Former 30-Goal Scorer Hits Trade Block: Is He the Missing Piece for the Vancouver Canucks?

While the new NHL season is just over a month old, speculation has already begun circulating around many players and teams, with the most interesting of all being Anaheim's Frank Vatrano. According to NHL Insider David Pagnotta, Vatrano, along with Cam Fowler and Robby Fabbri are all available via trade, and while it won't be cheap to pry him away from the Ducks, Vatrano is their biggest piece.

We are yet to see Vatrano officially linked to any teams, but given that the 30-year old was an All-Star a year ago, producing on a very bad team, it's safe to say that contenders all around the NHL will be interested. Now, that leads us to one very intriguing possibility, the Vancouver Canucks, whose offense has faltered this season, ranking 15th in the league with 3.21 goals per game this season.

Given the pieces that they have on this team and the impressive goaltending duo of Kevin Lankinen/Thatcher Demko when healthy alongside captain Quin Hughes, this is a team that believes after the steps they took a year ago, they are ready to make a genuine Stanley Cup push. So where does Vatrano fit in with their forward group?

Vatrano plays on the right wing, and with Brock Boeser's constant injuries, the team currently have Jonathan Lekkerimaki playing in that role, and with Conor Garland the only other proven winger on that side, picking him up makes perfect sense. Along with that, J.T. Miller has struggled by his standards this year with just five goals in 14 games, so a move for Vatrano would certainly make sense.

Last season, Vatrano had a career high 37 goals, but has taken a step back with just one so far in 2024/25, and that slow start may make him just cheap enough for the Canucks to go all-in on. Vatrano has just this year remaining on his deal, also a factor in potentially making the return cheaper for Vancouver, but if they could land him, this is what their top-nine could potentially look like.

That top-nine would be Stanley Cup Playoffs worthy without another move, but given how we saw them take two huge swings a year ago, it would make sense for them to do the same this season, so expect to see them being very aggressive once more, with Vatrano being the optimal target for the team this season.