Leafs and Canucks linked in potential blockbuster deal

There's been plenty of trade speculation surrounding the Vancouver Canucks all season. After all, the team is currently in 27th place over in the NHL's standings and they look very much like a tired group in need of a reboot. They've already traded former captain Bo Horvat, but there's been talk of shipping out players like Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, Luke Schenn, Thatcher Demko and Tyler Myers, as well.

What happens between now and the trade deadline remains to be seen, but don't be surprised if any number of those players end up vacated from the Canucks roster. It's really just a matter of getting an offer that piques the Canucks' interest.

Canucks insider Harman Dayal of The Athletic weighed in on the trade speculation earlier this week and predicted a trade between the Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs that would see the Leafs acquire both Garland up front and Schenn on the back end.

From Dayal:

With the Canucks trending way downward and clearly eager to start dealing after ending the Bo Horvat sweepstakes, and with the Leafs looking to add pieces to supplement their All-Star core, could Dubas check two boxes and acquire a forward and a defenceman from the Canucks?\

The reason a one-stop shop type of trade makes some sense for the Leafs here: The Canucks have a possible top six winger in Conor Garland and a rugged defenceman in Luke Schenn to offer. Theoretically, a trade for these two players makes trade deadline shopping a lot easier for Dubas.

Vancouver would be totally fine to take back Alex Kerfoot, whose contract expires this season, to ensure the Leafs can afford Garland ($4.95 million) this season. Beyond that, perhaps they’d offer to retain $1 million on Garland and just accept future considerations?

If the Leafs are looking for a depth defenceman who can provide some of the physicality they’re missing with Jake Muzzin out of the lineup, they could do worse than Schenn the former Leafs first-round pick. Schenn continues to try and run through everything in sight, leading the NHL with 237 hits this season and is doing so on a very manageable $850,000 cap hit.

Schenn profiles as the sort of tough, physical defender that one team might pay way too much for. Ben Chiarot and David Savard fetched first-round picks each at recent trade deadlines as rentals and Josh Manson went for a second-round pick and a solid right-shot defence prospect in Drew Helleson. 

The Canucks will look to capitalize on this overheated market and probably search for a legit defence prospect, preferably an RD, with top-four potential or at least a second-round pick, if not higher if the bidding gets out of control. You could easily argue that’s an overpayment for Schenn, but he checks boxes that teams are willing to give up more than they probably should for. 

- Harman Dayal

That all makes perfect sense, but let's get down to brass tacks... what's the offer?

Again from Dayal:

The Leafs receive: Conor Garland, Luke Schenn

The Canucks receive: Alex Kerfoot, Leafs’ 2024 second-round pick, Leafs’ 2023 third-round pick, Canucks retain 25 percent of Garland’s remaining salary

So essentially a cap dump for the Canucks that nets them a 2nd and a 3rd? 

Not sure how Alex Kerfoot factors into things for the Canucks given that they've already got the likes of Brock Boeser, Anthony Beauvillier and Andrei Kuzmenko already sign on the wings, but Kerfoot is really more of a center, I suppose.

It's an interesting proposition and frankly I wouldn't be surprised to see a deal of this variety come down in the next few weeks.