This trade report just opened a very interesting door...

Seven points over 18 games and that is dead last in the entire NHL and the Vancouver Canucks have lost five in a row. On Saturday, Chicago, the team that is second from the bottom, was reported to be very active on the trade market. Now that puts two facts side by side. A team in the NHL looking to add players to the organization to get away from the bottom of the standings and another team that has players that do exactly that. Everyone is going to tell you this season is a disaster. And yes, if you look at the standings, it quite frankly is. But the Canucks are in the perfect seat and looking at a perfect rebuild. Because the Canucks are about to be on the right side of the market. With a lot of teams looking to buy, the Canucks are on the perfect side as they've already accumulated a bunch of young players and picks. But let's be honest first, it was never supposed to be this bad. The Canucks are 3-15-1. And on an 84-game pace, that is about 13 wins. And the first 19 games came with a 3-win start, a 6-5 overtime win in Edmonton on an opening night, a 4-1 win over Calgary, and a 6-5 overtime win in Anaheim. That is every win they have this year. And if you're looking for a comparison, the NHL has been here. On November 8th, 2013, Buffalo was 3-15-1. With 7 points after 19 games, the exact same record. And a record like that tells you where a team currently stands, not where it's going, and that's what matters in year one. Ben Kuzma wrote after the Jets loss, For the record, worst 18 game start in club history. In the last 5 games, they've scored 12 goals and allowed 22, and every one of those was a loss. But here it is easy to forget, this was a team that was never built to win this year. Back in April, the team's president named four clubs as the model for the rebuild. Montreal, Chicago, San Jose, and Anaheim. And he said every one of those teams had a year just like this one, points in the 50s. Ryan Johnson is the new GM. Manny Malhotra is the new head coach. And Pedersen said it himself back in October. You knew this rebuild was going to take some time. So a record like this hurts. No one's going to tell you otherwise. But the thing with a record like this, it shows you the true direction and that is being able to sell. So who is buying? Let's start with Chicago because that was one of the teams that the Canucks named when talking about their model. On Saturday, Elliott Freeman reported the Blackhawks have suddenly become very active on the trade market. The day before, Chicago's Hockey Now headline was that Chicago is seeking forward help. And the standings explain why. Chicago has 9 points in 18 games. That is the next lowest total in the league, just 2 points ahead of Vancouver. And think of it this way, of course both teams still want to climb, but only one team has the cash to spend. Think about what that looks like from Chicago's chair. They want to win now, they're short on space, and they need partners who can take on salary without fighting. Chicago adds $908,000 to cap space under the $104 million ceiling per Spotrac. This is less than a million dollars. So if Chicago wants a winger, it has to send salary back. And the same report says Chicago is willing to move its 2027 late first round picks. And to be clear, there is no report saying just yet that Chicago has called Vancouver. But when looking around the NHL, there's only a short list of teams that are going to actively look to sell and the Vancouver Canucks are going to keep coming up on top. So who could the Canucks actually sell? David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reported on October 30th. That Vancouver is open to trading veterans while looking to add young talent. The names in that report, Drew O'Connor, Filip Hledýk, and Luke Schenn. And here's why that works. All three are on contracts that expire at the end of the season. Drew O'Connor makes $2.5 million, Luke Schenn $2.25 million, and Filip Hledýk at $4.4 million. For a buyer, that is a rental with no strings. And for the Canucks, That is a player that probably does not fit their timeline in the next four years turning into a pick. One caution, Bill Beadle is of course on injured reserves, so he cannot be sold until he's healthy. Then there is Brendan Gallagher, $6.5 million expiring. He's a Montreal guy who came over on June 29th and has a modified no-trade clause. And of course, Brendan Gallagher would have to approve on a move, and what he brings to a rebuilding team like ding ding ding, The Montreal Canadiens shows that keeping a player like this has value. Brock Boeser and Filip Hledýk each make $7.25 million through 2031-32. The writer behind that October 30th piece guessed that