Vancouver Canucks are preparing for a full fire sale and the list of available players is nuts

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Matt Garland
June 24, 2022 (3:07 PM)

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Vancouver Canucks management is expected to be busy with multiple Canuck players involved in trade speculation. It is believed they will look to move Tanner Pearson, Conor Garland and Jason Dickinson. It's also expected they will reach out to Oliver Ekman-Larrson to see if he's willing waive his no movement clause.

They're also willing to entertain offers on their two biggest assets in JT Miller and Brock Boeser. Trading one or both would bring back the most pieces in a trade.

Miller, 29, is coming off a career-best 99-point performance. He's a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility but Canucks can sign him to a contract extension when this summer's free-agent market opens on July 13.

The 25-year-old Boeser is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights who will cost $7.5 million for the Canucks to qualify. An injury, a bout with COVID-19 and his father's failing health limited him to 23 goals and 46 points in 71 games this season.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported the Canucks are willing to entertain trade offers for Miller and Boeser. He noted they're not just interested in draft picks but also good young players in return.

Vancouver has $9.6 million in salary cap space and 17 players under contract. Hockey Operations president Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin have publicly indicated their need for cap flexibility and to add more NHL-ready youth to their roster.

Garland is signed through the 2025-2026 season at a cap hit of $4,950,000 per year. He had an up and down season in his first with Vancouver. He finished with 17 goals and 52 points in 77 games. He had many consecutive point streaks and also a seventeen game goalless drought late in the season. Its hard to a envision a long term fit for Garland in Vancouver.

Pearson is on the books for two more seasons at a cap hit of $3,250,000 per year. The 30th pick in 2012 had a solid season scoring 14 goals and 34 points in 68 games. Pretty good production for the cap hit he brings. Jim Rutherford has traded Pearson before when he was with the Penguins organization will he do it again?

Dickinson is signed for two more seasons at a cap hit of $2,650,000 per year. It was a year to forget in his first season in Vancouver. After the club traded a third round pick for him last offseason, Dickinson was slated to be the club's third-line centre but struggled mightily in just about every way possible. He was unable to find his game even after the December coaching change, and finished the season with career lows in goals and assists. The Canucks will be in tough to find potential suitors to take on the cap hit for that kind of production.

The Canucks aren't in danger of losing Miller or Boeser to this summer's UFA market. They have time to sort out new contracts for both players. Their cap limitations could make Boeser a target for an expensive offer sheet but this is still a rarely used among NHL GMs.