Canucks in Trade Talks, But Center Depth Remains a Sticking Point
As the NHL trade deadline inches closer, the Vancouver Canucks find themselves in a familiar bind: they’re buyers, but they’re shopping in a market that doesn’t quite have what they need. The priority is clear - they need help down the middle.
The problem? The teams they’re talking to either don’t have the right centers or aren’t willing to part with them.
Let’s start with the Los Angeles Kings. On paper, there’s interest, and there’s potential to build a deal.
But the sticking point is Quinton Byfield. The 23-year-old has already logged a pair of 20-goal seasons and is trending toward becoming a cornerstone piece in L.A. - and the Kings aren’t budging.
Without Byfield on the table, any package - even one with a 2026 first-rounder and two second-round picks - doesn’t move the needle for Vancouver. Picks are nice, but they don’t help solve the Canucks’ immediate need for a legitimate center.
Detroit’s another potential partner, and they might be a little more flexible. The Red Wings are in the market for a second-line center behind Dylan Larkin and could be willing to include Nate Danielson in a deal.
The 21-year-old was the ninth overall pick in the 2023 draft and has the kind of upside that makes GMs take notice. But again, even if Danielson and a first-rounder are on the table, the Canucks still face the same issue: they need someone who can step in now.
With Filip Chytil and Marco Rossi both sidelined, Vancouver’s center depth is razor-thin, and waiting on a young prospect to develop doesn’t help them today.
Other teams like Carolina and Chicago also need help at center, but they’re not exactly dealing from a position of strength either. The Hurricanes aren’t moving anyone behind Sebastian Aho, and the Blackhawks are understandably holding onto anyone who can support Connor Bedard. So unless something changes, Elias Pettersson - who’s been the subject of trade chatter - might not be going anywhere after all.
That brings us to the health of Filip Chytil, which remains one of the biggest wild cards in all of this. Tuesday’s post-break practice could offer some clarity, but right now, it’s a waiting game.
Chytil exited a Feb. 2 game in Salt Lake City and didn’t return for the third period. Afterward, coach Nolan Foote said Chytil had “tweaked” something and would be evaluated further.
When asked if it was a head injury, Foote offered a telling - and somewhat ominous - response: “I hope not.”
The following day, the update shifted. Foote clarified that Chytil was dealing with migraine headaches.
That alone is concerning, but when you factor in Chytil’s history of concussions, it raises even more questions. He hasn’t played since Oct. 19 in Washington and logged just 7:36 of ice time in that Utah game.
He finished with a minus-3 rating and looked a step behind all night, managing just one shot on goal. The Canucks had him on the wing to ease the two-way demands of playing center, but even that didn’t shield him from the physical toll.
Wing play still demands heavy wall work, and it’s possible that’s where something went wrong - though there was no clear hit or collision to point to. Just the grind of puck battles.
Right now, the Canucks are stuck in a holding pattern. They need a center, but the market isn’t offering a clean solution. And until they get clarity on Chytil’s status - and whether or not he can return to full health - it’s hard to see how they make a move that truly addresses their needs.
Tuesday could bring answers. But for now, the questions keep piling up.