The Canucks will most likely take a conservative approach to the Feb. 24th NHL trade deadline.



That’s partly a function of necessity. Vancouver can’t trade a first-round pick this season or next due to the J.T. Miller trade, they don’t want to take on money beyond the 2020-21 season, they’re reluctant to part with their good young players and prospects and they don’t see their cap situation as being dire enough to necessitate a significant cap clearing move over the next three weeks.



Despite leading their division, the Canucks are not a standard-issue “buyer.”



General manager Jim Benning pointed out to The Athletic in late January that the Canucks made their all-in trade deadline move already, back at the Draft in June when they acquired Miller for a conditional first-round pick and a third-round pick. Benning has also explicitly cited chemistry as a reason to be careful in making over his roster. Translation:...