The Vancouver Canucks are entering a crucial offseason, and General Manager Patrik Allvin faces several key decisions to improve the team's roster for the 2025-26 campaign. Among those decisions is what to do with forward Conor Garland. While Garland has been a consistent secondary scorer, there are several reasons why the Canucks should consider trading him.
One of the primary reasons is the Canucks' need for a second-line center. After a disappointing 2024-25 season where they missed the playoffs and traded J.T. Miller, the Canucks need to bolster their forward group. Acquiring a legitimate top-six winger with size and grit is also a priority. Trading Garland could provide the Canucks with the assets necessary to address these needs.
Garland is entering the final year of his contract, making him a potential trade chip. While the Canucks could offer him a contract extension, Garland's future with the team remains uncertain. He seemed non-committal about his future in a recent interview, suggesting he may be open to exploring other options. If the Canucks are not confident in re-signing Garland, trading him would be a prudent move to avoid losing him for nothing in free agency.
One potential trade scenario involves sending Garland to the Philadelphia Flyers to reunite with his former head coach, Rick Tocchet. In exchange, the Canucks would receive 26-year-old winger Owen Tippett, who would bring size and scoring ability to the top-six. Tippett has a reasonable cap hit of $6.2 million and is coming off his third straight 20+ goal campaign. This trade would address the Canucks' need for size and skill up front while also allowing Garland to play for a coach he has had success with in the past.
Financially, trading Garland could also benefit the Canucks. The team has approximately $12.1 million in projected cap space for the 2025-26 season. While the NHL salary cap is projected to rise to $95.5 million, the Canucks still need to manage their cap carefully. With several key players, including Brock Boeser, potentially seeking new contracts, creating additional cap space by trading Garland could provide the Canucks with more flexibility to re-sign their own players and pursue other free agents.
It's important to acknowledge that trading Garland would create a hole in the Canucks' forward group. He has been a reliable secondary scorer, averaging 18 goals and 49 points in his two seasons in Vancouver. However, the Canucks have other options to fill that void. Nils Höglander, Linus Karlsson, and Arshdeep Bains are all potential replacements who could step up and contribute offensively.
Ultimately, the decision to trade Conor Garland is a complex one that requires careful consideration. However, given the Canucks' needs for a second-line center, a top-six winger with size, and additional cap space, trading Garland may be the best course of action to improve the team's roster for the upcoming season. While Garland has been a valuable player for the Canucks, the potential return in a trade could be even more beneficial in the long run.
