Friedman: Canucks willing to take back player with term in Conor Garland trade

The Vancouver Canucks are still trying in earnest to move Conor Garland, and it appears they may be willing to take back a player with term remaining on his contract to facilitate a potential trade.

This is according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who said as much in conversation with Jeff Marek on Monday’s edition of 32 Thoughts – The Podcast:

Elliotte Friedman: One of the things I’ve heard that a couple people told me was wrong is that, I had heard the Canucks, if they were going to have to take a contract back, it was only going to be someone who was under contract for this year. They weren’t willing to take anybody with term. And I had a few people push back on that with me and say that’s not the case. If they like a player, they’ll take a player who’s got a bit more term. I think they want the ability to add money this year, or to bank cap space I guess is a better way to say it, this year. If they can win the trade, cap-wise, by $1 million or two, it allows them to start banking a little bit more space now.

Garland, 27, scored the Canucks’ first goal of the 2023–24 regular season in their massive 8–1 win over the Edmonton Oilers last Wednesday. That remains his only point through the first two games of the year.

The former Arizona Coyote is under contract through 2026 at a $4.95 million cap hit. Garland is a speedy, undersized winger who has struggled to live up to expectations — and that price tag — since arriving in Vancouver in 2021.

Through 324 career NHL games over parts of six seasons with the Coyotes and Canucks, Garland has collected 84 goals and 195 points. The Coyotes originally selected Garland in the fifth round (No. 123 overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.

The Canucks will return to action on Tuesday when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers at 3:00 p.m. PT.