The first shot was fired the evening of November 24th, 2025.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Vancouver Canucks were looking to move on from veterans, although superstar defenceman Quinn Hughes was not to be made available at the same time. A memo was sent out late Monday by the Canucks to the other 31 NHL teams stating that they are willing to have a conversation about their veteran players. Further reporting narrowed down the list to a select few veterans, with the focus being primarily on the Canucks’ own upcoming unrestricted free agents. Additional fuel was added to the fire with a couple of Jim Rutherford interviews, where he confirmed that the Canucks are looking to get younger.

With all this in mind, it would be prudent to determine the trade value of some of these players. Using the players suggested by CanucksArmy’s very own Irfaan Gaffar, we can narrow down the roster to who is most likely to be on the trade block.

Surely, the most tantalizing trade asset the Canucks have, and are willing to part with. A hitting machine with a motor that doesn’t stop, Sherwood would be an excellent addition to any lineup. His deceptive shot and smooth hands have him on pace to score over 40 goals. Teams looking to acquire him will point to an unsustainably high shooting percentage, just under 29%, as a means to dampen his trade value.

Over the past two seasons, there have been several trade comparables. Tyler Toffoli garnered the New Jersey Devils second and third-round picks. Andrew Mangiapane and Anthony Beauvillier both returned second-round draft picks. Tanner Jeannot, a worse player than Sherwood, netted the Lightning a second- and fourth-round selection.

Bruins Acquire: Petr Hauser, Max Wanner, second-round 2025 (STL), fourth-round 2026 (EDM) (50% retention on Frederic’s contract)
Devils Acquire: Shane Lachance (25% retention on Frederic’s contract)
Oilers Acquire: Trent Frederic, Max Jones

A key difference between this trade and any trade involving Sherwood is that no retention would be required to obtain him. His contract is meagre, and most teams are flush with cap space. Another main difference is that Frederic was alternating between injury and unproductive play on his way to free agency.

This trade should reveal the floor of what Canucks fans should expect in return for their own winger. With Sherwood having a banner season, it is safe to upgrade the draft pick to a first-round pick or the prospects from marginal to significant. Given that caveat, a return for Sherwood should include a first-round pick or an equivalent prospect, plus a B-tier prospect or a mid-round draft pick.

Blueger and Kämpf are being lumped together because they fill the same role on a team as solid fourth-line centres with the ability to play on the third line in a pinch. Blueger has been injured for the vast majority of the season, only appearing in two games, and has suffered frequent setbacks. The newly signed Kämpf has also appeared in only four games for Vancouver after starting the season in the AHL and falling out of favour with the Maple Leafs’ head coach, Craig Berube. As a result, both players’ trade values are suppressed.

If both players were playing up to their typical standards, they would have similar value to what Brandon Duhaime received (third-round pick) or Lars Eller (third-round and fifth-round picks). Other comparables range from a bevy of late-round draft picks.

Sharks Acquire: Fourth-round 2026 (FLA)
Panthers Acquire: Nico Sturm, seventh-round 2027 (SJS)

With both Blueger and Kämpf’s struggles, this should be seen as a best-case scenario for both players. Sturm, like the Canucks’ pivots, is a bottom-six centre whose best role is anchoring the fourth line with dependable play. Getting a mid-round pick for either, while throwing in a seventh-round draft pick or valueless prospect to take up a contract slot, would be acceptable given both Canucks different struggles.

We should note that we expect only one of the two players to move, as they fill a hole at 4C for the Canucks. And considering Kämpf was just brought in, it’s more likely to be Blueger. However, the report said all upcoming UFAs, so we had to include Kämpf in this list.

In any given year, depth defencemen are seen packing their bags at the trade deadline. The adage that you can never have too many defencemen for a playoff run has frequently held true. Unfortunately for Forbort and the Canucks, an injured depth player carries no value. Forbort is rugged but has been unable to get through an NHL season without harm. Over his last seven seasons, only one of them could credibly be called healthy.

Still, given Forbort’s pedigree as one of the league’s premier penalty-killing defencemen, there’s a good chance he’ll drum up some form of interest. Those with similar profiles usually require an investment of anywhere between a fourth- or seventh-round draft pick. With his inability to be available, a later round pick makes the most sense.

Blues Acquire: Seventh-round 2024 (NYI)
Islanders Acquire: Robert Bortuzzo

Bortuzzo had only played four games for the Blues in 2023 before being traded to the Islanders. Like Forbort, his traits also include the words “rugged”, “aging”, and “defence-first”. Unless the Canucks penalty-killer supreme can return from injury and reestablish himself, this is the max anyone should expect. To even receive a late-round draft pick in exchange for him, he still needs to get back on the ice first.

