Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet that is halfway between an advice column and a personal section.

Speaking of halfway between, we find ourselves caught in the awkward in-between of pre-Trade Deadline publishing. By the time you read these words, we’ll be about a week away from March 7, 2025. But by the time your responses are published, the Trade Deadline will either be upon us or just passed.

So, we can’t really ask you, “what do you think will happen at the Trade Deadline,” because by the time we see your predictions, they’ll be in past tense.

We can definitely ask you what you thought of the deadline in a week or two’s time. But for now, we are stuck with more general questions.

And, look, there has been a lot of talk about disappointment lately, and with good reason. When fans of the Vancouver Canucks have been given more cause to cheer for Brad Marchand than their own team, you know something is wrong.

But we also can’t help but look at the roster of the Canucks right now and not see a team that has undergone an enormous amount of change. In fact, as of this exact moment, there are nine players on the roster right now who are in their first years in Vancouver. And that’s not even counting those who already came and went, like Daniel Sprong, Erik Brännström, Vincent Desharnais, and Danton Heinen!

That’s an awful lot of turnover. Some good, some not so good. But amidst all that change, there are always positives to be found.

So, today, we are asking for the best of the new. Or, at least, your preference.

This week, we’re asking:

Let it be known in the comment section.

Last week, when it was time-appropriate to ask you about the Trade Deadline, we asked:

You answered below!

I don’t think the Canucks are poised to make a playoff run this year and I think the team needs more difference-makers at forward. So I would try to net as many assets as possible to be in a position to get some top-six forwards. I would trade Boeser and Forbort. I would use the cap space to broker any deals only for expiring contracts.

Shelve Demko for the rest of the year. Maybe EP as well. Sign Lankinen long term to a sub- $4 million deal. Trade Boeser, Forbort, and Suter (all the UFAs). And trade Soucy as well, we have enough young d-men that need to play. Give lots of the kids in Abby a decent look in the bigs. Play to win every game, and good if they make the playoffs, but a higher draft pick if they don’t. Keep that pick at all costs, unless the trade offer for it is overwhelming. Look more at the long-term picture. IE, next season. They are most certainly not a Cup contender at this point, so do the things necessary to make that a reality going forward.

And most important of all, include Hughes in the discussions of their plans. At this point, I’m prepared to concede that he is the best player this team has ever had, and we simply cannot lose him to free agency in two more years.

Canucks are likely making the playoffs but that’s where things end, so I’d like to see a continuation of them getting faster by moving Forbort, Soucy, and Boeser for as much as possible, ideally targeting young struggling Cs with upside (Zegras/Cozens types).

I’d shelf Demko and then ease him back through conditioning stints or whatever, but EASE is the priority on this former asset.

Tell the fans the truth and importantly have Petey tell the fans the truth. He’s effectively worth less than nothing at this point so his value can’t drop more than it has, so tell us why the hell we’ve all watched the most impressive analytical drop in performance across every category in pro hockey history over 13 months? Jonathon Cheechoo and Nail Yakupov regressed more gradually. I’d trade a playoff round win to get an honest answer to this.

Trade Boeser, bring up Lekkerimäki. Hopefully you can get a first rounder out of that. Bonus if you can get a high-upside forward. Boeser has always been inconsistent and slow. Keep going with the change towards a faster team.

Trade one of Soucy or Forbort for whatever you can get.

See if you can use any of the proceeds to get younger and faster, up front or at RD.

I don’t think now is the time to trade Pettersson even if we could. Give him the rest of the season and see what happens. I really want to think he is injured but this goes back to his draft year where there was concern about his durability – and it sounds like his lack of preparation.

We will also have considerable cap space to address a right-handed center and/or maybe a scoring forward.

Clearly, there’s a need for a top-six centre and also a faceoff centre, preferably one above 50% in the circle and right-handed, such as local boy Sissons. While Sissons could probably be had for the right price, finding a top-six centre will be tantamount to impossible during the season. Even a package that would/could/should include Boeser, Suter, and a LD prospect like Kudryavtsev probably doesn’t land that, but could be on the way to that.

Focus should be on the build and not the goal this season. I think they’ll make the playoffs this season but they’re not going to go far. But that doesn’t mean ‘sell sell sell.’ Making or not making the playoffs this season isn’t going to transcendentally change where they pick in the first round, it’s only going to make a change of a few positions up or down, and once you’re into the middle of the round, there will be a number of prospects with roughly the same level of future expectations. Certainly there won’t be a true elite prospect left by the time they pick.

