Rumor: Canucks Now Looking to Add Mid 20s Impact Forward

[Diogenes92]

People thought the most impatient owner in the league who hates draft picks would consider a rebuild

Funny

Its funny because all of the Canucks best players are 1st round and 2nd round picks

 

[Fatass]

Its funny because all of the Canucks best players are 1st round and 2nd round picks

Aren’t most club’s best players first and second round picks, whether their own or traded for?

 

[Soups On]

Any talk of Willander ends immediately. He'll be on his 3 year ELC playing beside Hughes or Pettersson immediately and the value cannot be matched. It's always risky to make these assumptions but he is so polished and excels in so many areas, I just don't see him missing.

I see the Canucks going for guys that might be overpaid and need a change of scenery rather than packaging players like Lekkerimaki or Willander seeing as those two are likely to make an impact at an incredibly low cap cost as soon as next season.

With that said, they're probably more likely to give up Lekkerimaki if they get a cost controlled 24-28 year old top 6 C/W from a rebuilding team that is accumulating young players.

Cozens, Tippett, Crouse, Novak, and a guy like Zetterlund could be reasonable targets. Norris may have been a candidate but why would Ottawa trade him right now? Zegras would get eaten alive by Tocchet.

 

[IComeInPeace]

Maybe it is far fetched but Rosen is 2nd in goal scoring in the AHL right now - not among rookies among everyone. He is available but not for cheap

Jonathan Lekkerimaki is a similar undersized skilled RW…and he has 14 goals in 24 games in his first AHL season, and is a year younger than Rosen.

Lekkerimaki’s GPG (0.58) is higher than Rosen’s was in his rookie season (0.21 GPG), sophomore season (0.3 GPG) and tied with Rosen’s GPG this season…

At worst Lekkerimaki is on par with Rosen as a prospect.

Taking nothing away from Rosen, but we don’t need another somewhat undersized one dimensional winger right now. That doesn’t move the needle for us.

 

[Luck 6]

It's Barzal not Barzel and no. This trade doesn't even help the Islanders rebuild, it just makes them worse and offsets it by adding in a 1st and Lekkerimaki. You want Barzal, remove Hoglander and Garland and upgrade the player substantially to something close to Barzal in terms of puck possession and skillset. Not a 3rd liner in Hoglander (who's a whopping 5'9) and an undersized grinder who's projected to have a career year. Barzal isn't the guy you sell off anyways and I could name the pieces to move out on the Isles roster.


After all the terrible trade offers on here for Barzal posted by Canucks fans, you guys are adding in the picks.

I honestly think that’s a good offer in real world terms for Barzal.

A 1st that could potentially be high. Lekkermaki is a top end prospect. Hoglander is young with upside still, but even if he is just a 3rd liner, whatever. Garland is a top 6 forward in his prime, signed for one more year after this one, I bet you get a 1st for him if you want to move him, or a 2nd and 4th or something like that.

When you break it down, it’s really not bad. As a Canuck fan I don’t know if I’d do that…

 

[Fatass]

Any talk of Willander ends immediately. He'll be on his 3 year ELC playing beside Hughes or Pettersson immediately and the value cannot be matched. It's always risky to make these assumptions but he is so polished and excels in so many areas, I just don't see him missing.

I see the Canucks going for guys that might be overpaid and need a change of scenery rather than packaging players like Lekkerimaki or Willander seeing as those two are likely to make an impact at an incredibly low cap cost as soon as next season.

With that said, they're probably more likely to give up Lekkerimaki if they get a cost controlled 24-28 year old top 6 C/W from a rebuilding team that is accumulating young players.

Cozens, Tippett, Crouse, Novak, and a guy like Zetterlund could be reasonable targets. Norris may have been a candidate but why would Ottawa trade him right now? Zegras would get eaten alive by Tocchet.

Allvin/Rutherford wanted a legit top four D and used the assets from their Miler trade to accomplish that end. They previously did the same with the Hronek add using the Horvat trade assets.
Maybe Buffalo needs to get picks/prospects for their trade targets (Cozens, Byram) and then use those assets to get the nhl players they want?

