Leafs, Lightning, and perhaps more could be targeting Canucks defenseman.

Most pundits believe that the Vancouver Canucks have a long way to go before they can be a serious threat to win a championship once again, and while it seems the team is in fact moving towards a rebuild, would they be willing to trade on of their best players?

Jason Botchford of the Vancvouver Sun believes the Canucks are in a prime poposition to make a big trade that could drastically help improve their future outlook, but one that admittedly would be an incredibly tough decision. Botchford believes the Canucks should trade their most promising defenseman, Chris Tanev.

From Botchford:

But a lot of teams want Tanev, and that’s going to be a difficult reality for the Canucks to ignore. You see the Canucks have announced to the world they’re a rebuilding team. And if you’re serious about a rebuild, you’re serious about trading Tanev.

If the Canucks do want to make the deal there is no better time than the present. Tanev still has three years remaining on his existing contract, and it's a contract that is incredibly team-friendly for a defenseman of his talent. Tanev counts for just $4.45 million against the cap, and perhaps the biggest key for the Canucks, his limited no-trade clause won't kick in until July 1st.

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As for potential landing spots for Tanev? While Botchford admits that a number of teams have shown interest, he specifically cites Toronto and Tampa Bay as two of the favorites.

People have rightly targeted the Toronto Maple Leafs as a potential landing spot and the Tampa Bay Lightning, where it’s believed Jonathan Drouin — the 2013 third overall pick with drool-worthy offensive upside — can be had for the right price.

The trade of a player like Tanev would be a tough sell in any market, but if the Canucks get valuable assets to build towards the future, one has to wonder how fans in the city would react.