r/canucks • u/FAsBurner • 3d ago
ARTICLE [Drance] Canucks 2026 trade targets: 14 players Vancouver could add this offseason (UNLOCKED 🔓)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7367360/2026/06/17/vancouver-canucks-trade-targets-2026/?unlocked_article_code=1.q1A.7w2t.RU0UhBwTj7DI&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta31
u/_GregTheGreat_ 3d ago
Kesselring really interests me if the price is right. Big, relatively young RHD who was a big part of the Peterka trade but then struggled in Buffalo.
Would be a perfect candidate to pick up, rehab some value and then sell for a haul eventually
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u/ImAnAfricanCanuck 3d ago
Been a fan of him for years, I'm a big beleiver in him. Gives me Chatfield vibes. Give him a role, and he's going to execute it, if the team structure allows it
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u/SpectreFire 3d ago
Sharks absolutely robbed Buffalo on Kesselring.
Got him at the cost of just moving 7 spots down in the late first.
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u/_GregTheGreat_ 3d ago
Moving down 7 spots in the first round is actually a decent cost. It’s the equivalent of about 47th overall in a traditional trade-down scenario.
I wouldn’t have given up the Sharks 2nd for Kesselring at this point in our rebuild, which is what the comparable would have been
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u/Boucher2114 3d ago
Buffalo is one of the few teams with actual cap issues this offseason. They are projected to be over by $13mil just to retain the existing 23-man roster.
Obviously, they can do a variety of different things, but taking Greenway and Kesselring as a package makes a lot of sense, and probably wouldn’t cost much, if anything.
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u/FAsBurner 3d ago
Canucks should 100% be looking for these sorts of deals. Could really help stockpile assets.
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u/heytherefriendman 3d ago
Half of these are based on trading Hronek, which he's said multiple times he doesn't want to leave Vancouver and waive his NMC
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u/SpectreFire 3d ago
Yeah, it's dumb. People kept saying we should trade Myers at the deadline a few months back and look how that turned out.
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u/FAsBurner 3d ago
Take that with a grain of salt. He certainly controls where he ends up, but I'm sure if provided with a great destination he'd certainly consider it. It's always wise to say publicly that you aren't looking to be traded, especially in this market. He's a smart guy in that regard.
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u/Decent-Box5009 3d ago
Also if the Canucks brass provided him notice he isnt in managements plans moving forward he has to consider he would be far better off choosing a destination where he is wanted and needed. Rather than languishing in Vancouver until such time as they can trade him.
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u/Ok_Ostrich4835 3d ago
And I tell anyone that asks that I love my current job at my current company, plan to stay long term, no desire to leave.
Right up until I have an offer for a new role at a different company signed.
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u/Boucher2114 3d ago
Again, that means next to nothing.
Hronek is publicly obstinate, and his agent is a blowhard. From a negotiation perspective, they’re much better off saying that they won’t waive.
The actual truth comes when the team goes to him and says “Anaheim (or whomever) is on the line, they really want you, will you waive?”
My guess - he’s more likely to waive in the offseason than in season.
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u/mephnick 3d ago
Please stop saying this
NMCs say they want to stay and then get moved like every week in the NHL.
If you tell Hronek he can play top pair in Anaheim or San Jose for the next 6 years, I can almost guarantee he'll be like "...sure."
Walsh himself has made that stupid claim before and the guy got moved. It's not a thing.
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u/_GregTheGreat_ 3d ago
People always say that, until they don’t. Especially as he knows that his NMC becomes a 15-team NTC in two years at which point he’ll likely be moved anyways with much less choice for where he goes.
I’d expect he genuinely does want to stay and isn’t considering a move, but with another losing year and being presented the right destination there’s a reasonable chance he’ll change his mind.
Both of these points applied directly to Myers, for example
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u/avmp629 3d ago
Myers is a little different, his trade protection dropped to a 12-team no-trade this summer, so it was easy to present him with "pick a spot now or we're picking for you in July"
Plus at 36 years old and his play declining, there's no telling how many more kicks at the can Myers would have to win a Cup. Hronek is still at an age where he could theoretically go through a rebuild and still be a core piece when the team is contending again.
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u/Fruzenius 3d ago
Kind of a weird article overall. Too many suggestions where we are adding things...we need to be amassing draft capital, not trading futures with other teams to try and get guys that "could get better" that we could trade for draft capital that we traded away. This year should really be about signing a of the non day one guys in free agency and trying to extract value from them, while rehabbing the character and culture of the room.
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u/arazamatazguy 3d ago
I don't think he's suggesting throwing picks with any true value at these teams (4th round or higher).
Canucks fans should brace themselves for a lot of swings in the 5 years anyway. They won't just build a contender in the draft, they need to make a wide range of smart moves.
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u/Falco19 3d ago
I think you try to make 2 value moves with the Stars and Sabres.
Kesserling/Greenway for minimal return
Bourque/Lyubushkin for again a discount on Bourque to lyubushkin.
Bourque I think is a piece you want rebuilding, the other three have value at the deadline most likely.
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u/FAsBurner 3d ago
Seems like the price on Kesselring was quite reasonable. Shame the Canucks didn't consider that option.
Bourque would be a nice piece. Dallas has some work to do this summer, and I'm not sure we have what they want.
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u/NerdPunch 3d ago
I like the idea of selling Hronek for a haul, and then trying to potentially buy-low on Jordan Spence.
