TRADE PROPOSAL | Much-needed change of scenery for wingers in three teams swap: Former first overall to Vancouver, Garland to Anaheim

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Felip Gosselin
August 16, 2023 (7:55 PM)

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The summer speculations are still a recent occurrence at this point in the off-season, and the Canucks have once again been mixed into one. Patrik Allvin will have to be creative prior to the beginning of the season if he intends to get the team below the team's salary cap.

This proposition has been trending all over different social media and suggests a reunion between one of the Nucks' AGMs and her former client Alexis Lafreniere. The 2020 first-overall has not yet signed his extension as his ELC came to an end, and his future remains unsure in New York, especially since they are tight on money:

To Vancouver

- Alexis Lafreniere (RFA)
- 2025 5th Round Anaheim

To New York

- Nils Hoglander
- Aidan McDonough
- 2024 2nd Round Vancouver

To Anaheim

- Conor Garland

Allvin would get off easy trading away Conor Garland without retention. Anaheim would acquire a winger that can help them now and at a very low price.

The Rangers would get Hoglander, who could easily slot into Lafreniere's top 9 spot. After losing Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, it would also give a better shot at an NHL spot for Aidan McDonough rather than in Vancouver, where there's immense congestion on the wings.

This deal would allow the Canucks to lay off some salary. Hoglander has a $1M AAV, McDonough is most likely looking at some time in Abbotsford and Garland still counts for an important chunk of salary for three more years ($4.95M). Lafreniere is most likely looking at a bridge deal, and there is no world in which he's getting an extension with a cap hit over $3M, even if he agrees to a longer term.

Lafreniere still hasn't played up to his full potential, but under Rick Tocchet's guidance and with à proper opportunity. He could very well develop into the dominant power forward that led Team Canada at the World Juniors in 2020, the same player that gave vibes of a certain Matthew Tkachuk.

If the Canucks were actually to pull a deal like this, they'd have a forward group that could look like this:

Mikheyev - Pettersson - Kuzmenko
Lafreniere - Miller - Boeser
Beauvilier - Suter - Podkolzin
Joshua/Aman - Blueger - PDG

Is this a forward group that could bring the Canucks to the playoffs?