So, ideally they can add pieces towards the goal looking forward to the future and not be fixated on making the playoffs this year, which they are most likely if not assuredly going to make. If they can land that top-six C or get a player on his way to that and the cost of that includes Boeser, their best roster chip, then I hope they can get that horse in the barn. My deal would be Höglander for Sissons and Boeser/Suter/??/?? for a current or eventual top-six C.

My ideal trade deadline is the Canucks trade Pettersson straight up for Rantanen with Carolina and sign him for a five-year contract. Then I would like it if they acquire another goal scorer.

Won’t happen, but that would be my ideal circumstance.

No rentals.

Land a younger high-quality top-six forward.

Canucks come out with as many picks and prospects as they have now.

EP25 and Willander are still here.

Boeser is either moved or signs a contract that can be traded in a year or two.

Trade all UFAs.

Hopefully Boeser at 50% gets you a top-six center prospect in return, like a Bourque from Dallas, Ritchie from Colorado, or Danielson from Detroit.

Lankinen for best possible return, hopefully a contender loses a number one goalie and is forced to overpay.

Any other UFA or prospect the team doesn’t believe in, ship out for whatever return possible.

Then go heavy after college, Euro and CHL free agents.

Let’s call this the bad apple deadline because it turns out we have had a rotten core.

With JT gone, it’s time to deal Boeser and Demko and restructure the leadership group.

With our defence looking really good for next year with the new additions of MP, the emergence of EPD and the near-future addition of Willander, our weakness will suddenly be a strength.

I would like to see an aggressive roster reset.

To start with the Canucks should not be taking the “own rental” route with anyone. All potential UFAs should be traded.

Use the cap space to acquire a distressed asset (or two) very cheaply.

Prioritize speed, skill, and size in any acquisition.

Target a player like Yurov (Wild) ot Sillinger (CBJ) in a Boeser trade. Use the final retention slot if necessary.

Trade Pettersson if the return makes it possible (C and a winger?). I doubt they get full value, but I think the move needs to be made.

Don’t be afraid to trade Höglander/Garland if teams are overpaying for forwards.

This season has been a disaster from so many angles. Take the opportunity to enhance the roster to match the identity that management wants to see this team take on. IE. Big, fast and physical.

– Trade Boeser (50% salary retention) for a first round pick, a roster winger and a mid-level prospect.

– Trade Soucy for a third rounder.

– Trade EP40 for a top-six center or top-pair RHD and two high-level prospects or one high-level prospect and a first round pick (NYI, PHI, CBJ, BUF are your targets).

– Trade Lankinen for a second round pick (if he can’t be re-signed) or a decent prospect.

– Trade Suter for a third round pick or a middle-six developing prospect winger.

– Trade Forbort for a third or fourth rounder.

Building blocks for a good team are here. If players want to hardball in negotiations, trade them for assets that can be used later (draft picks or future trades).

Ideal would be to not acquire any rental players, including own-rentals.

To add to that I would like to see pending UFA players be moved for potentially younger and faster players. I’ve said many times that I like Boeser, but if he can be moved for an early 20s guy on the cusp of a breakout, then do it.

One final move… move on from Pettersson if any trade presents itself where they can get a potential top-six center back without having to retain too much in salary. The excuses have run out and it’s time to move on.

This hopefully will set them up for a good UFA season with more cap space available.

I’d like to see the team commit to the reality that this is not the year to try to make a run. Deals should be to get rid of dead wood, weaponize cap space, and trade for picks/prospects and/or players with term.

– Trade Boeser; retain salary to maximize the return.

– Sign Lankinen at a starter’s compensation, or trade him.

– If Lankinen can be signed, trade Demko.

– Trade EP40, no retention, take the best offer available.

The only pressing issue is dealing with the UFAs on the roster. Major reconstruction (e.g. potentially trading Petey and/or Demko) is best left until the offseason. I would like to see Lankinen, Boeser, and Suter come back next year on reasonable contracts. If not, they should be traded before the TDL. Boeser MUST be traded before the TDL – otherwise, too much value may walk out on the Canucks on July 1st.

The perfect trade deadline for me having more draft picks after the deadline than before the deadline.