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Could the Red Wings land Canucks forward Conor Garland with this trade pitch?
Per multiple reports, the Vancouver Canucks are trading right winger Conor Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The eight-year NHL veteran has spent the last five seasons with the Canucks, who are in the cellar of the Pacific Division.
According to reports, Columbus is sending the Canucks a 2028 second-round draft pick and a 2026 third-round draft pick. Garland, 29, just signed a five-year extension with Vancouver, but is now shipped off due to the team’s rebuild process.
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Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Conor Garland from Vancouver Canucks
GettyThe Colombus Blue Jackets land Conor Garland.
This is a late-night trade, but this could be the kickstart of a fire sale by the Canucks, who have players like Elias Pettersson and Evander Kane that may also be on the move before Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
Conor Garland has seven goals and 19 assists in 50 games this season. Before Vancouver, he came up with the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Mammoth). Pretty much a 82 game per season player, Garland has 129 career goals and 317 points over nine seasons. He holds a $6 million cap hit.
He’s a big undersized, but Garland is one of those high-energy forwards, and he uses his shorter frame to win pucks in the margins.
Garland has been a 50-point player in his career, which included the 2024-25 season. Vancouver has had such a rough season that this move felt inevitable, but it’s the Blue Jackets who end up landing the 29-year-old forward.
A player who will rely on his five-on-five ability, but Columbus will hope to get a little more offensive production out of him.
The Blue Jackets are currently fourth in the Metro Division and have some work to do to earn a playoff spot, but this move is a signal that they are making a push.
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What Conor Garland Brings to the Blue Jackets
The Athletic was on the trade news as well, and had this to say about what Garland brings to Columbus:
“Garland is an excellent, play-driving middle-six winger who has consistently scored 45-50 points per season.”
“Last year, Garland’s adjustment to heavy usage was mostly smooth — he scored 50 points despite a significant dip in his five-on-five point production rate, and impressively, he continued excelling as a high-end play-driver. In particular, he continued leveling up as one of Vancouver’s best defensive forwards and even took on a penalty-killing role.”
As for the Canucks, they continue to pile up draft picks. Stay up to date on all the NHL trade news on Heavy.com.
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