With just hours remaining until the NHL trade deadline (noon PT on Friday, March 7, 2025), tension is palpable among Vancouver Canucks fans.

To sell the farm or ride out the ship?

Let’s face it, the 2024-25 season has been a rollercoaster, marked by on/off-ice drama and an ongoing identity crisis that has left supporters questioning: Who are the Canucks, really? Are they a team poised to contend now, or need to pivot toward a longer-term vision?

However, the pendulum does appear to have shifted toward the latter within the market.

General Manager Patrik Allvin has provided some guidance recently, signalling a reluctance to tear it down. Yet, he’s also acknowledged the roster’s deficiencies for immediate playoff pushes and sustainable success. This suggests that while a fire sale isn’t on the horizon, the Canucks could still dangle some youthful assets to address pressing needs.

While not overflowing with elite talent, the club’s prospect pool contains a mix of players who could bolster the roster relatively soon or serve as trade chips to land impactful pieces.

But who stays, and who goes? Are there any untouchables in a system propped up by a few standouts but lacking overwhelming depth?

The Canucks have already shown a willingness to part with prospects, as evidenced by the Marcus Pettersson trade just weeks ago. They shipped out Melvin Fernström, their highest draft pick from the 2024 entry draft, and Jackson Dorrington in that deal.

Fernström has since erupted in the SHL, emerging as one of the league’s top producers post-trade. And while he may be considered a “project prospect”, the thought of that happening with some of the higher regarded prospects is enough to make Canucks fans shiver in fright.

With that in mind, let’s break down the Canucks’ prospect landscape and evaluate who should stay, who could go, and what it all means as the deadline clock ticks down.

For a team like the Canucks — neither basement-dwellers nor cup favorites — the concept of an “untouchable” prospect feels short-sighted. When you’re a middling club aiming to climb into perennial contender status, every asset should theoretically be on the table if the return strengthens the roster.

Vancouver’s depth chart reflects this reality: While anchored by a pair of “blue-chip” talents, it lacks the robust pipeline of a rebuilding juggernaut. If the (Marcus) Pettersson trade taught us anything, it’s that youth can be sacrificed for the right fit.

That said, the Canucks face glaring needs: top-six scoring punch, centre depth, and cost-controlled talent on entry-level contracts (ELCs). These gaps suggest that while no prospect is truly off-limits and the current depth cannot address all three, a few can hit on a couple of those needs.

Below, we highlight three prospects who should probably stay — barring a deal too good to refuse — followed by a trio whose stock makes them intriguing trade bait.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Vancouver’s sharpshooting winger, has been torching the AHL in his rookie season. He notched seven goals and sat at a point-per-game during an 11-game stretch before the call-up. With 19 goals in just 32 AHL games, he’s capitalizing at a rate few have matched in the league’s last two decades.

His lethal shot and offensive instincts make him a tantalizing prospect, especially for a Canucks team desperate for cheap, ELC-driven goals in the top six.

That said, Lekkerimäki remains a work in progress. Slight of frame and heavily offence-oriented, his NHL readiness hinges on whether his scoring touch fully translates against bigger, faster competition.

Still, his stock remains healthy thanks to this AHL tear, and his potential to address Vancouver’s scoring woes makes him a keeper — for now.

Allvin might listen if a trade offer includes a proven top-six forward, but Lekkerimäki’s upside suggests patience could pay off more significant dividends.

Tom Willander sits comfortably atop Vancouver’s prospect hierarchy, alongside Lekkerimäki.

The recently turned 20-year-old brings a tantalizing blend of attributes the Canucks sorely need: elite skating, defensive maturity, and a competitive edge that borders on ferocious.

A right-shot defender with poise beyond his years, Willander could step into Vancouver’s lineup as early as this spring and immediately rank among the team’s premier skaters. Will he be tasked with deployment in Vancouver out the gate? That remains to be seen. Yet, fans should expect him to play games at Rogers Arena within the calendar year.

Willander’s game is tailor-made for a Canucks blue line that has craved mobility and puck movement, and his ability to shut down plays while confidently transitioning the puck addresses immediate and long-term needs.

Trading him would require a substantial return—think a proven top-four defenceman or a high-end forward—and it’s hard to imagine a deal making sense. For now, he’s a cornerstone-in-waiting.

Elias Pettersson, the defenceman, is shedding his prospect label with every passing game. Now 21, he’s inching toward full-time NHL deployment, blending a meat-and-potatoes style with a physical, nasty streak that’s tough to find in young blueliners.

His transition to North American hockey has been seamless. While he’s made the occasional rookie mistake at the NHL level, his heads-up play and maturity suggest he’s nearly ready.

Pettersson’s ceiling may not match Willander’s or Lekkerimäki’s, but his reliability and physicality fill a depth role that doesn’t grow on trees. Trading him would only make sense if the return addresses a more pressing need. Otherwise, he’s too close to contributing to let him go lightly.

If the Canucks want to swing a deal that improves the roster now or fortifies the future, the rest of the prospect pool should be fair game. Here are three names whose stock could entice other teams:

Acquired as the centerpiece of the Bo Horvat trade in 2023, Aatu Räty has shown flashes of potential but hasn’t fully seized his upside as a top-six hopeful.

He’s proven a true faceoff ace, instantly propelling him into an echelon of need. However, his streaky production in the AHL — solid but unspectacular — continues to raise question marks about whether he’ll ever truly pan out into a prominent piece at the NHL level.

Räty’s value lies in his versatility and that niche faceoff skill, which could appeal to teams seeking depth down the middle. He’s not a headliner, but as a throw-in to sweeten a bigger deal, he could help push negotiations over the line.

A seventh-round gem from the 2022 draft, Kirill Kudryavtsev has defied the odds to become a legitimate prospect. The 20-year-old right-shot defenceman has posted an impressive 23 points in 47 AHL games this season, showcasing offensive instincts and steady play in Abbotsford.

For a Canucks’ system that long been thin on defensive depth, he’s a pleasant surprise. While trading him would be difficult for fans to swallow, his stock is as high as it could be. With the little room on the depth chart, it may be wise to sell while the iron is hot.

Given his young age, his skill set could be a valuable addition to a deal for a win-now piece up top.

Sawyer Mynio, a third-round pick in 2023, is currently honing his craft with the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL. Set to turn pro this off-season; his game has gained exposure with solid offensive numbers and an audition at the 2025 World Junior Championship with Team Canada. That international experience and boosted two-way polish have likely boosted his stock, transforming him from a mid-tier prospect into a name that might pique interest.

Mynio’s youth and potential make him a speculative trade chip — perfect for teams willing to gamble on a developing defenceman. If Vancouver needs to move him to land a more immediate contributor, his recent visibility could seal the deal.

As the trade deadline nears, the Vancouver Canucks find themselves at a crossroads. While the shelves have been boosted in recent years, it’s still not enough to warrant comfort for immediate aid in Vancouver.

Should the Vancouver Canucks dip into their prospect depth to add necessary pieces? What say you, Canucks fans?