NHL trade rumors: What Canucks want for Bo Horvat, Oilers eyeing pair of defensemen

A pair of western Canadian teams appear to be in the thick of the NHL’s trade market, including the Vancouver Canucks, whose presumptive sell-off may not be written in stone after all.

A recent report from Pierre LeBrun in his latest rumblings article at The Athletic divulged that top trade candidate Bo Horvat may not be a foregone conclusion to be dealt for a package of picks and/or prospects.

Notably, LeBrun's report runs contradictory to much of the widespread industry speculation surrounding the pending free agent, who many expect to be a piece used to kickstart a rebuild on Canada’s Pacific Coast.

The Canucks, to this point in the season, have largely disappointed, as uneven play and controversy behind the bench have them out to a middling 13-13-3 start and outside the playoff picture.

LeBrun shared that the team could be eyeing an ever-elusive and difficult to define “hockey deal” for their captain, perhaps signalling that management believes in the potential of a playoff appearance.

Shockingly, Canucks brass may have a point. Despite their middling record, a weak Western Conference has them just three points back of Colorado for the final wild-card spot, though the Avalanche hold a game in hand.

To Vancouver, that reported hockey deal would ideally involve the team acquiring either a centerman or a defenseman ready to play in the NHL this year, leading to speculation that a sign and trade could be in the works for a potential deal.

Oilers searching for blueline help

Lebrun also reports that the Edmonton Oilers have been active in recent weeks searching for an additional defenseman to slot into a group desperate for some help.

Edmonton ranks a putrid 26th league-wide in goals against. While the team’s goaltending has been the primary culprit, highlighted by a miserable .898 team save percentage, the team’s 22nd-ranked expected goals-against rate at 5v5 shows that there are cracks in the foundation.

The two names in particular reportedly of great interest to general manager Ken Holland include Anaheim’s John Klingberg, a pending unrestricted free agent, and Montreal’s Joel Edmundson, who has one additional year remaining.

Edmundson in particular, LeBrun suspects, is the name that the Oilers could pursue heavily. The 29-year-old’s defensive reputation around the league, combined with his additional team control, reportedly makes him a much neater fit into a team that continues to seek out its defensive identity. Edmundson has one year remaining on his deal after this season and carries a cap hit of $3.5 million.

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