 

[Johnsie19]

I honestly think that’s a good offer in real world terms for Barzal.

A 1st that could potentially be high. Lekkermaki is a top end prospect. Hoglander is young with upside still, but even if he is just a 3rd liner, whatever. Garland is a top 6 forward in his prime, signed for one more year after this one, I bet you get a 1st for him if you want to move him, or a 2nd and 4th or something like that.

When you break it down, it’s really not bad. As a Canuck fan I don’t know if I’d do that…

As Canucks fans we've been in trade negotiations for Horvat, Miller, Petey, and Miller again over the last few yrs. We have a decent idea of what a top center can return in a trade. But ya Barzal has added value because of contract. This is a lot to give but I'd do it. We are going to be in tough trying to get a 2c now. I'd happily trade our 1st, Lek + for a good young one.

 

[Cloned]

Pettersson for Luka Doncic

Probably a better return than what the Mavs actually got.

 

[Fatass]

As Canucks fans we've been in trade negotiations for Horvat, Miller, Petey, and Miller again over the last few yrs. We have a decent idea of what a top center can return in a trade. But ya Barzal has added value because of contract. This is a lot to give but I'd do it. We are going to be in tough trying to get a 2c now. I'd happily trade our 1st, Lek + for a good young one.

Dors Lou make these kinds of “futures” deals?

 

[Diogenes92]

Aren’t most club’s best players first and second round picks, whether their own or traded for?

Most likely. I was referring to Hughes/Boeser/Pettersson/Demko. Their entire core is high picks, which this team constantly trades away to take shortcuts instead of hoarding them.

 

[Forsbergaura21]

This screams Zegras to me. Impact guy, mid 20s in age, not living up to his contract…and available for trade

 

[miscs75]

I honestly think that’s a good offer in real world terms for Barzal.

A 1st that could potentially be high. Lekkermaki is a top end prospect. Hoglander is young with upside still, but even if he is just a 3rd liner, whatever. Garland is a top 6 forward in his prime, signed for one more year after this one, I bet you get a 1st for him if you want to move him, or a 2nd and 4th or something like that.

When you break it down, it’s really not bad. As a Canuck fan I don’t know if I’d do that…

Issue comes down to fit for the Isles. The pieces replacing Barzal won’t fill what the Isles are moving. Sure on paper the Isles get a 2nd line winger and Hoglander plus the pick that’s a mystery and Lekkerimaki but I’d rather have Barzal and what he brings. Puck possession alone is among the top in the league. They need another Barzal on the roster if anything, not one less and filler pieces. Ideally adding in a Garland and removing Pageau/Palmieri/Lee, helps them on the wing down the line, not removing them all and Barzal to only offset it with Connor Garland in the top 6. You can push a young 3rd liner in Hoglander but he’s just that, a young undersized Hoglander. The Islanders currently have Simon Holmstrom who fits that 3rd line spot perfectly and it’s a decent penalty killer with a lethal shot.

 

[M2Beezy]

Canucks should target Barzel out of New York.

To Vancouver: Barzel, 2026 3rd, 2027 3rd

To NYIslanders: Brock Boeser, Romanov, Kunz, 2026 5th

 

[miscs75]

Canucks should target Barzel out of New York.

To Vancouver: Barzel, 2026 3rd, 2027 3rd

To NYIslanders: Brock Boeser, Romanov, Kunz, 2026 5th

First, this is terrible for the Isles and 2nd the bolded is already with the Isles.

 

[Beerz]

So a JT Miller type?

Mid 20s not mid 30s

I think Cozens is most likely a solid 2C level player. He put up 47 points in 79 games last year as a 22/23 year old. He's having a down year this year but would be more like a 2C with 1C upside.

Meh.. I don't think he has 1C upside. I would even be surprised with 2C because I think he will ultimately be a winger.

 

[cvaicunas]

You know who they should target? Mathew Barzal.

