Late on Thursday evening, just 15 hours before the official NHL Trade Deadline, the Vancouver Canucks pulled off yet another rebuilding trade.

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Canucks have sent forward Conor Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In return, Vancouver will receive a second- and third-round pick.

Shortly after, LeBrun followed his reporting with details of the picks: a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-round pick in 2026.

Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal shared after the trade announcement that there is no retention on the deal, and that Garland’s agent helped facilitate the move.

Garland, 29, was acquired by the Canucks from the Arizona Coyotes, along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, in 2021. In exchange, they sent cap-dumps Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel, a 2021 first-round pick (Dylan Guenther), a 2022 second-round pick (traded) and a 2023 seventh-round pick (traded).

Throughout his first four seasons in Vancouver, the 5’10” winger has been a consistent offensive contributor, scoring between 46 and 52 points. Garland topped out in his first season with the Canucks, where he scored 19 goals and 33 assists for 52 points with a plus-18 rating in 77 games in the 2021-22 season.

Fans will remember Garland best for his efforts on the Canucks’ third line of the 2023-24 season, where he showed exceptional chemistry with Dakota Joshua and Teddy Blueger. As well as chanting his name in Rogers Arena after some crucial playoff goals during that season’s playoff run.

This season, Garland has battled through various injuries that have limited him to just 50 of a possible 61 games. Despite the team plummeting to the bottom of the NHL standings, the Scituate, Massachusetts, native has seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points. Garland’s career numbers with the Canucks will finish at 82 goals, 139 assists, and 221 points in 371 games.

Over the past few days, Garland has been linked to various teams, including the New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, and his eventual destination, Columbus. An added wrinkle in the Garland discussions was his six-year, $36 million extension he signed with the Canucks this past offseason. His upcoming contract carries a $6 million average annual value and a full no-movement clause through the first three years, and a 15-team no-trade list in the final three.

With the newly acquired picks, the Canucks now have a pick in each of the first six rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft, totalling eight draft picks in total: 1st (VAN), 1st (MIN), 2nd (VAN), 2nd (SJS), 3rd (CBJ), 4th (VAN), 5th (VAN), 6th (VAN). The Canucks traded their third-round pick in the Nikita Zadorov trade in 2024. The second-round selection in 2028 now gives the Canucks multiple second-round picks in each of the next three seasons.

Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin shared this statement in the official press release:

“We really appreciate all that Conor has done for the hockey club and want to thank him for his five years in Vancouver,” said Allvin. “A play driver and strong competitor, he was a key contributor on the ice. Collecting two more draft picks aligns really well with our vision moving forward and will help us in our rebuild.”