Why First-Round Picks Could Be Harder to Come By for the Canucks Than You Think
In the middle of a rebuild, first-round picks are gold. That’s the currency that fuels a youth movement, and for a team like the Vancouver Canucks, they're more than just assets-they're the path forward.
That’s why the decision to hold onto their most recent first-rounder and select Braeden Cootes at 15th overall is already paying off. In a season that’s had more valleys than peaks, Cootes has been a rare bright spot-a glimpse of what the future might hold if Vancouver stays the course.
But one promising rookie isn’t enough. Not in a league where the road back to contention is long and paved with smart, strategic moves.
The Canucks need more first-round picks. Whether those come through the draft or via trade, they’re essential.
And with the team reportedly eyeing moves involving some of its veteran core-players ranging from fan favorites to franchise legends-those picks should be front and center in every negotiation.
Because here’s the reality: if the Canucks trade a player like Kiefer Sherwood and don’t get a first-rounder in return, that’s disappointing. If they move someone like Quinn Hughes and don’t land at least one first? That’s a disaster.
The organization knows it. President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford has signaled a desire to get younger, even expressing a preference for developed prospects over raw picks.
But in some deals-especially the bigger ones-Vancouver needs to come away with firsts. No exceptions.
The challenge? That’s easier said than done in this year’s NHL landscape.
Let’s take a step back and look at the standings. We’re just under a third of the way into the 2025-26 season, and the playoff race is as crowded as it’s ever been.
In the Eastern Conference, 13 of 16 teams are either in a playoff spot or within two points of one. The West isn’t much different-12 of 16 teams are in the same boat.
On the surface, that sounds like good news for the Canucks. More teams in contention means more buyers at the trade deadline, which should mean more competition-and better returns-for Vancouver’s veterans.
But here’s where it gets tricky: while more suitors increase the demand, they also make it harder to pry away the most valuable assets. Especially first-round picks.
Why? Because teams in the mushy middle-the ones fighting tooth and nail for a wildcard spot-are in a precarious position.
Trading a first-rounder mid-season is always a gamble. But in a year like this, where a two-game skid can drop you from a playoff spot to the draft lottery, the risk is amplified.
Let’s look at a hypothetical. Say the New York Islanders, led by Bo Horvat, are sitting tied for the final wildcard spot in the East with 31 points. There’s chatter that they’re looking to add veteran help for a postseason push, and Vancouver has pieces that could fit.
But if you’re the Islanders, are you really going to give up your first-round pick to do it? Sure, you might believe you're a contender.
But a four-point swing in the standings could drop you into the bottom ten of the league. Suddenly, that pick you thought would land in the 20s is looking like a top-ten selection-and you’ve already shipped it out.
That’s the kind of risk teams are wary of. And that’s the environment the Canucks are trying to navigate.
Now, there are a few exceptions. Teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are sitting comfortably at the top of the standings.
They’re not sweating over the lottery odds. But they’ve already dealt their 2026 first-rounders, so they’re not exactly in play when it comes to offering up that kind of return.
That leaves the Canucks trying to make deals with teams stuck in the middle-teams that are competitive but far from guaranteed playoff locks. And those teams are going to be cautious with their top picks.
One way around this is the conditional first-rounder. We’ve seen it plenty: a pick that’s top-ten protected, meaning if it lands in the top ten, it rolls over to the next year. It’s a safety net for the buying team, and it can make a deal happen that otherwise wouldn’t.
But for Vancouver, that’s not an ideal outcome. Pushing picks into 2027 or even 2028 delays the rebuild timeline.
It stretches out the wait. And for a fanbase that’s already been asked to be patient, that’s a tough sell.
This isn’t to say the Canucks won’t land any first-round picks. They might.
But it’s going to be harder than many expect. The market is tight, the standings are congested, and the risk-reward equation is tilted in a way that makes buyers hesitant.
Players like Sherwood and Hughes absolutely carry first-round value. But this isn’t a vacuum. This is the 2025-26 NHL season-a year where the margin between contender and lottery team is razor-thin, and where first-round picks are guarded like family heirlooms.
For Vancouver, the mission is clear: stockpile high-end assets. But to do that, they’ll need to navigate one of the most unpredictable trade environments in recent memory.
The opportunity is there. The challenge is getting teams to pay the price.