https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6961864/2026/01/12/canucks-trade-plans-nhl-draft-odds/
On Sunday, as both Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford dropped any pretence of “retooling in a hybrid state” and explicitly utilized rebuild-centric terminology in interviews with Canucks.com and Sportsnet, there was one notable change. It’s a change that matches what I was hearing from team sources while working the phones on Sunday.
At least in terms of what the club is projecting about its intentions, the Canucks are now comfortable noting both publicly and in trade talks with various teams that they’re willing to listen on veteran players, even those with term who have recently committed to the organization.
If a sensible offer is made for one of the Canucks’ veteran players with term and money remaining on the deal, the club will now at least consider it. Vancouver isn’t at the point of thinking about the value on the roster solely in the context of depreciating assets, but as the losing and under-performance continue, the Canucks seem more open-minded about exploring their options than they were at the start of the Christmas break
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In terms of Draft stuff:
*Down in California, where the Canucks met for amateur scouting meetings, the sense I get is that five players could very much end up at the top of Vancouver’s draft list. I’m confident that McKenna, Stenberg, defenceman Keaton Verhoeff and freshly minted Boston University pivot Tynan Lawrence are in that mix.*
*Based on conversations with team sources, I believe that the fifth skater is either super athletic Latvian defender Alberts Šmits or the dynamic American defender Chase Reid.*
This may be unpopular for a team that’s never drafted first overall. But in an ideal situation, you get the first overall pick and you have a team that really wants McKenna. Canucks trade down to get a few more picks so you get a few more swings.
> but as the losing and under-performance continue, the Canucks seem more open-minded about exploring their options than they were at the start of the Christmas break
great news. let’s keep the lose streak going!!
“*If a sensible offer is made for one of the Canucks’ veteran players with term and money remaining on the deal, the club will now at least consider it.”*
This is really big, if true. It would be a signal that “hybrid retool” is just a phrase to trick Aqua into signing off on this lol
Drance was right. This team is going to he forced to rebuild whether they like it or not, and it’s a very good thing. This has needed a rebuild for a very long time. This team needs to start accepting what they are. This is a terrible hockey team. This team doesn’t have the top end talent nor the depth needed in order to win in this league.
Bye EP40, gtfo 👋
So if they get a can’t say no offer for a player, they will trade them. AMAZING RIVETING STUFF
Re: the rebuild semantics, Satiar Shah was on Halford and Brough this morning and said that the team intends to get better in the 2026 offseason. He speculated they may bring in players around 24 years old if possible.
This says nothing
Problem being: the ones they view as veterans to keep as metors…
are the only ones left with value.
Sure hope they’re ready to trade Hronek, or Garland.
Because those are the only two not on expiring contracts, that will return anything of value
Petey needs to be gone the culture is toxic
as long as we got a temu medical team and an owner that refuses to invest in the players – we can draft any phenom and still end up in the same place
i know i sound cynical but aquaman does not deserve the benefit of the doubt
Still not going to believe it until this team enters camp without adding some random 24 year olds and a 5 million dollar UFA to play in the middle 6.
We need high end offensive talent, players will skill and speed. Im a no on any defenders. Stenberg, Mckenna or bust.
So basically petey, Marcus petterson, boeser, garland or hronek.
Nothing new here
Thanks for posting OP.
Im fairly happy with the way things are falling into place.
Really want to see Sherwood and Kane moved this season. Then want to see one more veteran moved this summer.
Give me a top 5 pick in 2026 draft, four picks in the top 40, and I’m a happy camper.
If we can land back to back top 5 picks in 2026 and 2027, and make 10 picks in both drafts, I’ll be extremely happy.
Still need to get rid of the clown owner
I just hope we get malhotra in the mid to late first. He looks great!
Yeah standard issue here. Id think most teams have a list of guys and they try and mock up how the draft may play out different scenarios, if one player gets selected who they go to next. Until we know Vancouver is picking #1 or wherever they end up in general no one knows anything!
There’s a reason I never cared for the “wording” they used. Hybrid rebuild, hybrid re-tool, re-tool while staying competitive, etc. None of those buzzwords meant anything to me. Look at last game’s display. How do you expect to re-tool with that?
The rebuild was forced on them and the only way to save face is to agree that’s the best direction, because it is the *only* direction. It’s so refreshing to hear there will no longer be resistance. Because, again, it’s not a choice. It is just the next step.
So even if they change their minds after a fluke 4-game win streak (like that post-Hughes bump), it’s not sustainable having Kampf or Sasson as your 2C. The Canucks are destined to be 31st or 32nd this year.
It’s nice to hear confirmation of what I thought, which is that the organization was still planning more of a retool even after the Hughes trade than a true rebuild. Good that they are coming around to a real rebuild but I’ll hold off from celebrating until they actually trade a core vet with term. I’m just waiting for them to say in the post-deadline presser “if you heard the offers we got you’d run us out of the room” after making almost no trades.
If they are indeed looking at a true rebuild then any veteran with term should probably be moved.
Boeser is my favourite player but at this point I’d almost prefer to see him have some success somewhere else. If Minnesota has any interest in him I’d hope to see him go home.
They also have to realize that Petey is not a player worth building around. If they want to rid themselves of the drama and questions about him then they need to move on from him if at all possible.
“plans to sell” had me giddy for a moment at my dishwashing job in Surrey
Losing is the best thing that could’ve happened to this team. It’s a nice cold plunge of reality – at least now management and ownership aren’t living in a dream world and have come to terms with what needs to happen
Draft Stenberg, trade for a centerman brother Otto Stenberg and bam, Sedin 2.0.
Honestly wish they wouldn’t go on a winning streak after this and we finish 15th
This pick number is long overdue
>what I’m hearing about the Canucks plans to sell
Fucking hell don’t get my hopes up like that, I thought they meant Aqualini.
Anybody else read the title and get excited Aquilini was selling the team?
i don’t care what it’s called, Rutherford is still pushing a 2-3 year timeline and would still rather keep vets than not. a rebuild isn’t happening, they’re just sucking.
I’m checking out. Until this team has other owners I’m not interested and won’t invest any more energy.
For a brief moment I thought this meant Aquaman selling ,😭
They’re going to barely win one game in OT and it’ll be back to a Hybrid Retool restructure on the fly with a cherry on top.
This week management says “rebuild” next week it’s “reset” the following week it’s “reboot” . I don’t trust a word that comes out of their mouths anymore . Just do it !!
Lmao, not even a month of the delusion “ohh we can be good in we just need a great young piece or 2″… At least they are only a month slow now, they should have ready the tea leaves the moment they decided to trade JT last year. Trade fucking everyone, anything over 25 yrs old should be looked at
When I looked at the headline, I briefly thought there were plans for Aquavelva to sell the team
Why is this in italics?
And here I was getting excited that “plans to sell” was actually plans to sell the team.
That whole front office needs to go
“Retooling in a hybrid state” is such a wild term like why hasn’t this management group been shipped to Saskatchewan yet?
This is 20 year rebuild …. Rebuilding since 1975 never completed the job. Canucks are associated with losing it just the curse of the orca.
I’m hoping we draft the best Canadian player available with our pick.