseason and the fact Rutherford and company are trying to create cap flexibility moving forward.

Chris Johnston on Sportscentre says Brock Boeser is the most likely #Canucks player to be traded. There is interest in Garland but he still has term left which makes it a little more difficult. Miller has a year left so it's not urgent to move him at the deadline.
— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) March 9, 2022

So far the Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens are leading the sweepstakes and look for multiple pieces to be heading back to the Canucks in any deal, which will likely include a first-round pick and top prospect.

Tanner Pearson

While Conor Garland and J.T Miller have heard their names in trade buzz, it's Pearson that's more likely to be moved. Rutherford has already traded for Pearson and dealt him once as he was traded to the Canucks from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Erik Gudbranson. Pearson is a trade candidate because the fact he's signed at $3.25 million annually and could be an attractive piece for other teams. The kicker here is the fact this season he holds a full no-trade clause. Any trade will need his approval, meanwhile next season his protection goes down to only a seven team list. If he's not dealt by the March 21 deadline, he'll be moved next summer. In 55 games the 29-year-old has recorded 28 points and could find himself back in the eastern conference for a playoff run post-deadline.

Photo credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports