Elliotte Friedman just put three Canucks on trade watch

On Tuesday, Friedman's name-drop on Donnie and Dhali made the rounds fast, and it landed on three players who feel moveable without ripping the heart out of the roster.

Conor Garland is the obvious lightning rod, mostly because he's good enough to matter and clean enough to fit almost anywhere in a contender's lineup.

When the Canucks are tight to the ceiling, a middle-six winger with term is the classic pressure valve, even if the hockey part of it hurts.

Drew O'Connor being in that same breath is interesting, because it suggests Vancouver sees him as a flexible piece, not an untouchable «new guy.» Daily line projections have already shown him used in a defensive role.

Here's the tweet that kicked the whole thing off.

The Teddy Blueger mention comes with a giant asterisk, health. Recent reporting has had him dealing with another setback, and that matters if you are trying to move a center who wins details.

If you're a Canucks fan right now, it's that familiar mix of annoyance and tired acceptance, because the «easy to move» guys are often the ones you actually like watching.

Garland, 29, was drafted in 2015 in the fifth round by Arizona, and he plays like a guy who never forgot it. That edge is exactly why teams keep calling.

The tough part is Vancouver needs players who drag shifts in the right direction, and one report this season even had him riding big minutes and producing early.

O'Connor, 27, brings size and straight-line pace, and if you can slide him up and down your top-nine without drama, coaches love that. His profile lists him as a winger with NHL rights already signed in Vancouver.

Blueger is 31, drafted in 2012 in the second round by Pittsburgh, and his value is simple, he can take the hard minutes so your skill guys breathe.

But he has to be available, and if he's not, that «most likely to move» talk turns into «most likely to be stuck» in a hurry.

The bigger takeaway from Friedman's comment is that Vancouver sounds open for business on veterans, not just listening for fun.

If the Canucks keep sliding in the standings, this kind of chatter usually gets louder, not quieter, and the next milestone is the trade deadline clock turning from background noise into a daily alarm.