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The Stanchies: Canucks celebrate trade deadline with 6-3 victory over Blackhawks
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Photo credit: © Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The Stanchion
Mar 7, 2026, 05:16 EST
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With the trade deadline behind them, the Vancouver Canucks managed to pull off the rare feat of a victory by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3. The score is a bit flattering in that two of those goals were of the empty net variety, but a Vancouver win, in this economy? You don’t bother too much with the details.
I have to surmise that many players on the team were wondering if they were going to be tapped on the shoulder and given their ticket to freedom by noon on Friday. A chance to escape the losses and be a part of the playoffs, watching Colorado steamroll through en route to victory? That sounds like an upgrade to having to read about me making stupid jokes about the losses. I will admit that.
After the dust settled, however, we still have a team on our hands. Lots of players were moved out, even if it felt like there was still a little meat on the bone for your liking. In a vacuum, I think the team did perfectly fine at the deadline, even if half of their moves were to try to fix their own mistakes. There is just something depressing about watching a team trade away a player in Lukas Reichel to recoup a sixth rounder to try and offset the fourth they gave up for him.
You’d also be remiss if you didn’t wonder if trading Fil Hronek, despite his loyalty to this club, could have been something to lean on. The market for right-handed defenceman is always a hot one, but there are future deadlines for that. Drew O’Connor, in particular, strikes me as a perfect player to play and invest in so you can flip him for a haul at a future deadline.
Which brings us to the main point: if Vancouver keeps investing in this route, they have a good chance of acquiring the volume of draft picks needed to get a win or two in the draft. It will take 3-5 years to truly turn things around, and one only has to look over at Calgary to see the head start they have on the Canucks to realize you really have to commit to the process if you want it to work.
You’re also very valid in worrying that the team will trade future draft picks away at the first hint of success. That the rebuild is in name only, and the second the owner thinks the playoffs are in sight, short-term gains are back on the menu, boys.
But for now, all you can do is hope that this deadline was a sign of actual change. That, despite 10+ years of evidence to the contrary, the team will try to build an actual foundation for this team to make the playoffs seasonally. I don’t quite picture that the turnaround will happen under current management, but at least a lot of the core that was around for the EP40 and JT Miller divorce has been exorcised. This team dearly needs a fresh start, and it needs new voices to lead them, so hopefully younger players step up to fill the void. It’s vital that this team build a new culture because that will be a key part in keeping the fanbase engaged during the tough times of a rebuild.
And I also have to think that the players that got left behind at the deadline have a certain amount of stress off their shoulders. No more wondering if they’re going to be traded, no more wishing for a change of scenery. It is what it is for the rest of the season, so I feel like that would be a very freeing sort of moment for the team. I don’t think it was the engine of the victory tonight, but it probably helped. You’re here for the long haul, so you might as well just have fun and play some hockey.
Which is what they did against Chicago. Sure, the logical part of your brain wants as many losses as possible to ensure the best lottery odds, but nothing is guaranteed in this life. It’s Vancouver, so you have to automatically assume they’ll drop to third, much like they did in the draft lottery simulation TSN ran Friday morning.
So if they win, sure, why not? Have at it, boys, and enjoy a rare moment of relief. There are long days ahead before the sunshine hits, so get your smiles when you can.
In the meantime, we still have a game to go over, so let’s get into it.
Best damning praise
This is like when my mom proudly talks about my sister’s accomplishments at the family dinner and then turns to me and politely asks me to pass the mashed potatoes. This is essentially Allvin being willing to admit that Evander Kane is, in fact, a person on this planet, but that’s about it.
And look, I imagine Evander Kane doesn’t want to be here anymore than the team or fanbase seems to want him around. If ever there was a divorce made in heaven, it was this pairing.
But if I could offer up some free advice to Allvin, it would be to play the cards a little closer to the chest. There is always a line of honesty and lying in sports, but you have to know where to pick your spots. Claiming publicly that there wasn’t a market for certain players in two consecutive trade deadlines is absolutely wild stuff to me.
I also don’t think he realizes that his inability to generate a market for said players is more of a reflection on him, as he a) put together this roster and b) should, as a general manager, be able to drum up interest in players by selling their good qualities. I can only assume cold calling another team and being like “So hey, Evander Kane is a player currently in the NHL.” and then silently waiting for an offer would yield low returns. Can you imagine the scene of Kane playing his 1000th game with Vancouver this season? It is going to have the kind of awkward vibes normally reserved for a business plan from Nathan Fielder.
But hey, maybe Allvin is swinging for the fences on the phones and doing his best Don Draper impersonation to dress these players up. It still doesn’t make sense to then publicly state that nobody seems to want them, or, like last season, claim the players play on the ice is the only thing that dictates trade value, which is another fun way of saying, publicly, that the players stink.
All in all, I walk away from every Allvin press conference with the distinct impression that he might be in over his head, and today was no different.
