To say that the Canucks’ road trip was a disappointment may be an understatement. The Canucks went 1-5, dropping close games to the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Hockey Club. However, the concerning part was losing to the Seattle Kraken and Anaheim Ducks. Those losses were inexcusable, and the Canucks are losing ground in the playoff race. To make matters worse, Quinn Hughes didn’t play the last 9:05 minutes against the Kraken on Saturday, and his status is uncertain for Wednesday’s game against the Ducks. With the trade deadline quickly approaching on Friday, March 7th, the Canucks’ recent struggles have had people wondering if they should be sellers at the deadline.
Final. pic.twitter.com/X3SoVuDjHH
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 2, 2025
The Canucks were on the cusp of heading to the Western Conference final last season, and now they may be sellers at the trade deadline. There are plenty of reasons for that—the J.T. Miller drama, the Thatcher Demko dilemma, and Elias Pettersson, which is what I’m going to get into. Elias Pettersson has been the talk of the town recently, but for all the wrong reasons. His $11.6 million cap hit and play haven’t aligned. Petey has looked like a shell of himself. Forget scoring and putting up points,he’s not even getting shots on goal. For Canucks fans who think he has mailed it in after getting his payday, that is simply not the case. He hasn’t lost his skill either,he is still only 26. Pettersson is hurt; it’s the same knee issue that hindered him in the second half of last season and during the playoffs. You can clearly see that he is not 100%, and if you ask me, he shouldn’t even be in the lineup. He should be resting, otherwise this is only going to get worse.
So, what do they do at the deadline? The Canucks are barely hanging on to a playoff spot and they have more questions than answers. I don’t think it’s time for a fire sale, but you have to look ahead to next season if Hughes is out long term. Brock Boeser is the biggest question mark. He rejected a five-year deal worth $8 million per season. I think if you can’t get a deal done with Boeser, you have to move him at the deadline, because you can’t let him walk for nothing. The Canucks have said they want to add another forward, so I could see them trading Boeser for a top-six center. Otherwise, I’m not sure they will do much. What do you think? Should the Canucks be sellers at the trade deadline?