After showing promise of a team on the rise, the Vancouver Canucks are once again entering the offseason facing a flurry of questions and likely in search of a rebuild. The first step made was the hiring of head coach Adam Foote after the team decided not to re-sign Rick Tocchet, the 2024 Coach of the Year. Just as Tocchet seemed to bring a cultural reset when he was named the bench boss in January 2023, there is an expectation that Foote will bring the same with a focus on defensive structure and player development.
While the Canucks do hold a first round draft pick, selecting fifteenth doesn’t exactly scream a franchise leading pick (though stranger things have happened). However it is clear that the Canucks will need more than a mid-first round rookie to alter the fortunes of the franchise. With the need for help up front and on the blue line as well as questions in net (it wouldn’t be the Canucks without goalie issues), here are three major trade rumors that may define the Canucks outlook for the 2025-26 season.
1. A Family Reunion
One of the most talked-about rumors in Vancouver involves team captain and star defenseman Quinn Hughes. With brothers Jack and Luke suiting up for the New Jersey Devils, a reunion isn’t beyond the realm of reality. The question is, why should the Canucks trade one of, if not their only, top players?
A Norris Trophy finalist, Hughes, at 25 years old, is just entering the prime of his career, recording 76, 92, and 76 points in the last three seasons, anchoring the team’s power play and seemingly playing every minute possible. Yes, moving Hughes would bring back a huge haul of players and prospects, which could include some sort of package involving Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, Seamus Casey, and draft picks. The market for a player of Hughes’s talent is aggressive, which could put the Canucks in a position to cash in on a sizeable return.
It comes as no surprise to fans who enjoy using betting apps that the odds on favored trade partner for Hughes is the Devils, but with two years remaining on his contract, the Canucks would benefit from keeping their star around for at least another season.
2. A Familiar Face?
The Canucks are in need of a second line center. Last year, they featured a combination of JT Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Pius Suter, with Miller moving at the trade deadline. Unfortunately for the Canucks, Pettersson was a shadow of his previous two seasons, and Suter is more suited as a role player on the second or third line than as a top-line player.
In 2023 the Canucks parted with Bo Horvat, a two-time All-Star and former captain during his nine year tenure. Considering the New York Islanders are dealing with cap and depth issues, could the offer of the 15th pick and a young prospect be enticing enough to the Islanders to return Horvat to Vancouver? While he isn’t enough to carry the team to the playoffs on his own, he would provide leadership and stability to the locker room and a first-line presence.
Should the Canucks want to explore adding a new face, rumors are swirling about Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi. At just 23 years old, Rossi fits in with what could be a long-term rebuild slotted alongside Jake DeBrusk and either Jonathan Lekkerimaki or Kiefer Sherwood. However, acquiring Rossi won’t come cheap. Rumors are that the Wild are searching for an NHL-ready player and a first-round pick in return for the talented but yet proven Austrian. A player with a high upside, would the Canucks front office be willing to take the gamble?
3. Between The Pipes
One of the more surprising rumors involves Thatcher Demko, the backbone of the Canucks for the past few seasons. While trading the 2023-24 Vezina runner-up, one who posted a 35-14-2 record and a .918SV%, may be counterproductive for a franchise trying to compete in the Western Conference, it might be a move Vancouver needs to explore.
With one year remaining on a very friendly $5 million cap hit before entering free agency, the 29 year old goaltender is coming off a season in which he was limited by injuries. While this impacted the Canucks record, it allowed for Kevin Lankinen to have a breakout year and Arturs Silovs to show flashes of what got fans excited during his 10 game playoff performance in 2023-24.
There are plenty of suitors for Demko, a trade that would certainly be a bold, but one that could return a package of a much needed second line center, a top-four defenceman and picks. If the Canucks believe that Lankinen can step into the starting role and Silovs can evolve into a consistent backup, the gamble may be worth it.
As a team currently sitting at a crossroads of retooling or rebuilding, this offseason is one of the more pivotal in recent history, especially when it comes to fan support. Should the front office wager the team’s future for a quick fix or do they ask for patience and rebuild around a young core. Either way, the Canucks should be major players during the offseason as they search for a new identity entering the 2025-26 season.
