Former Canucks employee says there's a better trade target for the Leafs in Vancouver than Conor Garland
If there's one team in the NHL that every other general manager should be calling non-stop, it's the Vancouver Canucks. Their salary cap management has been horrendous over the years, they've prioritized the wrong players, have come to the conclusion that they have no choice but to get rid of some key players - like the recently traded Bo Horvat - and with the trade deadline fast approaching, it's going to be a fire sale in Vancouver.
Anyone outside of Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are essentially on the table for one reason or another. They just re-signed Andrei Kuzmenko to a 2-year deal that costs $5.5 million annually, J.T. Miller's 7-year extension kicks in next year, and that leaves the door wide open for players like Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, Tyler Myers, Luke Schenn, and even Thatcher Demko.
Luke Schenn is the prototypical trade deadline acquisition with his expiring contract, veteran leadership, playoff pedigree, is a defensive defenseman, and will be cheap to trade for - compared to his counterparts. However, another name that has drawn the interest of many around the NHL, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, is Conor Garland. The Canucks might buy him out at the end of the season, so instead of losing him for nothing and dealing with dead cap in a few years, several teams have considered trading for him with retained salary.
A former employee of the Canucks believes that the Leafs should forget about Garland and focus their sights on Brock Boeser instead. Luke Schenn is a good target for the Leafs in Rachel Doerrie's eyes, but with the Leafs also looking for help in the top six, Doerrie thinks that Boeser would make a lot more sense than Garland in Toronto.
In 7 seasons with the Canucks, Boeser has 130 goals and 286 points in 366 games, which includes 4 seasons of 23+ goals. He has reached the 50 point plateau only twice but was on pace for 65 points in 2019-20 and was on pace for 72 points in a full 82 game season in 2020-21. He has only completed one full season, which is probably his biggest hindrance, however he has been rather consistent for a team that has lacked said consistency.
He would be the best player to acquire from the Canucks that would boost the Leafs top-6 in short order. He is a goal-scorer, takes a lot of shots, and has a nose for the net. Playing with John Tavares and William Nylander will only boost his numbers, compared to his current line-mates in Sheldon Dries and Vasily Podkolzin.
Another player the Leafs could target is Nils Hoglander. The 22-year-old is currently in the AHL but on an expiring contract. He is set to become an RFA and is regarded as a top prospect for the organization. In parts of 3 seasons he has scored 26 goals and 54 points in 141 games, currently has 13 points in 20 games with the Abbotsford Canucks, and really shone during the World Juniors in 2020, where he scored 5 goals and 11 points in 7 games for Sweden.
He's a good young winger, could make an impact in the Leafs top-9 right now, and has a boatload of potential. The Canucks haven't specified what they're doing with Hoglander and even though it seems odd for them to even potentially trade him, weirder things have happened in the NHL and even weirder things are happening in Vancouver at the moment.
For the win-now Leafs, bringing in Brock Boeser might be the move that puts them over the top. He would instantly change the dynamic for the better, is soon-to-be 26 years of age, and has 2 more years remaining on his contract at $6.65 million AAV. The Canucks could be convinced to retain some of his salary, as they're not expected to compete for a number of years and some retention could mean a better return for them.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 8 | 284 ANSWERS Former Canucks employee says there's a better trade target for the Leafs in Vancouver than Conor Garland If the Leafs swung a deal with the Canucks, would you prefer Garland/Schenn or Boeser/Schenn? | ||
| Boeser/Schenn | 177 | 62.3 % |
| Garland/Schenn | 62 | 21.8 % |
| Neither - Hoglander/Schenn is the ticket! | 45 | 15.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
