Not all sources of NHL trade speculation are created equal.

Some, you gotta take with a healthy dose of salt. Others require no seasoning at all.

When the source is Vancouver Canucks POHO Jim Rutherford himself, it’s definitely a rumour of the latter variety.

Rutherford, speaking to CBC’s After Hours crew on Saturday, straight-up stated that his Canucks “need to add a couple of players to really give ourselves a chance to contend.”

Other rumour-mongers confirmed as much later in the week, with some, like Darren Dreger, elaborating that the Canucks are making calls on both a top-four defender – something everyone could have predicted – and an additional winger.

That last piece is a bit of new news.

The Canucks have, at various points, looked almost overloaded on forwards this year. They did feel comfortable shipping Daniel Sprong back to Seattle for future considerations in early November, after all. This must, then, be an issue of quality, not quantity, and that tells us at least a little bit about the type of winger that Rutherford, GM Patrik Allvin, and the rest of the Vancouver front office might be seeking out.

With a top-four D still probably higher on the shopping priority list, and Brock Boeser’s contract situation still unresolved, we don’t think the Canucks will go big-game hunting on forward within the 2024/25 season. That said, given the notion of ‘quality over quantity,’ we don’t think they’re just looking for another Sprong, either.

The winger the Canucks are seeking should fall somewhere in between. That makes them a rock-solid middle-six option, without carrying the expense of an outright top-line scorer. And as we look around the league and the various trading blocks contained within, we see a number of candidates that qualify.

Let’s set the expectations clearly off the bat. Vatrano is both the first player on our list – by virtue of the alphabetical listing of teams – and also the best, perhaps by a longshot. But this still isn’t the same Vatrano that was selected by the Hughes Brothers to join their All-Star Squadron last year.

This is a Vatrano who, like most Ducks, has seen his offence decline of late. In 2023/24, he scored 37 goals. This year, he’s pacing for closer to between 20 and 25, which is his typical career pace. That’s not bad for a versatile veteran middle-six option who plays with some jam and has considerable playoff experience.

It’s fair to expect the Ducks to sell off a pending UFA like Vatrano. It’s also fair to expect them to be able to charge a lot for him, given last year’s numbers. Our best option will also be our most expensive, with the price possibly reaching as high as a first.

Frederic’s name is officially on the block, and expect a lot of teams to be interested in him. He can play all three forward positions, carries ample truculence, and has been a part of the Boston organization throughout many of their most glorious years. Folks will be lining up for someone like Frederic.

He’s not having his best offensive season by any measure, but he also profiles as someone who could absolutely thrive under a coach like Tocchet. With competitiveness being a bit of an issue in Vancouver of late, Frederic certainly offers an element of dragging teammates into the fight on a nightly basis.

That bidding war is probably one to be avoided, unfortunately…

We know the Canucks have been interested in the enormous Greenway before. Does that interest extend into the modern day, even with Greenway having scored a cumulative 13 goals over his past two seasons?

They say you can’t teach size. Greenway would certainly beef up the Canucks’ forward corps, and he’s perhaps still young and undeveloped enough that the coaching staff might feel they can get more out of his considerable set of tools. Chances are the price would be pretty reasonable here, too, with Buffalo looking to shake up the room soon. 

In Olivier, you get perhaps the toughest individual in the NHL right now. But you also get someone enjoying a late offensive breakout, already at a career-high in goals with eight and on pace for more than 20. That’s a pretty compelling package right there.

If Olivier goes to market, expect pretty much every playoff-bound team to be interested. But that doesn’t necessarily equate to the prices getting out of control. If Olivier can be had for something in the range of a second round pick or cheaper, there’s a lot to like about this potential addition, especially if the Canucks worry they’re not bellicose enough for the postseason.

After a career season at age 34 of 75 points, Nyquist’s production has really slipped this year. But is that on him, his age, or the rest of the Nashville Predators around him? Probably all of the above.

Nyquist remains a trustworthy veteran scorer who can play anywhere in the lineup, and who has a reputation for consistency; the difference between last year and this one notwithstanding. He’s probably older than the Canucks would like to target, but you can’t put a price on savvy – or on the amount of bang-for-buck Nyquist could provide if he were to get going again.

Smith is another veteran option who might not be scoring like he used to, but who has scored a lot in his day all the same. He’s now two years removed from the 20-goal+ pace he maintained the rest of his career, but Smith remains a multifaceted talent who can play all over the lineup.

Of note is Smith’s playoff experience of 106 games and 79 points. He’s traditionally a player who steps up most when it’s most important, and that can’t be discounted.

The cap hit, however, would need to be worked around somehow, and that only adds to the asking price. 

There’s a lot to like in Laughton. Sure, four of his goals this season have come in the same game, which means he can’t exactly be counted on for offence every night. But he can be counted on to make some impact on a nightly basis, whether that be at the other end of the ice or his own.

Laughton can play any forward position and on both special teams if needed, and has a reputation as an A+ teammate and human. The Flyers might not be looking to remove him from the team culture at this point, but selling him off now – as opposed to next year, when he’s a pending UFA – might be smarter business all the same. At that low cap hit, Laughton should incur a high return, but if it can be kept south of a first rounder, it’s hard to think he won’t be worth it, given all that he brings.

O’Connor is huge, a bit raw, well-rounded, and was signed as an undrafted free agent by Rutherford back in the day. What’s not to like?

He’s had some success stepping up into the Penguins’ top-six before, but is best suited lower in the lineup. That’s fine for the Canucks’ purposes. The question is how much of O’Connor’s production from last season – 16 goals, 33 points – is replicable, or whether this season is more of the ‘real’ O’Connor. Given that he’s lauded for his work ethic, one hopes he can get back to something better.

Either way, he’s an intriguing option that could potentially come at a bargain price without much name value.

This seems like the end of the line for an OG Kraken. Gourde is a well-respected warrior who has scored a pretty high pace before, but not for a while.

He’s more valuable as a versatile vet who can play anywhere in a forward lineup and who offers plenty of bite and leadership. Gourde’s Cup experience counts, as does the fact that he arrives essentially already playing Rick Tocchet hockey.

Like Smith, that cap hit is a non-starter, and would require some form of retention for the Canucks to even consider it. Does the regional rivalry tax go on top of that cost to push Gourde’s price out of the Canucks’ range? Possibly, but they should kick tires all the same.