Best hot and heavy
Ryan Donato, who I have firmly told my brain is not in fact Ted Donato, opened the scoring for Chicago in a way that felt all too familiar; A Canucks d-man (Tom Willander in this case) gave up the middle of the ice, leading to open ice for Donato to rush into, eventually beating Nikita Tolopilo after a lucky bounce off the back boards:
It’s been a bit of a Vancouver tradition under Adam Foote for d-men to inexplicably give up the middle of the ice, and while this wasn’t the most egregious version of it from Willander, it’s still something you hope a new coach can iron out of their game. The lunging poke check from Tom just stalls his momentum, and he gets caught absolutely flat-footed by the non-Ted Donato version of a hockey player, leading to the first goal for Chicago.
That being said, that’s a very very fortuitous bounce for Chicago, which is why Marcus Pettersson is late on the scene to help out because damn it, why would a puck bounce out like that, it feels very cruel to do that.
Normally, this is the part of the game where you sit back and openly ponder if the Canucks are going to lose 5-1 or 6-1 on the night, but Chicago is also a team looking to ethically lose some hockey games for lottery positioning. Their fan base loved this game in much the same way Vancouver fans have loved some of the losses from the Canucks. Chicago had some bright moments from their players, but ultimately lost, making it a great tank game for them, even if it feels like they’re jacking our swag. Did Ashley Tisdale wear their jeans? I think not.
The point is, Vancouver flipped the script and scored almost immediately after Chicago got their goal, when Drew O’Connor scored the most Drew O’Connor goal of all time:
Things to note on this goal:
  • Drew O’Connor attacking the boards and lifting the stick of Andrew Mangiapane, which causes the puck to slide towards Evander Kane, which eventually leads to the puck being cycled over to Tom Willander, who takes the shot on net.
  • Drew O’Connor, who initiated this play, finishes the play by skating hard to the net and setting up shop in the crease.
I am telling you, if this team cannot get a huge return at next year’s trade deadline, they all need to be removed from their jobs. A big guy with speed, who plays in the dirty areas, and can score at almost a 20-goal clip? That’s the stuff trade deadline dreams are made of. That should be the main goal from the Canucks this season, signing a bunch of gritty tall dudes to reasonably priced one-year deals they can flip at the deadline.
At this point, I would just put Drew on the first line next year and try to juice him to 30 goals. Why not at this point?
And speaking of 30-goal scorers, Jake DeBrusk finally made an appearance, as he would deliver his own tip of defiance when he got a stick on a Zeev Buium point shot:
Things to note on this goal:
  • That is absolutely atrocious defensive coverage from Tyler Bertuzzi and Oliver Moore off of this faceoff, so it’s nice to know other teams do this as well. They just sort of stop skating and stare in the general direction of the puck before seemingly thinking, “job well done boys, time for beer,” and then patiently watching Buium take a shot on net.
  • Alex Vlasic also does a pretty terrible job of containment, as he, too, seemingly gets caught up in the frame-mogging by Buium, allowing Jake DeBrusk to skate right by him and get a deft tip on the shot.
  • I’m happy that a Kuzmenko and Hamhuis jersey got to celebrate this goal in the crowd.
Best deal or no deal
Teddy “No Offers” Blueger would then set up Max Sasson to almost make the game 3-1, only to be denied by Arvid Soderblom:
Perhaps enraged by Max Sasson’s inability to garner him an assist, Teddy then took things into his own hands by making it 3-1 himself a of shift later:
Things to note on this goal:
  • I like how now that the deadline has passed, Marcus Pettersson is out here looking like a young Tyler Myers. Just going full Chaos Giraffe as he dangles through the offensive zone out of nowhere.
  • Max Sasson made a really smart defensive play to get the puck back to Vancouver, and then turned around and generated the zone entry with possession that led to the goal. His ability to use his speed and then cut back to buy time for trailing teammates is one of his best assets; the other one being his ability to change how his last name is pronounced from month to month.
  • I refuse to believe there wasn’t a market for Teddy Blueger.
  • Chicago just wasn’t moving their feet at all in this period. Nothing against that dashing run by MP3, but the amount of one-handed, not-skating-because-skating-is-hard moments from the Blackhawks was very noticeable. Which again, stop stealing Vancouver’s best bits, get your own thing.
Best homecoming
I included this next clip of Connor Bedard to showcase how skilled he is, but mostly how much I enjoyed Brock Boeser going full “he’s the fastest kid alive” and just pointing and telling Marcus Pettersson to take over coverage:
I respect a man who knows his limitations.
Best Milford Man moment
Ilya Mikheyev continues to be a reliable 30+ point scorer in the NHL, even if my brain retconned his time in Vancouver as one where he struggled to score five points in a season.
Alas, hockey stats prove me wrong as his 28 and 31-point seasons with Vancouver were right in line with what he normally does, so we shouldn’t be too surprised he lit the lamp on Friday:
He doesn’t do much aside from silently sliding into place while Oliver Moore charges down the ice and eventually finds Ilya for the finish. A nice tidy bit of business, but another sign that the first period wasn’t exactly a defensive masterclass.
