NHL Rumors: Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken

Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! The NHL 2022-23 regular season games have begun and players will be evaluated. Now, with free agency moves mostly done, rumors are still around. Clubs are always working to improve their rosters for next season. Some teams are having difficulty creating enough cap space to make moves. Others are experiencing severe injuries to star players. Trade rumors/signings are still prevalent. In this Wednesday edition of NHL Rumors, we will take a look at the Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, and the Seattle Kraken.

Vancouver Canucks – Conor Garland

Rumor: Per – Michael DeRosa – nhltraderumors.me. Canucks winger becoming a prime trade candidate.

The horrendous start of the 2022-23 season for the Vancouver Canucks is just not turning around. There have been rumors of head coach Bruce Boudreau‘s job being in jeopardy. But, the team is still paying on former head coach Travis Green‘s contract. With their lack of success, especially after a projected playoff spot as their goal, something must be done. That includes trading players to get some kind of relief.

Forward Conor Garland’s name has surfaced as a player who doesn’t seem to fit into Beadreau’s system, meaning he could be moved. He carries a $4.95 million contract good through the 2025-26 season and was part of the Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade with the Arizona Coyotes back in July of last year. The team desperately needs help on the blueline as three D-men are injured. Quinn Hughes is week-to-week, and both Travis Dermott and Tucker Poolman are on injured reserve.

Garland would certainly bring the Canucks some good return as last season he collected 19 goals, and 33 assists in 77 games. This season he was already a healthy scratch for some reason and has two goals in six games. The feisty forward has seen his ice time diminish without explanation. He is only averaging 14:34 and which is down from 16:24 last season. Is Garland in Boudreau’s doghouse? And if so, could he be dealt for a top-four defenseman that the team seriously needs to get back on track? Time will tell, and Full Press Hockey will cover any NHL rumors as they develop.

Carolina Hurricanes – Ethan Bear

Rumor: Per – Elliotte Friedman – sportsnet.ca. Ethan Bear wants to play but has yet to do so. It could mean he is headed out on a trade, but to whom and when?

The Hurricanes have made it known they will move the right-shooting defenseman, but they do not have a salary cap problem and don’t intend to retain salary on a deal. Now he could get back in the lineup, or he could even be placed on waivers if the Canes can’t get the kind of return they desire. In any case, Bear wants to play. He has been rumored in the past to have some interest in from the Vancouver Canucks, who own one of the worst goals-against-average in the NHL at 4.29 goals allowed a game.

Could the Canucks work a deal to acquire Bear? He has a $2.2 million cap hit and is just 25 years old. With the shortage of defensemen in the league, it seems that Bear will attract some interest from several teams needing help on the blue line.

With the Hurricanes believing they are putting their best roster on the ice without Bear, it is only a matter of time before he gets moved.

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Seattle Kraken – Joonas Donskoi

Rumor: Per – Michael DeRosa – nhltraderumors.me. If the Kraken do not improve and find themselves out of the playoff race early, don’t be surprised to see GM Ron Francis look to make moves early.

One of the moves very well be to trade Joonas Donskoi. The 30-year-old who hails from Raahe, Finland has been a disappointment in Seattle. After the Kraken drafted him in their expansion draft last year his statistics are less than outstanding. He had 17 goals, and 14 assists in 51 games with the Colorado Avalanche. With the Seattle club last season he only managed two goals and 19 assists in 75 games. He has been placed on injured reserve dating back to October 9th with an upper-body injury.

Once he gets back into the lineup, he is hoping to get back to his old form to help out the Kraken. If he succeeds, he could very well be an excellent addition to a playoff-bound team. He has yet to play a game this new season. So, he will be evaluated to see if his $3.9 million contract is worth keeping him on the roster. The Kraken have little cap space with just $438,622 to spend. So, if Donskoi doesn’t produce, he has no trade clauses restricting the team from trading him. As the trade deadline approaches, we shall see what the future holds for the Kraken forward.