Vancouver Canucks are about to flip the script on their draft plan and the fanbase is unhinged
The Vancouver Canucks may be looking to swing big at the draft.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period told NHL Tonight that he wouldn't be surprised if Vancouver tries to move up by working a deal with the San Jose Sharks for the No.2 overall pick.
That's a bold off-season move from a franchise still finalizing its head-coach search and front-office structure.
The Canucks finished dead last in the league at 25-49-8 with 58 points and 316 goals against. A top draft asset would land them a generational piece to anchor the rebuild around.
The question is whether their existing pick combined with futures is enough to convince San Jose to drop down. Mike Grier's group isn't desperate for picks. They have young talent already in place.
Anton Stenberg has surged up draft boards after his IIHF World Championship run. If he ends up as the No.2 selection, Vancouver clearly believes he's the kind of cornerstone they'd pay extra to grab.
Why this kind of move screams new front office energy
Vancouver's new management has already signaled there are no untouchables on this roster. Elias Pettersson trade chatter is circling. Brock Boeser's $7.25 million contract is in play. The blueprint is full reset.
A trade-up at the draft fits that mandate. Bold front offices either land a Stanley Cup core in the same window or they get hired by the next franchise that needs one. There's no middle gear.
San Jose's calculus is different. The Sharks already drafted Macklin Celebrini at first overall in 2024 and watched him put up a 115-point sophomore season. They're building. Why would they trade down?
The answer would be quantity over quality. Multiple roster pieces. A roster-ready forward in exchange for a project. Picks across multiple years. Grier listens to anything that adds depth around his young core.
Honestly, the Canucks face the harder problem in any negotiation. They need to convince Grier that moving down is in San Jose's best interest. That's rarely how draft trades work.
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Toronto sits at first overall after winning the lottery. John Chayka has the cleanest path to a franchise piece. Everyone else is fighting for whatever's left.
Vancouver still has a head-coach search to close out. Manny Malhotra has been reported as the likely target. The new bench voice walks into a roster that might look completely different by training camp.
The draft is June 26. The trade talks heat up between now and then. Pagnotta planted the seed publicly. The phones do the rest.
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LIVE
MAY 26, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Gabriel Landeskog | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Cole Smith | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mark Stone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Dylan Coghlan | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nic Dowd | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nazem Kadri | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brayden McNabb | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Martin Necas | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Shea Theodore | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | - | - | |
| Mackenzie Blackwood | - | - | - | |
| Brent Burns | - | - | - | |
| Ross Colton | - | - | - | |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | - | - | - | |
| Jack Drury | - | - | - | |
| Jack Eichel | - | - | - | |
| Noah Hanifin | - | - | - | |
| Carter Hart | - | - | - | |
| Tomas Hertl | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||