Buyers or Sellers?
Sellers. This Canucks team needs to be rebuilt and there are plenty of players on the Canucks roster whom Vancouver would be better off trading. Then again, the team just inexplicably got rid of one of its best prospects in Hunter Shinkaruk, so maybe the market is not as interested in some of the more obvious trade pieces out of Vancouver than fans might think. Regardless, Vancouver needs a fresh start, and the trade deadline is a great time to get that process going.
Team needs
What the Canucks need most is to start over. This is not a team which is going to compete this year, so anything the Canucks can do either to acquire depth or clear cap space would be beneficial to the team. Vancouver clearly will keep Henrik and Daniel Sedin as well as Ryan Miller, but any of their other veterans are fair game. They should try to exchange some of their aging players for draft picks if possible.
Key Players
Dan Hamhuis
The defenseman is not the easiest player to trade since he would have to waive his no-trade clause, but he is one of the better defensemen on the market if he agrees to a trade and could garner a decent return for Vancouver. Still, Hamhuis seems happily settled in Vancouver, and it might be tough for the Canucks to convince him to waive the NTC.
Alexandre Burrows
It would be great for the Canucks' focus on youth if they could move Burrows. The soon-to-be 35-year-old has a $4.5 million cap hit, and it might be hard to convince another team to take Burrows on at that price, but if the Canucks are willing to eat some of his salary, they might be able to flip Burrows for some younger prospects or draft picks.
Radim Vrbata
This season has been one of the worst years of Vrbata's career, and at 34 years old, that's a concerning sign for his future. His contract ends at the end of the season. If the Canucks actually do rebuild, it's hard to imagine they will keep Vrbata, so they are better off trading him now. That said, Vrbata's down year this season (24 points in 57 games) is not good for his trade value.
Arielle Aronson covers the NHL and special features for FOX Sports. You can follow her on Twitter @aharonson28.