It’s no secret that Tyler Myers has struggled this season. There’s a whole host of reasons for that, but the bottom line is that it hasn’t been a banner year for him. Luckily for the Canucks, his overall profile is one that teams crave.

Myers boasts every intangible that teams have been screaming about since the NHL’s inception. He’s big; he’s strong; he’s great in the room; he has some offensive instincts. Name a buzzword that pundits love to shout during the playoffs, and it can be applied to Tyler Myers. So even as he struggles through the season and is signed into the next, that won’t limit his trade value.

What limits his trade value is his full no-movement clause. He is a celebrated family man, affectionately called “Dad” by some of his teammates, and that moniker is justified. He resides in Kelowna and specifically chose Vancouver as the destination for his family. It has been reported that many around the league doubt he would be willing to waive his NMC mid-season. With this in mind, while there may be many suitors for him, the geographic constraints may prove to be too much to overcome.

Penguins Acquire: Second-round 2026 (WPG), fourth-round 2027 (WPG)
Jets Acquire: Luke Schenn

There is no more perfect comparable in this entire exercise than this. Schenn, a former Canuck and teammate of Myers, has all the same qualities that many rave about for the current Canucks defencemen. Schenn, like Myers, was signed for another season, too. Given the big caveats with Myers, if he is willing to waive his NMC, and the geographical constraints aren’t so restrictive that more than three teams can make a pitch for him, then this is the type of return Canucks fans can expect.

While it has been floated that Conor Garland’s name is out in the rumour mill, neither Elliotte Friedman nor Irfaan Gaffar is convinced that he’s a guy the Canucks are trying to move. With his name out there, it would be prudent to include him.

With his upcoming extension, there aren’t any good trade comparables. The few times a player has been traded before their own extension kicks in, it was for players viewed as budding superstars.

Sharks Acquire: David Edstrom, first-round 2025 (VGK), (17.1% retention on Frederic’s contract)
Golden Knights Acquire: Tomas Hertl, third-round 2025 (SJS), third-round 2027 (SJS)

This is far from a perfect comparison. Hertl is a large centre that had flirted with being a point-per-game player, while Garland is a small winger who consistently produces 50-point seasons. Garland’s contract, however, will not require any retention. While not tested, the league has made it clear that extensions count as continuations of a current contract. So if the Canucks were to retain salary on Garland’s current contract, they would be retaining the same percentage on his extension for the next six seasons. That would be untenable.

With a limited history in these types of trades, it’s hard to get a clear idea of what Garland would return. Something around Garland and another mid-tier asset probably does fetch a first-round pick and a B-tier prospect. It is hard to be confident, though.

The most surprising aspect of Kane’s time with the Canucks is that he’s been healthy. He’s struggled to stay off the injured list for almost his entire career. Given his lengthy injury history, physical play, and age (34), it should be seen as a positive that he’s been able to wear a Canucks’ sweater for every game. His production is roughly what should be expected.

Depending on the interested parties’ cap situation, Kane’s contract may be a hindrance. The Canucks have two retention slots remaining, and with his status as a pending UFA, you would think that one of those slots is reserved for him. The burly winger’s NTC is prohibitive but not overly restrictive. He has stated that he wants to continue playing after this season; he should be motivated to accept a trade to whichever destination offers him the best opportunity to showcase himself.

Senators Acquire: Third-round 2025 (FLA), fourth-round (FLA), (50% retention on Tarasenko’s contract)
Panthers Acquire: Vlad Tarasenko

Over the last several seasons, players with Kane’s profile have consistently been traded for mid-round draft picks. Mason Marchment, another example, was traded for third- and fourth-round draft picks this offseason. The Tarasenko comparison is quite strong. Although the return could have been larger, as Tarasenko said he would only waive his no-trade clause to go to the Panthers. Tarasenko was also having a better offensive season, but Kane brings the aforementioned physicality and has been a factor in four straight playoff runs.

It’s also been rumoured that the Canucks are looking for young players rather than draft picks. As the majority of in-season trades involved draft picks, the above comparisons lean that way. Perhaps the Canucks acquire draft picks and swap them for players, as they have done numerous times before with the JT Miller and Bo Horvat trades.

It’s been openly acknowledged by Canucks’ President Jim Rutherford that roster changes are coming and that veterans will be moved out to get the team younger. These are the players expected to pop up in the rumour mill over the coming weeks. If there’s one thing we know about Rutherford, it’s that he likes to work quickly. Canucks fans won’t have to wait long to see whether these comparisons are accurate or whether the Canucks add new data points.