As the NHL Draft Lottery looms, the Vancouver Canucks face a decision far more consequential than hoping for a miracle jump in the draft order. Sitting with the 15th-best odds, the Canucks have just a 0.5 percent chance of landing the top pick and can move up no more than 10 spots due to revised NHL rules. Translation: they’re likely locked into the middle of the first round — a good but not transformative position.
And this year, Vancouver has no time to wait for a prospect to develop into what it so desperately lacks right now: a legitimate top-line centre.
The team’s internal depth down the middle has become increasingly unstable. Elias Pettersson’s underwhelming 45-point season has raised fair questions about his long-term viability as a No. 1 centre. Filip Chytil, brought in to help bolster the middle, remains a health risk due to repeated concussion issues. And while Pius Suter delivered a career-high 25 goals, he’s an unrestricted free agent with no guaranteed return.
The departure of J.T. Miller — arguably one of the league’s most reliable two-way centres — has left a gaping hole the Canucks haven’t adequately filled. Vancouver can’t rely on free agency band-aids to patch what’s now a foundational issue. They need a sure thing, and that likely means exploring the trade market — with their first-round pick as a key bargaining chip.
Trading the Pick Makes Sense — Even at No. 5
While it’s highly unlikely the Canucks win a top-five pick, even if they do, the franchise needs to consider flipping it. The logic is simple: adding a proven NHL centre who can immediately stabilize the roster outweighs the long-term gamble of an 18-year-old prospect. Especially when the team still believes it can contend with its current core.
One name quietly linked to Vancouver is Detroit’s Dylan Larkin. A four-time 30-goal scorer and Red Wings captain, Larkin voiced frustration over his club’s lack of ambition at the trade deadline. Could he be looking for a new challenge — one that might involve reconnecting with close friend and former Team USA roommate Quinn Hughes?
A potential package involving Vancouver’s first-round pick, a current roster player, and a high-end prospect wouldn’t be cheap. But as Canucks president Jim Rutherford bluntly put it: “It will be expensive, but also very expensive not to get one.”
Trade Options and Free-Agent Fallbacks
If the Canucks can’t land a Larkin-type centre, they may pivot to more modest names. Florida’s Sam Bennett — coming off a 25-goal, 51-point campaign — will draw attention as a pending UFA. Jack Roslovic (Carolina) is another depth option, though his postseason healthy scratches are a concern. Neither fills the void of a franchise centre, but they could provide temporary relief.
Still, management appears united in the belief that a trade — not free agency — is the more reliable path to resolving the team’s centre crisis.
Time Is Now, Not 3 Years from Now
The Canucks’ roster isn’t in rebuild mode. They’re not looking five years down the road — they’re trying to stay competitive now. And if they want to maximize the prime years of cornerstone players like Hughes, Thatcher Demko, and perhaps still Pettersson, then bold, immediate action is required.
There’s value in draft picks — when they fit the plan. But the Canucks’ plan has changed. It’s no longer about waiting for potential to develop. It’s about fixing the most glaring hole in the lineup with a proven solution. Trading the pick — whether it’s 15th or, by some lottery miracle, 5th — must be on the table.
Because for a team that says it’s serious about winning, betting the future on an unproven teen isn’t just a risk — it’s a misalignment of priorities.
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