Following a season of turmoil for the Vancouver Canucks, this off-season has been relatively quiet.
The Canucks' biggest deal was re-signing Brock Boeser on the eve of his UFA eligibility. They also signed goaltender Thatcher Demko and right winger Conor Garland to contract extensions.
The Canucks made some moves in the trade market. In June, they acquired right winger (and Vancouver native) Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers. Last month, they shipped goaltender Arturs Silovs to the Pittsburgh Penguins and sent popular left winger Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Since then, the Canucks have attempted to bolster their depth at center, particularly on their second line. Their current in-house options are the oft-injured Filip Chytil and the inexperienced Aatu Raty.
They were linked to Jack Roslovic for weeks. The versatile 28-year-old forward can play center or wing and is considered the best player remaining in the depleted free-agent market.
However, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reported last week that the Canucks interest in Roslovic had cooled. One reason could be his inconsistency, which has seen him bounce from the Winnipeg Jets, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
Drance believes the Canucks could enter the season pinning their hopes on a healthy Chytil and Raty's promising performance late in the 2024-25 campaign to help them manage their situation in the short term. If they're still in need of a center as the season goes along, he believes they'll turn to the trade market.
However, Patrick Johnston of The Provinceindicated that making trades for a center has been difficult this summer. He doesn't expect they'll have much success before the start of the season.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Are The Devils Interested In Jared McCann? Could The Kings Trade Brandt Clarke?Seattle Kraken left winger Jared McCann was the subject of trade conjecture last month. It was reported that the Kraken were open to the possibility of moving the 29-year-old McCann.
The Canucks could have Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish on their radar. The 22-year-old restricted free agent has frequently surfaced in trade rumors this summer. However, Johnston observed that several other clubs are also keeping tabs on McTavish.
Johnston's colleague Steve Ewen pointed out that the Canucks had an interest in Marco Rossi before he signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Wild. Ewen also noted they might be following McTavish's situation, but believed the Ducks would re-sign him.
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