It’s time for another round of NHL Rumours. We’re closing in on the Four Nations Faceoff break and the impeding March 7 trade deadline. However, general managers are likely to remain busy during that time frame. Teams have already been busy getting deals done, but more work will probably happen. One team that’s already made some changes has been the Vancouver Canucks. This edition of NHL rumours deals with the Canucks possibly extending another new acquisition.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Vancouver Canucks Looking to Extend New Pickup
Rumour: In the latest edition of TSN’s Early Trading, Chris Johnston said the Canucks would like to extend forward Drew O’Connor.
Analysis: The Canucks seem to be trying to retool on the fly and it’s been working so far. Vancouver General Manager Patrik Allvin acquired both O’Connor and Marcus Pettersson in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Allvin has already extended Petterson to a six-year deal in pretty short order.
Now the focus moves over to the other piece acquired in the deal with the Penguins. It seems that O’Connor has taken to life in British Columbia pretty well. The Wayne, New Jersey native has already scored twice in four games with the Canucks.
Allvin sees Pettersson and O’Connor as not just rentals for the team. He sees them as long-term solutions that will be part of the club for the foreseeable future.
Pettersson was a pending unrestricted free agent going into the off-season. However, he and the Canucks agreed to a deal that will see him get a $5.5 million cap hit until his deal runs out at the end of the 2030-31 season.
What It Means
O’Connor has emerged over the last couple seasons and put up a career-best 16 in 2023-24 with the Penguins. The 26-year-old has good size at 6-feet, 4-inches tall and 209 pounds. Players like that can be very useful in the NHL.
His offensive numbers were very good in the NCAA with Dartmouth and that’s starting to translate into the professional level. He was slowly getting more playing time in Pittsburgh, but that hasn’t change much despite the trade. Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet is still giving him around 14 minutes per game.
However, O’Connor seems to be more than just a scorer with his new team. He has proven that he can finish his checks and works very hard at both ends of the ice. O’Connor can get in the dirty areas and help win puck battles if he’s needed to.
Another asset that O’Connor has is his ability to play all three forward spots. He usually spends most of his time on the wing. However, O’Connor can fill at the centre position if it comes down to it. That ability to play all three positions up front is something that not all forwards have.
O’Connor looks like he’s fitting in well with his new team and Allvin wants to make sure the new acquisition is part of the Canucks’ plan. Allvin wants to make sure the effects of the trade with Pittsburgh are long-lasting.
Main photo by: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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