According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, the Vancouver Canucks aren’t just going to potentially be sellers at this year’s NHL trade deadline, they may also be buyers. Saying the team is thinking about moving certain players, but also bringing in assets from other teams, Marek noted during the 32 Thoughts segment on Saturday that the Canucks are kicking tires and curious about the status of Pavel Zach in New Jersey.
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That the Canucks might have an interest in trading for Pavel Zacha is a bit of a surprise considering most of the talk coming out of Vancouver is that players like J.T Miller, Brock Boeser, Luke Schenn and Conor Garland could be on the way out. While the Canucks try to clear cap space and move assets that may not be part of the long-term planning for new GM Patrick Allvin and executive Jim Rutherford, there are going to players the Canucks have eyes on. Zacha is apparently one of them.
Marek notes that Zacha will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season but is also one season away from becoming an unrestricted free agent. His status with New Jersey leaves him in a bit of uncertain territory since the club has a number of key centers — Jack Hughes, Nick Hischier and Dawson Mercer — and Zacha might not fit. If so, the Canucks are hoping to take advantage of New Jersey’s potential desire to move him.
Zacha could take his qualifying offer with the Devils and bolt for nothing in a year’s time. The Devils obviously don’t want that so it makes since they might try to get what they can for him in a trade. With the Canucks having almost everyone on the table, there’s room for these two teams to talk.
Marek contends that Devils’ GM Tom Fitzgerald has a decision to make. Hang onto Zacha and try to re-sign him longer term? Or, move him and if someone like the Canucks is willing to pay a little to acquire him, get what you can?
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