Garland, Hoglander, Lekkerimaki, 1st for Barzal, 3rd. Cap evens out pretty good. NYI can take this as a jump start on a rebuild. Looking at their roster, I don't see a lot of hope for the near future, nor do I see a ton of young assets that make me think it's worth holding on to mediocrity. Sell off Barzel and Dobson for good returns, sell of the older guys like Nelson, JGP, etc as needed, and look to rebuild.

Vancouver gets a replacement 1C/2C that they desperately need.

With the Isle's play of late, do we realistically expect them to be selling off? I mean, maybe if they fallout before the deadline. Although, I'm not pretending to have the faintest clue what that team's situation is.

 

[SEALBound]

With the Isle's play of late, do we realistically expect them to be selling off? I mean, maybe if they fallout before the deadline. Although, I'm not pretending to have the faintest clue what that team's situation is.

Yeah, winning 7 straight definitely helps.

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

Jonathan Lekkerimaki is a similar undersized skilled RW…and he has 14 goals in 24 games in his first AHL season, and is a year younger than Rosen.

Lekkerimaki’s GPG (0.58) is higher than Rosen’s was in his rookie season (0.21 GPG), sophomore season (0.3 GPG) and tied with Rosen’s GPG this season…

At worst Lekkerimaki is on par with Rosen as a prospect.

Taking nothing away from Rosen, but we don’t need another somewhat undersized one dimensional winger right now. That doesn’t move the needle for u

Jonathan Lekkerimaki is a similar undersized skilled RW…and he has 14 goals in 24 games in his first AHL season, and is a year younger than Rosen.

Lekkerimaki’s GPG (0.58) is higher than Rosen’s was in his rookie season (0.21 GPG), sophomore season (0.3 GPG) and tied with Rosen’s GPG this season…

At worst Lekkerimaki is on par with Rosen as a prospect.

Taking nothing away from Rosen, but we don’t need another somewhat undersized one dimensional winger right now. That doesn’t move the needle for us.

You realize development isn’t linear right? Rosen came over early because he was being screwed by his team in Finland and actually need to stay there probably for another year so it’s not one-to-one comp comparison. Also, we’re going to talk about small sample sizes, Rosen has nine goals in his last seven games.

The fact is is that lekkerimaki was that much more highly touted prospect than Rosen initially and so if we’re equivalating them, that is a great development for Buffalo. If you wanna keep Wallander, that’s totally fine but I would just be careful of the “ we already have the same guy” mentality when it comes to prospects. In reality, you need multiple iterations of the same guy because at least half don’t ever come through.

I would also say that Rosen actually has a fairly robust defensive game relative to other prospects in Buffalo previously, so I’m not sure where the one dimensional, is coming from?

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

So like Debrusk or Boeser?

 

[Icebreakers]

i'd do that in a second if i were the canucks but i'm in the camp that believes the canucks will keep boeser for a playoff push and then let him walk in free agency. turning him into norris instead would be fantastic

joshua and silovs are whatever

? Josh Norris is an injury prone 50 point forward making 8m per.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

Cozens makes the most sense but I agree with Sabres fans who maybe don't see a fit as far as what we have to offer.

Unless we give up good enough value that they can turn those assets into another player like we did with Hronek/M Pettersson.

 

[EP to EP back to EP]

Cozens makes the most sense but I agree with Sabres fans who maybe don't see a fit as far as what we have to offer.

Unless we give up good enough value that they can turn those assets into another player like we did with Hronek/M Pettersson.

My question is what is Cozen's realistic value? 7.1m for a guy who has issues stayong at Center and putting up 50 pts a season now. He could be a perennial 70 pt center, but will he hit it? I've read that his defensive game isn't great either.

 

[Unbiased Fan]

Man this thread is basically about Willander and honestly I have never seen a more unremarkable prospect in my life. He’s not ever taking Hughes off of PP, he’s not physical, he’s not a Slavin level defender, his skating is maybe above average a dman like Pellika blows his skating out of water. I see zero upside with this guy. Maybe like a Travis Dermott