Vancouver Canucks Looking To Make A Trade in Next Few Hours?

The Vancouver Canucks management is looking to change up their mix and wants to make a trade to spark their team. As NHLTradeTalk.com has reported, the Canucks have a history of making trades earlier than most. Will they be making a deal in the next few hours? That remains to be seen, but speculation is they might be trying.

Go back to last season; the Canucks traded for Nikita Zadorov in November before trading for Elias Lindholm a little over a month before the NHL Trade Deadline. So there is a pattern in Vancouver of going after players management feels can help the team.

President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford has a history of being aggressive as a general manager. His general manager, Patrik Allvin, has taken that same approach, and Frank Seravalli of Daily believes it appears the Canucks are looking to strike before midnight on Thursday night. 

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I’m told the Canucks feel like they’ve made some progress on their search for an impact defenseman, an efficient puck mover, and there seems to be a heightened sense of urgency in the last 24 to 48 hours as to whether or not they might even be able to get something done before the trade freeze kicks in at midnight on Thursday.

What Are the Canucks Looking for in Trades?

There is a lot of speculation on what the Canucks want to do. From multiple reports, they are looking to get a top-four defenseman to help with Filip Hronek out of the lineup. They are also looking to add a winger, with Brock Boeser being a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, with contract talks on pause until the season is over. 

Seravalli added: 

So they’re up against the clock. I’m certainly not guaranteeing that it’s going to happen, but they think that they’ve made some progress here, and I don’t even have a team or player to pinpoint yet, but certainly on alert with the Canucks. That’s been their mission and mandate from training camp on is to add that piece. They’re one of the most aggressive front offices in the league, if not the most aggressive. So stay tuned.

As it has been reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet from Pierre LeBrun of TSN along with Rick Dhaliwal, the Vancouver Canucks have eyed Bowen Byram in Buffalo. While Elias Pettersson‘s trade suggestion involving Byram and Dylan Cozens was just a hypothetical trade proposal, the Sabres and Canucks have been talking. 

Can they make a trade before the midnight deadline on Thursday? Or does this have to wait until after the Holiday Trade Freeze? 

We have already seen Alexandre Carrier and Justin Barron move for each other on Wednesday night. Where could the Canucks be looking if it is not Byram in Buffalo?

However, history has shown if the Vancouver Canucks want to do something, they are going to get it done.

Next: Utah Shocks Canucks: NHL Trade Talk Morning Roundup: Dec. 19