Vancouver Canucks weigh risky trade scenarios as second-line center void remains a question mark

After a bitterly disappointing 2024-25 campaign that derailed the momentum from their previous playoff surge, the Vancouver Canucks find themselves at a pivotal and controversial crossroads. General Manager Patrik Allvin is now under intense pressure to recalibrate a roster that looked promising just a year ago but ultimately failed to deliver. The team’s glaring need for a second-line center is forcing Allvin to explore every possible avenue, even if it means mortgaging the future for a bold, high-stakes swing.


Will Vancouver risk it all to move forward?



While free agency presents a low-risk path to plugging holes, it lacks the upside and drama of the trade market. And make no mistake, the names being floated are as intriguing as they are polarizing.


Dawson Mercer might not scream “blockbuster,” but his utility makes him a curious case. The New Jersey Devils still haven’t figured out if he’s a center, a winger, or simply a high-end role player. He’s not worth a first-round pick on his own, not even close but if the Canucks are thinking bigger, say, a multi-asset deal involving Quinn Hughes (yes, that’s the level we’re talking), then Mercer could be a valuable cog. Still, the optics of shipping out foundational pieces for a player whose ceiling is uncertain could blow back hard.



Zegras, Zibanejad, and the price of believing in potential


Then there’s Trevor Zegras , the poster boy for raw talent and unmet expectations. On paper, he’s everything Vancouver needs dynamic, young, marketable. But his 32-point, injury-marred season raises red flags. Is he a future All-Star in need of the right system, or a flashy name who can’t stay healthy or consistent? Anaheim may want to wash their hands of the Zegras saga, but the Canucks taking him on at $5.75 million is a gamble with franchise-altering consequences.


And then comes Mika Zibanejad , the wildcard. The veteran Ranger carries experience, skill, and a leadership pedigree, but he’s also 32 with a no-move clause and declining numbers. Would he even approve a trade to Vancouver? Possibly, if he sees the writing on the wall in New York and views the Canucks as a resurgence opportunity. Still, it would require a leap of faith from both parties, and a boatload of cap gymnastics.

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The Canucks can’t afford another middling season, and with Brock Boeser likely gone, the cap room is there. But turning that flexibility into a game-changer could mean sacrificing top picks or beloved players moves that will either make Allvin look like a genius or send the franchise back into a rebuild spiral.