As the Vancouver Canucks continue to build on their impressive season, the front office is laser-focused on one thing: playoff depth. You don’t get this close to contention without identifying your weaknesses, and for Vancouver, the conversation keeps circling back to the middle of the ice. Enter the latest name in the rumor mill: Alex Wennberg.
The buzz has the 31-year-old veteran from the San Jose Sharks as a prime target for the Canucks. From my perspective as someone who has watched GMs build contenders for years, this move has “shrewd deadline acquisition” written all over it, but it comes with significant complications.
Breaking Down the Fit: Is Wennberg Worth the $5M Price Tag?
Let’s look at the player, or at least, the player as presented in trade talks. Wennberg is a versatile forward, capable of playing center or wing, which is exactly the kind of flexibility Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford crave for a playoff berth. He’s on the final year of his deal, which makes him a pure rental.
But here’s the sticking point: that $5 million cap hit. That is an enormous price for a third-line center, even with salary retention. The San Jose Sharks are in a full rebuild; they aren’t looking to do rivals any favors. They will, and should, demand a significant overpayment to take on that contract, even for a few months. Most pundits believe the Sharks “won’t be moving Wennberg right now” without that overpay, and they’re 100% correct. This is a seller’s market, and San Jose holds a valuable, if expensive, asset.
The Timing and the 15-Team List
The Canucks’ challenge is twofold. First, Wennberg’s 15-team approved trade list. We can safely assume a contending team in Vancouver would make that list, but it still gives the player a degree of control.
Second, and more importantly, is the timing. Vancouver needs help now to build chemistry, not in the final hours of the NHL trade deadline. But the Sharks’ best play is to wait, to let the market get desperate and drive up the price. If the Canucks are willing to overpay today, it could signal a level of internal confidence (or desperation) that they believe they are one piece away.
Personally, I wouldn’t be shocked to see this get done. The Canucks have a clear need, and Wennberg fits the description of a battle-tested veteran. But it will cost them—likely a second-round pick plus a mid-level prospect. The real question isn’t if the San Jose Sharks will trade him; it’s how much the Vancouver Canucks are willing to pay to ensure he lands in their locker room.
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