Rumours that a Canucks winger could be bought out presents a unique opportunity for Dubas to acquire a top-6 winger with term

Conor Garland is another option for a team looking to acquire a top-9 forward with term left on his contract. The Canucks have mulled the idea of buying out his contract at the end of the season according to reports, but there would definitely be a hot market if the Canucks retained some salary and traded him at the trade deadline instead.

Enter the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sitting 3rd in the NHL and 2nd in the Atlantic Division behind the Boston Bruins, the Leafs have been on the market for a forward for quite some time now and Garland would check several boxes. The soon-to-be 27 year old forward scored 19 goals and 52 points in 77 games last year and is currently sitting with 9 goals and 24 points through 48 games this year.

He was acquired before the 2021 NHL Entry Draft in a trade that involved Oliver Ekman-Larsson joining him for Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, a first round pick, a second round pick, and a seventh round pick. He was then signed to a 5 year deal with a value of $24.5 million - a $4.95 million AAV.

The Canucks are looking to free up cap space and re-tool at the same time. If Garland were to be bought out, the Canucks would save $4.11 million in 2023-24 and 2024-25, $3.11 million in 2025-26, and then incur losses of $1.88 million from 2026-27 to 2028-29. They save a lot of dough in the first 3 years but then have to deal with almost $2 million in dead cap for 3 years.

Even at his current $4.95 million cap hit, it is very salvageable but knowing that they are considering a buyout, the Leafs should be all over this and look to make a trade with salary retention. They have picks and prospects that could entice the Canucks to swing for a trade and it shouldn't cost as much as some of the other forwards currently on the market.

Just how much retention would be required is an unknown, but Garland is great on and off the puck, would slide into the Leafs top 6 relatively easily, can play the power play, kill penalties, and add some much needed secondary scoring behind Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander.