Vancouver Canucks Target Trades to Boost Rebuild

The Vancouver Canucks are at the outset of a rebuilding effort, and their needs are total. Vancouver Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson will be looking to add elite, face-of-the-franchise level players, which isn't generally available on the trade market. The Canucks should strongly consider shopping in two buckets on the trade market this offseason: valuable future assets like premium draft picks and young players with distressed value, and veteran players who can help maintain a culture built around high professional standards. Filip Hronek, the Canucks' top-pair right-handed blueliner, could be a key trade chip. The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks are also rebuilding, and their draft picks, such as the No. 2 and No. 4 picks, could be valuable assets for the Canucks. And the Canucks will need to lose games while building out a structural identity on the ice, all while gradually adding real hockey value to their organizational portfolio off it. But the trick is to lose enough to have access to the elite players at the top of the draft. So the Canucks will be looking to make strategic trades to boost their rebuild. The Canucks have a long way to go, but with the right trades, they can build a strong core. The team's goal is to emerge with a critical mass of valuable assets required to pounce on the opportunity to level up significantly on the trade market or in free agency when the moment arrives. The Canucks will be watching the Sharks and Blackhawks closely, as they have already identified franchise-calibre players like Macklin Celebrini and Conor Bedard. The Canucks' rebuild is just starting, and it will be interesting to see how they navigate the trade market this offseason.