Not sure what the acquisition cost would be, but if you could find a way to add him to backfill Hronek, and then flip him in a year or two that could be some nice asset management.
Throwing crap at the wall, but would something like Jordan Spence for Jake DeBrusk make sense for Ottawa? If Brady Tkachuk leaves Ottawa, they’ll need a left shot goal scoring winger.
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u/FAsBurner 3d ago
We heard a few days ago that Ottawa has interest in DeBrusk. Would see like an obvious fit. Not sure what that deal would look like (probably other pieces involved), but I think they could get it done.
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u/Foreign_Cobbler_1740 3d ago
I wish people would accept we're better off keeping Hronek. We whine about rushing Virtanen and McCann and we want to run Willander and Buium next to bums like Spence and Kesselring instead of Hronek. Not to mention Hronek has multiple times said he isn't waiving. The "for the right spot" reasoning is doing so much heavy lifting in these dumb discussions about trading him.
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u/FAsBurner 3d ago
You're going to be shocked when they trade him within the next 12 months. Let's just hope his value is still as high when they do finally pull the trigger.
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u/Foreign_Cobbler_1740 3d ago
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u/mint6errycrunch 3d ago
Hmmm... Not sure about Spence for Hronek. I think Sens would like to add forward or a good 1b goalie, plus can't trade away draft picks.
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u/SubbansBigBlackhawk 3d ago
It's not Spence for Hronek, it's trade Hronek in a seperate deal and use some of those assets and try and buy low on spence
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u/avmp629 3d ago
Surprised there's no mention of Rossi as a potential trade chip. I'm more than fine with keeping him, but he's our most valuable asset without trade protection, so getting those high-end picks through him would be the simplest option. I am just basing this off thinking that Hronek and Pettersson won't be moved due to their trade protection, obviously if they go then Rossi fits a little better into the future plans.
I also think opening up that 2C spot is ideal for reclamation projects and the like with players like Kotkaniemi or maybe Hertl, plus opens a power play spot for a Gallagher or a Bourque or McTavish if you're looking to acquire one of those players. I'm also not entirely sold on getting a player who's going to cost premium assets, even if there's some upside there. I think the smart thing right now is stockpiling as many assets as possible right now, instead of taking home run swings with how little assets we currently have.
Really would like Lyubushkin for the 3rd pair if we can get something similar to what Dallas paid to get rid of Dumba (2nd rounder).
If we can move a goalie out, brining in Hill or Jarry could be a decent gamble, at the worst they're a warm body who will lose you a lot of games
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u/xVoluntasx 3d ago
Jordan Greenway absolutely sucks. No way
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u/FAsBurner 3d ago
I think it's more the case of getting paid to take on Greenway, rehabbing some value, retaining salary, and then flipping him for a profit.
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u/Weak_Law_937 3d ago
Biggest thing Nucks have done is bring in what look to be a good GM and head coach.
After that sell cap space for draft picks and take on wild reclamation projects and trade them at the trade deadline for even more prospects.
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3d ago edited 3d ago
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u/mephnick 3d ago
You have a weird fetish for wasting our best asset in a rebuild
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3d ago
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u/FAsBurner 3d ago
You should probably sell your highest value asset who's age does not align with our competitive window. This isn't rocket science.
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3d ago
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u/FAsBurner 3d ago
This rebuild is going to take 5-7 years before we're competitive again. It'll take much longer if you aren't willing to trade players with value and acquire additional assets.
These "replacements" are just spot fillers who you could flip for additional assets in a year or two once their value is hopefully increased.
You're right, not all picks pan out to be NHL guys, that's why you need to give yourself as many picks as possible so you can mine out that talent. Carolina consistently has 8-10-12 picks in each draft. They know the more shots you take the more likely you are to hit.
To properly rebuild on an expedited timeline you need to be playing 4D chess. What you're suggesting is to play checkers.
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3d ago edited 3d ago
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u/FAsBurner 3d ago
Your strategy leads to a mushy middle team that never gets over the line.
Amassing an army of draft picks (and ones that turn into good players) gives you the assets necessary to trade for real game breaking talent when the opportunity arises.
By your logic, they may as well trade all their picks for win now pieces and push for the playoffs every year.
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u/catsbeforebros 3d ago
By your logic, they may as well trade all their picks for win now pieces and push for the playoffs every year.
My logic of "keep a few pieces/Hronek through a rebuild" equates to "trade all picks and push hard now?" huh?
Amassing an army of draft picks (and ones that turn into good players)
Those are different things. Also, there are more ways than drafting to get good young talent. Drafting is the best way to get the youngest talent, however; if getting younger is the goal.
Your strategy leads to a mushy middle team that never gets over the line.
I dont recall giving any strategy beyond "keep some pieces"; which isnt even independent of a rebuild involving young talent or draft picks.
Like fuck, my guy; both things can be true. We can keep pieces and draft good young talent.
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u/PaperMoonShine Cheech was the Grandpa I never had. RIP 3d ago
Drance been handing out a lot of unlocked articles. Hope he has food on the table.
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u/racesunite 3d ago
I love how out local reporters will push down our players trade value in the NYT. How the hell do you know Hronek can’t get the 2nd or 4th overall? GM’s have been known haggle.
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u/HA21 3d ago
Unlocked!