Main Photo: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
With the Vancouver Canucks moving Tanner Pearson from their “injured” list to “long-term injured” they are ready to move. But LTIR budget moves are temporary, only lasting the season and often paid for the next. So we’re looking at the effects of longer-lasting deals that can happen leading up to the deadline. A Conor Garland trade is one possibility.
What a Conor Garland Trade Does for Vancouver
Conor Garland has been a good player for Vancouver, make no mistake. That he was brought in on one of the wildest swings from a doomed general manager doesn’t help, though. He was the best part of a trade that can hamstring the Canucks financially for years, and that’s a lot to overcome.
A Bit of History
Garland was something of a solo artist with the Arizona Coyotes, driving play with a rotating set of linemates. His size clearly worked against him, but by the time he broke into the NHL, he was ready. His never-quit motor and offensive skill had him scoring 22 goals in 68 games while playing 14 minutes a night as a sophomore.
All three of his seasons in Arizona – finishing with 47 goals and 96 points in 164 games – were under current Canucks bench boss Rick Tocchet. So far, Garland’s numbers have improved with Tocchet behind the bench, with three goals and seven points in their first nine games. But they might not have the opportunity to work together much longer.
It took a season, but Garland found a home with Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller this year. That, for obvious reasons, is no longer the case. With the feeling that a Conor Garland trade is lurking in the background, maybe he will finally get team success elsewhere.
The Positive
The Canucks have a glut of wingers. Right now Garland’s ice time is up, but what happens when Ilya Mikheyev and Tanner Pearson come back from their injuries? Nils Höglander will be joining Vancouver again sometime and is a younger, cheaper version.
Frankly, the contract Garland is on isn’t a bad one. Much of anything positive coming from a Conor Garland trade is going to be in the return. He shouldn’t require any salary retention or bad contract coming back because he has his own value. Enough teams should be interested in him that Vancouver can get a decent return rather than charity.
Even so, he is more of a luxury item than a rebuilding team needs. That $5 million deal for the next three seasons on what should be a 50-point winger can be applied elsewhere. If the team does move Garland, it’s a sign that the Canucks are taking the rebuild seriously.
The Negative
The negatives are somewhat easier to find in a Conor Garland trade than the positives are. He’s locked up until 2025-26 and can produce for all of it. He’s a veteran who plays hard every second he’s on the ice and that’s who rebuilding teams should have around.
As much as there should be interest in Garland, the one thing that can’t be overlooked is what makes him overlooked. Any hockey player listed officially at 5’10” needs to be asked to remove their skates next time, especially if they weigh 165 lbs. The bias against height really shouldn’t be a factor at this point for teams looking for scoring – but it’s there. Once again it boils down to what kind of return the Canucks can get for him.
Does A Conor Garland trade make the team better? He is one of the Canucks’ leading scorers at five-on-five, and that’s going to be hard to replace. It’s not just that he works for every inch he gets, he also produces and is an absolute puck-hound. If a team is trading away their hardest workers, who’s left?
