The injury bug has ravaged the Vancouver Canucks this season. Entering Wednesday night’s action, the Canucks currently have four roster forwards on the shelf. Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Teddy Blueger, and Nils Hoglander are all out with assorted ailments.
The aforementioned forwards all have varying timelines for return. In the meantime, the Canucks are taking on water. While the ship isn’t precisely ready to sink, time is running out on this season.
So, the dire situation has prompted Canucks GM Patrik Allvin to get his feet moving. According to a report by RG Media published on November 12, the Canucks are looking to bring in Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson.
The Sabres currently find themselves on the skids in the Atlantic Division. Their last-place positioning has stoked discussion of a rebuild on top of the current rebuild. Chatter has suggested that former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan could take over.
If that’s the case, another rebuild could be on the horizon. So, the Sabres could be willing to make a serious move as part of their impending roster churn.
That’s a situation the Canucks could capitalize on to land a legit top-six forward to join other scoring wingers like Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk. While the Canucks truly need a center, the hope is that any help is more than welcome.
Demko Injury Increases Sense of Urgency for Canucks
The Canucks lost starting netminder Thatcher Demko in Tuesday night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. While initial reports suggest that Demko could be out for two to three weeks, the injury increases the sense of urgency for Vancouver.
Having Demko out for an extended period could significantly dampen the Canucks’ chances of nabbing a playoff spot. As a result, the team could be compelled to make a move now, while the season is still within reach.
Otherwise, the Canucks could see their season slip away. And judging from the efforts the club made this past offseason, Vancouver may not be willing to raise the white flag on the season just yet.
So, Allvin could be willing to roll the dice and make a major move on a major forward like Thompson.
Asking Price Could Be High for Thompson
The flipside of this discussion could be the price the Vancouver Canucks may have to pay to land Tage Thompson. The 28-year-old forward has a five-team no-trade clause. That situation gives the Sabres a lot more room to maneuver. As such, the Sabres could demand a high price for Thompson.
At this point, one would have to think the asking price could involve a first-round pick and a high-end prospect. The Canucks hold their first-round selections in the next three drafts. Moreover, the club has a relatively decent prospect pool.
So, the Canucks do have the pieces to make a deal happen. As for timing, that’s perhaps the hardest thing to predict at this point. There’s no telling how much longer the Sabres may wait to make a deal. Perhaps the deal never materializes. It all depends on where each team is in the standings moving forward.
Canucks Actively Pursuing Star Forward amid Injuries: Report