they'd be in trade talks, but I'm going to be honest, it seems like these guys are staying. And remember, this front office has already shown it will sell. At the deadline last year, Myers and Connor Garland went out for draft picks solely in return. So if you're the Canucks and you're selling, the biggest question I have is what you're asking for in return. Here's the thing. Draft picks are great, but the Canucks also need players. On a podcast, we've seen they relayed Ryan Johnson saying draft picks are great, but they also have to find other players to build around. And Freeman's report says that other teams have already asked Chicago about some of the young prospects and some of their guys who can play center. And Chicago's own cap sheet lists multiple young defensemen, and defensemen is exactly the hole in Vancouver's pipeline. And I'm not going to sit here and say that Chicago is actively shopping one of their top young blue line chips, but if the Canucks are looking for a return, this is what they need to be hunting The checklist is simple. A young defenseman, a center, a first-round pick in that order. And you don't have to take the first offer, because you've got almost $16 million of cap room and nothing to rush for. Now the part that flips from a bad story into a good one. The Vancouver Canucks are the easiest team in the NHL to trade with. Per Spotrac, the Canucks have $88.07 million committed and $15.93 million of room under the $104 million cap. That is roughly 17 times Chicago's room. A buyer short on cap needs a partner who can take salary back, and Vancouver is that. And the front office has already said this is in the playbook. In May, the team said teams like Montreal and Chicago added first-round picks by taking on bad contracts, and that those chances haven't been as available lately. Well, here's the chance. The Vancouver Canucks have room, and there are buyers on the market. They also own their first-round picks in 2027, 28, 29, and 2030, and 10 picks in the 2027 draft overall. Which means this Canucks team is not trading out of needs. They're trading for leverage, and they have all the time in the world. And you might ask, what are they selling for? Well, look what's already in the building. In the 2026 draft, they took Kyla Malhotra with the third Third overall pick. In the Quinn Hughes trade on December 12th, they got Marco Rossi, Liam Olgren, Zeev Boyum, and a first-round pick which turned into Adam Novotny. And it's already working. After being scratched, Liam Olgren has four goals in six games. Jonathan Lechamacki is already in the NHL. Kuzma's headline on November 4th. Why Jonathan Lechamacki is serving up rebuild hope. And the franchise center is still climbing, having a bounce back. Pedersen is three points away from passing into 7th in franchise points. He also passed Todd Bertuzzi for 15th in franchise shots on goal by 7th. So the best player on the roster is making history while the kids grow around him. The Daily Face-Off's top 10 prospects for the Canucks. Malhotra, Braden Kutz, Adam Novotny, Jonathan Lechamacki, Brooks Rogowski. Now, the one hole. They drafted only one defenseman in 2026. So when the calls come in, a young defenseman is the first thing I'd ask for. And even if the Canucks finish last, the new lottery rule means the worst team can fall only two spots. The Canucks already picked third once, and we're hoping for number one next year. So here's where I land, and I understand the record is bad, but think about how fast this can flip. The Canucks aren't asking fans to wait five years. They already had a third overall pick, The Hughes Hall, four firsts of their own through 2030 and 10 picks in 2027. And every veteran they end up turning into, draft picks, or especially young players, this makes the team better next year. But year one of the rebuild is of course the big question, What are teams willing to pay for the guys we don't see in our future? Chicago is the market and Vancouver has that room to make the trade with the Blackhawks. This is a team that of course can take on more picks prospects to add to their already own stacked cover. And if you made it this far, make sure to hit that free subscribe button. We're so close to a goal of 10,000 subscribers and it means the absolute world. But I want to know your guys thoughts down in the comments. Who is the best trade chip for the Canucks heading into maybe after American Thanksgiving or into the deadline? Is it Brendan Gallagher? Is it Paul Cotter? Someone I haven't spoke of all the way to Jake DeBrusk that's constantly in rumors. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments. I've been your host, Mark Pye. Take care, Canucks fans, and I'll see you in the next one. Go Canucks, go.