3 Trades Canucks Could Make Before 2026-27 Season – The Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

The offseason has now entered the real dog days of summer: August, when everything seems to hit a standstill. Actually, if you think about it, it’s been this way since Jason Robertson signed his one-year deal with the Dallas Stars on July 21 to avoid arbitration. Since then, we have seen only one trade, a one-for-one swap sending Sascha Pastujov to the Montreal Canadiens and Sean Farrell to the Anaheim Ducks.

The Vancouver Canucks have been in trade rumours galore, mostly involving the name Elias Pettersson. Still, nothing has happened in that department since general manager (GM) Ryan Johnson sent Marcus Pettersson to the New York Rangers for a 2030 first-round pick way back on July 1. More trades are sure to come across the league, but we might have to wait until September for them to happen. Let’s take a look at three potential deals that could come across the Canucks news wire before the puck drops in Edmonton on Sept. 29.

Jake DeBrusk Traded to the Oilers

The interest around Jake DeBrusk has seemingly gone cold since the 2026 Draft wrapped on June 28 and free agency opened on July 1. There was some interest from the Ottawa Senators ahead of the draft, but that was before they traded captain Brady Tkachuk and acquired William Eklund and Andrei Burakovsky. Now, with less than $5 million in cap space, they have likely moved on from the idea of adding DeBrusk.

The Edmonton Oilers, however, could still be looking at adding to their top six. They haven’t made any significant additions up front, choosing to focus more on their blue line and goaltending in free agency and the trade market. DeBrusk has obvious Edmonton connections, considering his dad, Louis, is part of Sportsnet’s Oilers broadcast team and he was born there.

Rumours have also connected DeBrusk to the Oilers going as far back as January when Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal stated on Donnie and Dhali: “There are rumours out there about DeBrusk and the Oilers…I was told, the Oilers and DeBrusk maybe in the summer. His hometown. I was told maybe in the summer, but it’s tough to get… he’s got a no-move too.”

While no official rumours have linked the two recently, that hasn’t stopped speculation from running rampant, especially from fans and analysts. David Pagnotta said on Sekeras & Price just before free agency that he heard the Oilers circled back at one point, but he wasn’t sure where those conversations went. A fan’s proposal on X also went viral, suggesting the Oilers could acquire him for the low cost of a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick. Finally, on July 4, Heavy.com published a mock trade where the Canucks landed Mattias Janmark and Spencer Stastney in a straight-up player-for-player swap.

What the Canucks ultimately get remains to be seen – if they can trade DeBrusk at all. If they do, I think the Oilers are the ideal landing spot, and a team that he would waive his no-move clause (NMC) for. He would get the chance to play with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, and be part of a Stanley Cup contender. The only thing that he wouldn’t get is first-unit power-play time as he does in Vancouver. Zach Hyman has that spot locked down, and he’s almost the same type of player at the front of the net that DeBrusk is.

As for what the Canucks should get for DeBrusk, Stastney and Janmark would be a horrible return, as would a second and third-round pick. Given his power-play specialty and 25-30 goal potential, not to mention his low cap hit, Johnson should be looking for at least a first-round pick or a prospect like Tommy Lafrenière or David Lewandowski.

As mentioned off the top, Pettersson has probably been the most talked-about Canuck this offseason. Whether it’s in trade rumours, how he’s going to perform under new head coach Manny Malhotra, or simply skating in Los Angeles, the spotlight has continued to follow the former 102-point man. Trading him remains a huge topic of conversation, and the longer the offseason goes without something happening, the more likely he will be in the blue and green when the season begins.

A lot of teams have been floated as possible destinations, from legitimate rumours to speculation, including the Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Montreal Canadiens. I am going to focus on the Red Wings and Canadiens here because those are the last two teams I have seen in mock trades.

Starting with the Canadiens, The Hockey Writers‘ Trege Wilson floated the idea in December, with defenceman Adam Engstrom, centre Owen Beck and a first-round pick heading to Vancouver. The latest, coming from IceMetrix on X, also included Engstrom and a first-round pick, but upped the ante by including star prospect Michael Hage and centre Kirby Dach. While I could see Engstrom, Beck or Dach being part of a deal, GM Kent Hughes would probably hang up the phone if Johnson uttered the name Hage.

The Canadiens remain a legitimate destination for Pettersson, considering their need for a second-line centre behind Nick Suzuki. They also have plenty of young players and prospects they could include without gutting their organization too much. However, the $11.6 million average annual value (AAV) contract and no-move clause will be a sticking point. By including Dach in the trade, they would gain the necessary cap space, but would be bumping up against the $104 million ceiling. Unfortunately, as much as the Canucks want to avoid it, I don’t see any deal involving Pettersson not having some sort of salary retention.

As for the Red Wings, nothing will happen until they trade Dylan Larkin, and even then, it will depend on who they get in return. Interestingly, the latest Pettersson mock trade actually involved Larkin, and no, it wasn’t him heading to the Canucks. It was a three-team trade with the Minnesota Wild, with Larkin going to the Wild and Ryan Hartman, Danila Yurov and the Wild’s 2028 first-round pick coming to Vancouver. Pettersson would be off to Michigan to join the Red Wings’ Swedish contingent, along with the Canucks retaining $2.6 million of his contract.

If I were the Canucks, I would take that deal in a heartbeat. Yurov is a talented young winger who is coming off a solid rookie season (12 goals and 27 points) and fits the rebuild timeline, while Hartman provides veteran character in the dressing room. He is also good for at least 20 goals, and heading into a contract year, could be a huge piece at the trade deadline to acquire even more assets to help the rebuild. The first-round pick, of course, just adds to the draft coffers that all rebuilds feed off of.

Shane Wright Acquired From the Kraken

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything on the Shane Wright front, but that doesn’t mean something isn’t happening behind the scenes. Real rumours, not speculation, have connected Wright to the Canucks, too, with The Province‘s Ben Kuzma reporting the 2022 fourth-overall pick’s interest in joining the team (from ‘Canucks: Why Shane Wright intrigues as a potential reclamation project,’ The Province, 7/13/26). While he has no trade protection and has zero say in where the Kraken move him, it’s good to know he sees something in what the Canucks are building.

If the Kraken and Canucks were to find some common ground (the Kraken’s initial reported ask was Tom Willander or Zeev Buium, a non-starter, of course), Wright is the perfect target for where the Canucks are right now. He’s still very young at 22 years old and has massive potential as a top-six centre. He also checks off a big box on Johnson’s attribute list when it comes to players in the organization: a desire to be in Vancouver.

As for what the Canucks should give up for Wright, I agree with Kuzma on DeBrusk and a second or third-round pick being a fair return for Seattle. They were really swinging for the fences by asking for Willander/Buium, and I am happy Johnson didn’t entertain the idea. While Wright has potential, he’s not worth gambling away the sky-high ceiling of that duo on the blue line.

Canucks Will Be a Team to Watch On the Trade Front

The Canucks haven’t been involved in any trades since the beginning of July, but I suspect that will change very soon. As I said in my burning questions piece, DeBrusk is the most likely to move, despite the silence around him lately. I could also see Wright being acquired from the Kraken.

The one I don’t see happening, even though rumours run rampant, is Pettersson. He will start the season in the Canucks lineup, and they will revisit a trade heading into the deadline. If he starts showing signs of putting it back together, Johnson will have a tough decision on his hands – does he cash in or hope he’s now turned a corner and can help lead a rebuild? Whatever the case, the Canucks will be a team to watch, not just heading into the season, but beyond, as well.