After finally using the word “rebuild” to describe the Vancouver Canucks, Evander Kane is an obvious player for Jim Rutherford to trade. Or will Patrik Allvin be allowed to make this deal?

An unrestricted free agent at season’s end, the veteran winger turns 35 in the summer and doesn’t figure to be in the team’s long-term plans.

It was a bumpy beginning to Kane’s Canucks tenure, as the Vancouver native took 14 games to score his first goal of the season. Pair that with a $5.125-million cap hit, and it didn’t look like Kane would be worth anything on the trade market.

But is that starting to change?

Kane has been the Canucks’ highest-scoring player since Nov. 17, with nine points (3-6-9) in 15 games. His stats on the season now read 18 points (6-12-18) in 35 games.

That puts him on pace for 42 points on the season.

Any takers?

Whispers surrounding Kane’s off-ice conduct have followed him throughout his career, so his value likely varies depending on the general manager. He also has a modified no-trade clause (16-team approved list) in his contract, which could limit things.

We’ll see if a team talks themselves into trading a second-round pick for Kane, as Thomas Drance mused in The Athletic. That would be a big win for the Canucks, given they traded a fourth-rounder to get Kane just six months ago.

Mason Marchment, who has posted similar numbers to Kane, recently netted the Seattle Kraken a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds, perhaps there’s a playoff team that would like to add Kane’s size, scoring, and experience to their lineup at the March 6 trade deadline. They could be even more convinced if the Canucks are willing to retain salary.

Would the Edmonton Oilers welcome him back? Just a thought.

Kane is one of five pending unrestricted free agents on Vancouver’s roster. Kiefer Sherwood ($1.5 million), Teddy Blueger ($1.8 million), David Kämpf ($1.1 million), and Derek Forbort ($2 million) are the others.

Of course, if the Canucks are truly rebuilding, they’ll consider trading other veteran players as well. Conor Garland and Thatcher Demko each have no-movement clauses that kick in when their new contracts take effect on July 1. They can be traded without restriction before then.

Players with no-movement clauses in their current deals include Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, Tyler Myers, and Kevin Lankinen. That doesn’t mean those players can’t be traded, but it does make a deal more difficult — not to mention potentially more awkward.

Nils Höglander can be traded without restriction, though he’s not exactly at max value right now, coming off an injury. Drew O’Connor would have value, though he has a 12-team no-trade clause in his contract.

We’ll see how much Canucks management is willing to lean into losing in the name of acquiring a high draft pick. Vancouver is currently ranked 31st out of 32 teams in the NHL standings, with a 15-18-3 record.