The Vancouver Canucks need to acquire a high-quality centre this summer.
Pretty much everyone agrees on that. Fans think so, the media says so, and GM Patrik Allvin has already stated that it will be the organization’s top priority.
We’ve already talked about the possibility of signing a UFA like Sam Bennett or Mikael Granlund, or of trade targets like Mathew Barzal or Dylan Larkin, or even pending RFAs like Mason McTavish and Mavrik Bourque.
But what we haven’t yet talked about, and what folks tend to lose sight of in their offseason dreaming, is that the availability of said centres is not exactly a buffet-style offering. There are only a handful of good centres available at any one time – including this particular summer – but there are always a larger handful of teams looking to acquire those centres.
In attempting to figure out the chances of the Canucks landing any of their would-be targets, we have to consider which other NHL teams they’re competing with in that market.
The criteria here is simple enough. We’re looking for other teams that should also be reasonably unsatisfied with their current offering of top-six centres, and who are at a point in their current competitive cycle at which they’re likely to try to do something about it.
Predictably, with centre being among the most coveted positions in the sport, this list is longer than the Canucks would like it to be. That both reduces the chances of the Canucks landing any one centre, and likely increases the cost of one when they do.
But that’s the nature of the laws of supply and demand when the market looks like…
Boston Bruins
Current Top-Six Centres: Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, Morgan Geekie (RFA)
Offseason Cap Space: $28.82 million
On the one hand, the Bruins do have a lot of centres on their roster who are theoretically capable of playing in the top-six. In fact, in addition to the three listed above, they’ve also got the recently-acquired Casey Mittelstadt.
And if the Bruins are going to go gentle into that good night, and give up on being truly competitive for a while, that’s fine enough. But if they want to compete again with this Pastrnak/McAvoy/Swayman core, then they’re almost certainly in the market for a clear-cut upgrade down the middle, and that would have them as prominent shoppers in the high-end centre market.
Calgary Flames
Current Top-Six Centres: Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, Morgan Frost (RFA)
Offseason Cap Space: $34.29 million
The Flames have some fine centres on hand, including Kadri, who just notched a career-high 35 goals. But he and Backlund are aging, and the Flames don’t have any big-time centre prospects ready to step in to replace their minutes anytime soon.
Stuck between competing and rebuilding, the Flames will probably look to add something here, especially if they find they have difficulty signing RFA Frost.
Carolina Hurricanes
Current Top-Six Centres: Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Logan Stankoven
Offseason Cap Space: $35.23 million
Well, we know the Hurricanes were quite interested in landing Elias Pettersson at one point, and they never really did find another centre worth acquiring in the interim. Heading into 2025/26, they’re still expected to be a top-level contender, but that centre depth is quite thin after Aho, and that might not be enough to get through the other best teams in the East on a consistent basis.
Expect Carolina to be shopping around for top-six centres of any quality, so as to keep Kotkaniemi and Jordan Staal in the bottom-six, and to maintain the option of shuffling Stankoven over the wing.
Chicago Blackhawks
Current Top-Six Centres: Connor Bedard, Ryan Donato (UFA), Frank Nazar
Offseason Cap Space: $30.97 million
Given Bedard’s well-documented struggles, the Blackhawks are almost certainly on the lookout for a veteran centre to insulate him. Upcoming prospects like Nazar will supplement the offence well enough, but someone to eat difficult minutes and matchups is required for them to take the next step, and for Bedard to have enough breathing room to grow. Donato filled in ably enough this season, but he’s barely a centre and is probably departing as a UFA, anyway.
Look for them to target someone more responsible and not worry too much about the cost of acquisition as they do so. The Blackhawks have money to burn.
Colorado Avalanche
Current Top-Six Centres: Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson (UFA), Charlie Coyle
Offseason Cap Space: $8.70 million
The Avalanche are absolutely fine at centre for the present moment, but Nelson could wind up being a rental, and that would leave them back on the lookout for a 2C. Coyle could fill in for the short term, but a team as competitive as these current Avalanche won’t just be satisfied with a fill-in.
A team like the Avs also has the distinct advantage of offering the players they’re chasing a real chance to win.
Florida Panthers
Current Top-Six Centres: Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennet (UFA), Anton Lundell
Offseason Cap Space: $19.00 million
We have to remember that every big-name UFA centre out there, of which there really aren’t many, opens up a new team looking for a centre the second they leave town. Such is the case for the Panthers, who are presumably happy to keep their current pivot depth rolling, but who will definitely need to find a replacement for Bennett if he departs.
