Even though the Vancouver Canucks have signalled that they’re open for business, it appears that any trade they eventually do make will be a slow burn.
And while a number of those intriguing veterans figure to draw significant interest on the trade market, Friedman reported Saturday that no moves are imminent.
“I was told today, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be fast,” Friedman said during the Saturday Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada. “There’s nothing imminent in Vancouver… but I think there’s some teams who are very interested. Teams like Minnesota, Boston, potentially Philadelphia (and) others.”
Friedman pointed to Kiefer Sherwood as a player in Vancouver that he thought may have generated some immediate interest around the league. Sherwood has gotten out to a hot start with 12 goals in 25 games and is set to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.
But the Canucks appear happy to let the market come to them.
“They are more than comfortable to take their time, just see what the market is and wait if they have to,” Friedman said. “And again, the goal is to get younger.
“Everybody knows that they want to get younger, and they’re going to wait until they get something they like.”
Friedman added that star defenceman and team captain Quinn Hughes is not among the players that Vancouver is willing to discuss moving.
With over three months remaining until the NHL’s March 6 trade deadline, the Canucks will have plenty of time to get a feel for what is out there on the market. And, of course, as teams move closer to a playoff berth in that time, they may end up willing to put together a bigger package to land any of Vancouver’s most valuable pieces.
