Canucks positioned for a big move, per NHL insider Elliotte Friedman: 'Waiting to be consummated'
Photo credit: Sports Illustrated
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believes the Canucks are getting ready for a big move for a centerman, and it's just a matter of time for it to happen.
The Vancouver Canucks are lurking on the NHL trade market, and according to Elliotte Friedman, it's only a matter of time before they take a real swing at landing a centerman.
Management has been positioning for weeks, monitoring the market, and waiting for the right moment. The expectation league-wide: Vancouver is getting ready for a big move.
"Vancouver and centres is the romance waiting to be consummated. Washington, looking for speed. The Hurricanes, as always, and the Senators are lurking, looking to hit a home run."
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
Another Canadian team is battling Vancouver to make a big splash
Meanwhile, another attention-grabbing team is the Ottawa Senators, who are in the middle of a pivotal West Coast swing with games against the Sharks and Kings.
They remain without Brady Tkachuk, expected back soon, but that hasn't slowed their search for outside help.
Friedman reports the Senators want to be significant players on the trade front. The Eastern Conference is tightly jammed, and even a brief skid could knock Ottawa out of its top-three Atlantic Division spot.
They've survived without their captain, but reinforcements would help keep them above the pack.
This trip is a spotlight moment: San Jose on Saturday, then a national-audience matchup against the Kings on Prime Monday Night Hockey. Wins could stabilize their playoff position, but the front office isn't sitting back.
Why no big trades have been made yet for either team
The problem? The market is thin, which is another reason why the Canucks are still waiting and exploring.
The Senators could use another offensive piece, but many of the prime targets signed extensions this fall. A reunion with former Senator JG Pageau is one possibility, though the Islanders may not be eager sellers after a strong road trip.
Other names that could surface include Artemi Panarin, Alex Tuch, Charlie Coyle, and Anders Lee. That said, identifying true sellers in the East remains difficult.
Perhaps the Senators and Canucks link up together to pull through with a blockbuster for the ages.
The point is that both Vancouver and Ottawa are swimming around the same shallow pool of options, and the first team to strike may very well shape the entire market.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 22 | 296 ANSWERS Canucks positioned for a big move, per NHL insider Elliotte Friedman: 'Waiting to be consummated' Will the Canucks acquire a centerman? | ||
| Yes | 205 | 69.3 % |
| No | 91 | 30.7 % |
| List of polls | ||