The Vancouver Canucks are being linked to two young centers, but the path to landing either one looks very different.
On one hand, there’s Shane Wright, and the conversation around him has already turned to cost. Rob Williams said on Sekeres and Price that Seattle’s asking price in the speculation has centered on Zeev Buium or Tom Willander.
“Their talk was like, okay, Seattle wants Zeev Buium or Tom Willander. And I was like, okay, Zeev Buium, I think that’s a, that’s a, you know, we’re not doing that.
Of course, and of course, everyone wants to trade Jake DeBrusk and you know name another veteran player to get Shane Wright. Of course, but why is, why is Seattle making that deal?
You got to give up something to get something. Should we be so quick to say ‘No’ to Willander for Shane Wright? A lot of people responding to my, my, my tweet saying ‘absolutely not’ for, for Willander.
And you know, to that, I just, I wonder if, if the Canucks were the team that, that picked Shane Wright fourth overall, a guy that could have gone first overall. And has already put up like, you know, more than 40 points in a year, and already put up a 19-goal season.
Would they be saying ‘no’ to a trade for a guy that’s one year younger that was picked 11th overall in the draft? I don’t think they would.”
That’s the crux of it: if Seattle is asking for a premium prospect, Vancouver has to decide whether Wright is worth that kind of price.
Then there’s Marco Rossi, and the timeline there sounds a lot more defined.
Thomas Drance of The Athletic said in a mailbag that Rossi could get a shot at the 1C role with Brock Boeser and maybe Jake DeBrusk, if DeBrusk isn’t traded this offseason. Rossi has two years left on his contract, and the Canucks may need to make a call on him sooner rather than later. Drance said that decision could come at the trade deadline or in the offseason, or the team could try to lock him up to a long-term extension next July.
He also noted that while Rossi could break out and draw a major trade offer, a five- or six-year extension feels like the more likely outcome.
As for Wright, Drance doesn’t see the fit with Vancouver.
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