The Vancouver Canucks are one of the more intriguing teams going into the February 29th trade deadline. They hold some of the best rental options on the market, but don’t seem keen on going the route of a traditional firesale. Looking at the Hunter Shinkaruk for Markus Granlund trade, one could argue they’re a lot closer to a buyer than seller so far.

That doesn’t bode well for a franchise who’s playoff chances number in the single-digits by percentile going into the deadline. Short of dealing an impending UFA or two, the fan base will be in an uproar on the other side of February. 

If the last two years have taught us anything about Jim Benning and how he plans to navigate this rebuild, it’s that he’s not in the business of settling for futures. The modus operandi on Pat Quinn Way is to up the percentages when possible and take on certainty elsewhere. If you’re expecting Radim Vrbata or Dan Hamhuis to be dealt, don’t expect the return to be centered on picks.

Should history repeat itself, let’s look at the four best candidates the Canucks should be keying in on.

Before settling for Granlund on Monday, the Canucks were apparently shopping Shinkaruk in the hopes of landing a defenceman. Makes sense. The Canucks have depth on the blue line of their prospect pool but lack a game breaker from the back end.

I’m not sure Eric Gelinas was within reach for Shinkaruk, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Gelinas has struggled to land with the Devils in a full-time capacity through consecutive coaching regimes and appears to have taken a step back this season, if anything.

Gelinas is a high-end, play driving defender with offensive upside to match. Like many a young defender, Gelinas’ struggles can be marked by the occasional gaffe from his own end. This more than likely plays a role in his part-time career as an NHL’er to this stage. Gelinas is a net positive on the whole, though, so I think these blunders might be getting lost in the bigger picture.

If the New Jersey Devils can’t see the forest for the trees here, maybe the Canucks can. Gelinas is just 24-years old and entering the prime of his career. Have to think the Devils have devalued Gelinas to the point where he’s in reach for a reasonable cost. If that’s the case, the Canucks should make the call.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Canucks should be interested in acquiring Patrick Wiercioch from the Ottawa Senators. If you’re looking for a player to sell the fans on, it certainly doesn’t hurt that Wiercioch was born in Burnaby and grew up in the Lower Mainland. Not to mention, he’s a really damn good hockey player.

The Senators are in a chase for the playoffs and don’t appear keen on unloading in the process. Prying away a defender they’ve relied upon in spot duty all season will be difficult – especially when the alternative is Mark Borowiecki. I don’t think they’re that attached to Wiercioch though. The Dion Phaneuf trade probably makes him a little more expendable. 

For reasons that escape, the Calgary Flames are rumoured to be shopping young utility forward, Josh Jooris. Jooris broke into the scene last season in a bottom-six role for the Flames, as an ace penalty killer and defensively sound forward that can play anywhere on the bottom two lines. You’re not going to get a lot of offence from Jooris, but he does all the little things well and that adds up over the course of a season.

You’re not exactly moving the needle towards contention with Jooris, but if you’re looking to stay competitive over the course of the quasi-rebuild, this is a player that definitely helps the cause. Jooris is the fifth-ranked Flames skater over the last two seasons by way of shot suppression on the penalty kill. At even strength, he’s the Flames best regular skater by this metric over the course of two seasons. His defensive value is through the roof. The Canucks bleed shots and chances. Seems like a good fit at a low cost.

The Canucks have to swing for the fences at some point. Thing is, you can add up ten depth pieces and they won’t amount to one top of the lineup player. You can’t make up quality with volume. You just can’t. Taking a flier on Yakupov represents a high-risk, high-reward maneuver. The kind this franchise needs to bust the tank to contention route of development.

Whether they can salvage Yakupov’s career to the point where he develops into a first-line talent, that’s great. If not, you’re stuck with a cost-controlled middle of the lineup player with upside. There’s much worse fates one could suffer.