Canucks' 'Hybrid' Trade Deadline Approach Revealed

The Vancouver Canucks are preparing for Friday’s trade deadline without positioning themselves as either full buyers or full sellers, but rather taking a balanced approach as they remain in playoff contention. 

According to The Athletic's Thomas Drance, the team is exploring options to move pending unrestricted free agents, including Brock Boeser, but they are not looking to trade key contributors under contract beyond this season.

Drance labeled the Canucks' mindset as having a "hybrid" approach to the deadline.

“As a seller, the club is open to moving its pending unrestricted free agents—provided the returns are sufficiently enticing,” Drance reported.

However, the Canucks are not planning to simply take the best offer available, as their position in the standings makes keeping key pieces a realistic option with the team currently just on the outside of the postseason picture looking in and tied at 65 points with the Calgary Flames for the second wild-card berth.

From a buying perspective, if a deal is made, according to Drance, Vancouver intends to use any assets gained to acquire younger players with term, aligning with their long-term roster vision.

"As a buyer, the club is exclusively showing interest in younger players, ideally in the mid-20s age range, that have term remaining on their deal."

Boeser’s situation remains the main talking point and seems to still be unresolved, as contract talks have stalled. 

“With the clock ticking toward (Friday's deadline), there remains a material disagreement between the two sides on price,” Drance noted.

While Boeser wants a long-term deal that reflects his 40-goal production from last season, the Canucks are hesitant to commit to his contract requests, according to Drance, with the forward growing increasingly frustrated as reported by Rick Dhaliwal during Monday's episode of the "Donnie & Dhali" show.

Demand for Boeser in the trade market was also described as “lukewarm” by a league source speaking to Drance, making a trade unlikely unless a team meets Vancouver’s asking price.

"The Canucks aren’t going to be willing to sell a key offensive cog like Boeser at below what they see as his market value, especially not when they’re in the thick of a playoff chase," Drance wrote.