Vancouver Canucks' Drew O'Connor hits trade radar, $2.5M cap hit and term make him an easy fit

Mar 3, 2026 (9:25)

Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

David Pagnotta on Oilersnation Everyday floated Drew O'Connor as "available," and that kind of middle-six winger talk can swing a deadline.

O'Connor is the type teams chase when the games get tighter, the benches get shorter, and coaches start stapling anyone who can't win a wall battle.

He's 27, shoots left, and he plays bigger than his stat line.

Through Tuesday in 2025-26, he's sitting on 14-8-22, and that's not nothing on a messy season.

The real sell is the tool kit, not the points.

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He can ride shotgun in a pinch on a top-six, but he looks most natural as a third-line driver who keeps shifts alive.

Give him a straight-line center and he turns dump-ins into offense fast.

He's also cheap enough to fit almost anywhere, with a $2.5 million cap hit running through 2026-27.

That term matters, because you're not renting a guy you have to replace again in July.

If I'm a fan of a contender, I'm pumped by this kind of add, because it's the boring stuff that wins four rounds.

O'Connor wasn't drafted, and Pittsburgh signed him in 2020, so he's built his career on details and trust.

That usually translates when the calendar flips to the grind.

On the forecheck, he closes lanes, forces bad touches, and makes defensemen turn their backs.

That creates offense without needing a perfect setup play.

On a penalty kill, he's the kind of long-stick winger who can pressure up top and still recover to the seam.

For a team that needs speed in the bottom-six, or injury insurance up the lineup, he's a clean target who won't wreck your cap sheet.

If Vancouver really listens, there should be a line of callers.

Previously on HockeyLatest

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MARS 3\|153 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks' Drew O'Connor hits trade radar, $2.5M cap hit and term make him an easy fit Should a team, especially a contender, trade for Drew O'Connor?
Yes	107	69.9 %
No	46	30.1 %
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