If the lottery gods are kind to the Vancouver Canucks, it'll be presumed Number One overall draft pick Gavin McKenna asking for a trade out of the city a few years down the road. The Canucks are in tank mode, whether they choose to be or not, but sometimes, when a team is performing horribly as a unit, individual players can excel if they find their way to better circumstances through a mid-season trade.
It's worth exploring the Canucks roster for pending UFAs, value deals, or opportunities for salary retention as the Oilers gear up for another (hopefully) deep playoff drive. Here are some names bubbling to the top of the list:
Jake Debrusk
Oilers alumnus Louie Debrusk's offspring, Jake Debrusk, is usually on the list of potential acquisitions around this time of year. The franchise loves bringing in the friends and family of dynasty Oilers and Debrusk is, in fact, a serviceable player. His career plus minus is generally positive, so the -15s we see during his Vancouver adventures could be taken with a grain of salt. His advanced statistics are very positive, even in these recent down years.
Sat believes DeBrusk is the player with term most likely to be traded in season.
— Taj (@taj1944) February 24, 2026
Mentions Edmonton is a team to keep an eye on if they can get creative with the cap.
(Canucks Central)
Two things should give Oilers management at least a pause before acquisition. Debrusk's highest offensive outputs have included significant powerplay time. That isn't happening on the Oilers, so he isn't a 25 goal scorer on this roster, or anything close. He could offer some amount of depth scoring, and positive goal differential, but the other concern is his contract.
Debrusk is 29 years old. He's locked into a seven year deal, with five to go, that pays him $5.5 million. Any potential trade for this player, who will all but definitely decline in every following season, will need to include as much salary retention as possible. The Oilers can't afford any wasted cap space during what remains of their Connor McDavid / Leon Draisaitl contention window.
Tyler Myers
While he's been spotted on "untouchables" lists as Vancouver has progressed toward the bottom of the National Hockey League's standings, the 36-year-old Tyler Myers is worth asking the question. While he may not be the next incarnation of Zdeno Chara, Myers has a massive wingspan, a physical style of play, and the ability to contribute offensively.
Honestly, his advanced statistics aren't great, but in his career he has played in Buffalo and Vancouver, and if he's been stretched playing a Number One defenseman role, he might fit comfortably in a 2nd pairing on a better franchise. He's also relatively affordable, $3 million per season, and with only a year left on his deal. With 50% retention, he becomes an absolute bargain, and if Vancouver management is smart about rebuilding, they should listen to offers on aging defensemen.
Avoid at all costs
Who shouldn't Edmonton trade for? Evander Kane tops that list. Kane was fine as an Oiler, though his value continually declined over his time here. He isn't the missing ingredient for this roster and trading him away is one of the best moves they've made.
I wouldn't give much of anything for David Kampf. A post-30-year-old, non-offensive, bottom six player with questionable advanced metrics, Kampf doesn't seem an improvement to me over anything on the current roster or in Bakersfield.
I also wouldn't take on Thatcher Demko, in spite of the goaltender's abilities when he's healthy. He's out for the season, and while some might say the Oilers could play the LTIR game with his cap money, history tells us that Edmonton gets penalized for mimicking the actions of other Stanley Cup champions. I wouldn't trust that he'll be available for future Cup moments, as Vancouver has seen in the past.