Like Colorado, Florida can offer new centres an instant chance to compete, and a tax haven, at that. If Bennett goes elsewhere, Florida moves to the top of the prime destination choices for any other top-six centre.
Minnesota Wild
Current Top-Six Centres: Joel Eriksson Ek, Marco Rossi (RFA), Ryan Hartman
Offseason Cap Space: $20.59 million
There are rumblings that the Wild are far apart from RFA centre Rossi on a new contract, and that an offseason trade may be likely. In that case, they’ll be looking for a top-six centre to replace him – and, honestly, they do seem like they could use an upgrade, regardless.
The Wild have never really offered Kirill Kaprizov a centre worthy of his considerable talents. Finding someone who can elevate their star winger’s game should be a major priority.
Montreal Canadiens
Current Top-Six Centres: Nick Suzuki, Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach
Offseason Cap Space: $8.69 million
Suzuki has truly developed into an all-around, all-world top-line centre. But below him, the Habs have Newhook, who has yet to pop offensively, and Dach, who cannot stay healthy.
A 2C to supplement Suzuki is the number one item on Montreal’s offseason shopping list, and they’ve got the assets on hand (and the cap space, once Carey Price goes back on LTIR) to make a strong pitch at whoever they want. Expect a full-court press. If the Canucks are looking out for their toughest competition on the centre market, it might just be found in the Canadiens.
Philadelphia Flyers
Current Top-Six Centres: Sean Couturier, Noah Cates (RFA)
Offseason Cap Space: $24.72 million
Who knows where the Flyers go from here? However, with Matvei Michkov already on the roster, they will want to have at least one centre on hand who can pair with him, and currently, they do not. Couturier is aging rapidly, Cates is an RFA of still-dubious top-six quality, and that’s about it unless Jett Luchanko arrives sooner than expected.
The Flyers will find someone to ride shotgun with Michkov, of that you can be sure.
San Jose Sharks
Current Top-Six Centres: Macklin Celebrini, Alexander Wennberg
Offseason Cap Space: $43.93 million
The Sharks have the whole 1C thing locked down for the foreseeable future in Celebrini. But with Will Smith settling into more of a winger role on Celebrini’s line, there is probably a desire here to supplement them with a better veteran centre than, say, Wennberg.
San Jose has a chance to start making some noise as soon as next year. They might not need a true top-six talent to do that, but someone a little more reliable and experienced will help them take that important next step.
St. Louis Blues
Current Top-Six Centres: Robert Thomas, Brayden Schenn
Offseason Cap Space: $5.91 million
Heading into 2024/25, some thought the Blues might be moving toward a rebuild. However, that year-end barnstorming tour likely altered the plan, and now the team is looking to perform more of a retool on the fly, integrating young talent into the lineup while retaining the majority of their veterans.
Speaking of, while Thomas is a strong 1C, Schenn has slipped with age and is probably best stashed in the bottom-six at this point. A new top-six centre to pair with young wingers like Jimmy Snuggerud and Jake Neighbours could be on the shopping list, especially if the team feels that prospect Dalibor Dvorsky needs some more time to develop.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Current Top-Six Centres: Auston Matthews, John Tavares (UFA), Max Domi
Offseason Cap Space: $26.86 million
The Leafs will likely re-sign Tavares and continue with their current centre depth. But if Tavares does sign elsewhere for whatever reason, they’re right back in the centre market, and with plenty of cap space to throw around in their search.
The Leafs are, unfortunately, always a contender to sign most available talent.
Utah Hockey Club
Current Top-Six Centres: Logan Cooley, Barrett Hayton
Offseason Cap Space: $22.31 million
The Utahns are on the rise, and they’ll be hoping to supplement their young core with new veteran additions, as they did last offseason. Hayton had a fine bounceback year, but might not be a long-term solution behind Cooley in the top six. Someone with a little more offensive flair is what they’re after, and while there are precious few assets of that nature available, Utah definitely has the resources on hand to make a concerted pursuit.
Winnipeg Jets
Current Top-Six Centres: Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Vladislav Namestnikov
Offseason Cap Space: $25.69 million
The Jets performed well with the centres they had available this year. But they still appear, on the surface anyway, to be short a 2C, especially if Gabe Vilardi continues to play most of his minutes on the wing.
The Jets have a few things to address, mainly in the form of their own UFAs, but if they have any money left over after that, it’s almost certainly going to be put toward a new centre of some variety.
