NHL insider Frank Seravalli recently mentioned on Canucks Central that he believes the Vancouver Canucks front office is actively exploring the market for defensive reinforcements.
“They’re already making calls and trying to understand what the market looks like to improve this team’s defence,” Seravalli explained.
The Canucks’ defensive lineup lost Ian Cole and Nikita Zadorov in the offseason, and while Vincent Desharnais and Derek Forbort were brought in to address the gaps, the bottom pairing has been underwhelming through seven games. Trade acquisition and former first-round pick Erik Brannstrom has shown potential, but there is a general sense that the Canucks need another solid top-four defender to stabilize their blue line.
“They want to continue to push the envelope, and that should surprise absolutely no one given the volume of deals that Patrik Allvin has made,” Seravalli continued.
Two potential targets for General Manager Patrik Allvin are Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson and Pittsburgh’s Marcus Pettersson.
Andersson, 28, currently leads the Calgary Flames in points with 10 through eight games and has a highly attractive $4.5 million cap hit with two years left on his contract. The right-shot defenceman from Sweden, logging just under 16 minutes of even-strength ice time per night, is reportedly on the trading block and would be a valuable addition to the Canucks. However, there may be some “trade fatigue” between Calgary and Vancouver after multiple deals last season, and trading a defenceman of Andersson’s calibre within the division could be challenging.
Pettersson, also 28, is in the final year of his contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, carrying a $4 million cap hit. This season, he has accumulated five points through eight games, averaging 17.5 minutes of even-strength ice time per game.
Both players are logging significant minutes for their current teams and would provide an immediate boost to the Canucks’ defence, especially given Carson Soucy’s slow start in the top four alongside Tyler Myers. Any move of significance is going to come at a cost and will require some cap-maneuvering with the Canucks backed up as it stands.
