Report: Canucks Tied To Brett Kulak In Suggested Trade Proposal

While the Edmonton Oilers talk trade with teams on Brett Kulak and Cody Ceci in order to be able to match the offer sheets for one or both of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, there's a suggestion that rival front offices will be trying to squeeze the Oilers for a top draft pick in order take on one of their excess d-men.

But Patrick Johnston in the Vancouver Province suggests that the Canucks could offer the Oilers a different way out, saving them that draft pick:

The Vancouver Canucks could offer up an alternative. Rather than demanding a pick, they could ask Edmonton to take the Tucker Poolman contract off their hands. Poolman hasn’t played since January 2023 because of migraines and isn’t expected to play again.

It wouldn't be a big burden for the Oilers, since they could just place Poolman and his expiring $2.5 million salary on LTIR, saving themselves that cap space.

Kulak would be the player they'd be looking to take off Edmonton's hands as part of this transaction. The 30-year-old blueliner is an Edmonton native, but he also spent a few years in Vancouver, with the Western Hockey League's Giants. It's a long time ago, to be sure, but he had some solid seasons there in junior, racking up 60 points in 69 games in his final year with the Giants in 2013-14.

Since then, the 6'2" d-man has been a decent top-six blueline option in the NHL for the Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, and the Oilers, averaging over 16 minutes a game over his 10-year career.

Johnston figures that Kulak would be a "marginal" upgrade on the Canucks' third pair over Derek Forbort.

As for the Oilers, the latest word from insider Elliotte Friedman is that they're quite likely to match only one of the offer sheets.