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While Patrik Allvin may be done adding for the summer, everybody knows that he’ll be highly active on the market as the season goes on.

The Canucks are expected to be as good, if not even better, as they were during the 2023-2024 campaign, and it may lead us to a very active trade deadline yet again. One aspect of their roster that might need to be addressed is their lack of capable puck-moving defenceman.

Stephan Roget at Canucks Army identified eight potential trade deadline targets for the Canucks, and we may be in for a treat. The criteria were a defenseman with elevated puck-moving skills, on an expiring contract and on a team that could fall out of playoff contention. While some of these names may never make it to the trade market, the idea of adding one of them to the Canucks’ group of defensemen is fairly exciting.

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1. Shea Theodore

The Golden Knights almost fell out of playoff contention, and despite making essential changes to their core group, there is no guarantee that they could even be near the Western Conference’s top eight when comes March. $5.2M cap hit on an expiring deal; he’s everything the Canucks could ask for. Experienced, skilled and used to playoff hockey, if he makes it to the market, he’s a can’t-miss for the Canucks.

2. Ivan Provorov

Provorov is a complex player to evaluate. When he first entered the league, many saw him as a potential top defenseman, but his career trajectory hasn’t fully aligned with those early expectations. Part of the issue may be that he hasn’t always been given the ideal circumstances to thrive. Despite this, Provorov is still capable of generating offence from the blue line and holding his own defensively, which addresses key needs for the Canucks. One can easily envision Provorov excelling in a role where he complements Hughes.

Provorov’s cap hit has already been reduced once on his way to Columbus, making it more manageable, and the Blue Jackets, who aren’t in contention, might be open to further retention. However, that would come at a price, and given Provorov’s previous high regard, the asking price could be steep from the start. Nonetheless, he’s an intriguing option worth monitoring.

3. Jakob Chychrun

Chychrun was initially seen as a luxury player, comparable to top-tier talents like Theodore. However, his status has somewhat diminished recently. Despite this, Chychrun still boasts considerable skill, especially on the offensive.

His 0.54 points per game over the past three seasons ranks him among the top 30 NHL defenders, even though he has faced injuries and periods of trade uncertainty. Chychrun can produce solid numbers and handle significant minutes on the ice.

In no particular order: Jeff Petry, Neal Pionk, Will Borgen, Olli Maata, Marcus Pettersson.

There is no certainty that Allvin will be adding to his current group. He could retain his assets and move Tom Willander to his NHL group after his Collegiate season ends. Would it be the best possible move for the Canucks? Maybe not, but it would prevent Allvin from spending future assets to acquire a player for a few games and a playoff run.