Best second period in a nutshell
The Canucks can probably be forgiven for sitting back for the majority of the second and third period, as they haven’t had a lead this late in a game in a long while. They were too busy wondering what to do with their hands, so it led to a limited amount of offence from their side of the ice.
Which meant Chicago got to press their advantage, but due to them also being a rather terrible team, it didn’t amount to a ton of offensive chances? That being said, Tolopilo made a huge save off of a Frank Nazar (tell me that isn’t the perfect name for a singer from the 70’s) in the slot in the middle of the second period power play:
And when Tolopilo wasn’t there to make the save, luck showed its head and decided to take pity on Vancouver, as Connor Bedard hit iron on a nice shot from the slot:
I haven’t seen Bedard that frustrated since he left his car parked in the driveway before keyless remote entry.
But as with all things in life, Ilya Mikheyev is always lurking around the corner, ready to take you down and ruin your life, as his forecheck late in the third period led to Nazar tying the game up on a tip off of a Vlasic point shot:
Zeev Buium lost the footrace, which is nothing to be ashamed of, due to the fact that Ilya’s biggest weapon is his speed. Unless it’s in an injury-filled stay with Vancouver, then his special weapon is being the Russian player Rick Tocchet isn’t yelling at all the time.
Best I wanna be a Brock star
Before we get to Boeser’s game-winning goal, I would be remiss if we didn’t showcase Jake DeBrusk doing his best to anger every person who likes to scream “SHOOOOOT” at their TV:
That’s some good puck movement on the power play, and ultimately at this point nothing matters, so I find it hard to get riled up over anything, but I will say I would have preferred Jake shoot that puck instead of passing to EP40.
It almost kind of worked, and I see the vision, but we’re just normal men. We’re just innocent men. Keep it simple and shoot the puck, be selfish.
Which brings us to Brock Boeser, who had no problem shooting/bunting a puck after Soderblom made an atrocious play on a simple shot from the corner, popping the puck into the air, ripe for the picking:
That’s a glorious goal from Boeser, who seems to have, if not found his scoring touch as of late, at least remembered which pair of pants he left it in.
Do I know why Soderblom made that play? Bees. Always bees.
Best 60% of the time it works every time
With Vancouver holding a one-goal lead once again, thanks to Boeser’s goal, it meant sitting back and doing the ol’ “good road win” by setting up the bus and praying the other team doesn’t score.
And for the most part, it worked!
Oliver Moore tried to beat Nikita Tolopilo, but was stoned by the lanky legs of the Belarusian:
I’m going to be honest, I took a shot at spelling Matt Grzelcyk’s name without looking it up, and it did not go well. Neither did his shot attempt on Tolopilo, who stretched out to get his pinky toe on a shot from the crease:
And then Oliver Moore thought he had a goal, but once again, Tolopilo was there to ruin and shatter the dreams of his fellow man:
Also, shout out to Zeev Buium for deciding that taking Ryan Donato out into the boards was probably the best solution to the problem at hand. As this team loses over the next few seasons, and oh, they’ll lose, a healthy injection of violence into the lineup will go a long way with the fan base. The first guy to win a fight and dust off his hands afterwards will be a local hero, I’m telling you. The bar isn’t very high right now.
Best Vitor Belfort coded content
The closest Chicago would get to beating Tolopilo again was Landon Slaggert (Third year in House Slytherin?) blatantly cheating and trying to use his feet to score a goal. Disgusting:
I do enjoy how emphatically Fil Hronek and D Elias Pettersson waive off the goal immediately.
The Canucks clearly got a bit lucky on this one, but kudos to DP25 for boxing out Slaggert enough that his only choice was to be a despicable cheater who tried to kick his way to the top. This isn’t the All Valley Karate Tournament, buds.
Best finishing touch
If Max Sasson doesn’t star in the next Top Gun movie, then what’s the point of any of this?
For what it’s worth, that was probably Sasson’s best game of the season. He was noticeable in a low-event game, and he bounced back very quickly after being the culprit of a goal against in the Carolina game. As always, his speed is his top asset, and there is very little reason I see to keep him out of the lineup for the rest of the year.
Unless you’re worried he’s going to ruin the tank with his speed on empty net goals.
Best in show
And just for posterity, here is Brock netting his second goal of the game:
And that was the ballgame. Canucks won, the team got to feel good for a night, and then the tank continues tomorrow at 4 pm.
Hurray!
Best checking in
Obviously, playing on a high-scoring, talented team helps. There is no way Vasili Podkolzin is putting up many numbers on this year’s Canucks squad.
But I have always wondered why the Canucks gave up so quickly on a young player as they did with Podkolzin. Not saying he’s a superstar, but he is looking like an effective NHL player, and as we’ve seen with Vancouver, those aren’t always as easy to find as you think.
Best palette cleanser
The good news is the Oilers still lost that game, so here’s Brock Boeser being happy after the victory.
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