1 last-minute trade Canucks must make before 2024-25 NHL season

The Vancouver Canucks are entering the 2024-25 season off the back of a Pacific Division title and an impressive 50-win campaign, which was cut short in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the eventual Western Conference champions, the Edmonton Oilers.

Injuries struck at the worst time, with goaltender Thatcher Demko sidelined in the first round and 40-goal scorer Brock Boeser ruled out due to blood clots just before Game Seven in the second round. Still, it was an impressive run for a team that hadn’t made the playoffs in four years.

The Canucks made several notable additions during the offseason, headlined by former Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk, who signed a seven-year contract and is expected to play alongside Elias Pettersson or J.T. Miller. They also added streaky goal scorer Daniel Sprong on a one-year deal.

The Canucks also dealt Ilya Mikheyev to the Chicago Blackhawks, providing much-needed cap relief. But they couldn’t re-sign Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm, as both joined the Bruins. Additionally, Sam Lafferty signed with the Buffalo Sabres, while Ian Cole signed with the Utah Hockey Club.

In between the pipes, Casey DeSmith departed after one season in Vancouver for the Dallas Stars; the Canucks signed Kevin Lankinen to compete for the backup role behind Thatcher Demko alongside Arturs Silovs.

There remains a deal that Canucks GM Patrik Allvin should consider

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin, who finished second overall in voting for GM of the year, reflected during the offseason about the success that his team enjoyed in 2023-24 while also looking to the future, via David Quadrelli of Canucks Army.

“I think we managed to establish a style of play that we believe in,” he said. “We succeeded in developing our game throughout the season. We also managed to develop individuals, constantly improving and taking steps forward. It didn’t quite go all the way. I believe the players who have been part of this journey want more and are preparing themselves very well this summer to come back in a few weeks and start again. For us, it’s just a matter of looking forward, continuing to develop our game, and pushing the players and the team to take the next step. The league is extremely competitive, so we can’t just rely on what we did last season. We constantly need to look ahead and try to improve, or else other teams will catch up.”

But there is still one more deal that Allvin should have his eyes on before the start of the 2024-25 regular season, which officially gets underway next month, and it involves a former Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s most valuable forward.

The Canucks ought to swing a deal with the Blackhawks to acquire veteran Taylor Hall, who missed most of last season due to injury but can still be a key contributor. Chicago made multiple additions during the offseason, while Hall has only one more season left on his current contract.

Because the Blackhawks aren’t expected to be a playoff team this season barring a miracle, Hall will likely be dangled as trade bait. Among the players that the Canucks could offer in return include Conor Garland and/or Tyler Myers, both of whom have been involved in trade rumors.

Taylor Hall is a former first-overall draft pick

David Banks-Imagn Images

A Calgary, Alberta native, Taylor Hall was selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL Draft, one of several first-overall picks the franchise has made in the last two decades. Unfortunately, Hall couldn’t lead the struggling Oilers to a playoff appearance during his six seasons with the team.

He would eventually be traded to the New Jersey Devils, where he would get a taste of the postseason for the first time in his career following a career-best 39 goals and 54 assists, earning him the Hart Trophy.

Traded again to the Arizona Coyotes, Hall spent one season in the desert before signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres. He was later traded to the Boston Bruins that same season, where he helped them set a new NHL regular-season record for wins in 2022-23 with 65 victories.

Hall was on the move again, traded to the Blackhawks alongside Nick Foligno, with both expected to provide veteran leadership for a young team led by first-overall pick Connor Bedard. However, Hall’s season was cut short after just 10 games in 2023-24 due to a knee injury that required surgery.

In 832 career games with the Oilers, Devils, Coyotes, Bruins, and Blackhawks, Hall has tallied 266 goals with 431 assists. He’s also added 14 goals and 15 assists in 39 career postseason games.

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