It’s feeling more and more like Nils Höglander’s time with the Vancouver Canucks is coming to a close.
The Swedish winger has struggled to get into the lineup as of late. He’s averaging a career-low in ice time and has just five points in 23 games. With the Canucks having glaring needs at other positions, it makes Höglander a solid trade candidate.
Despite the struggles, Höglander has some very attractive qualities. He scored 24 goals last season, all of them at even strength, and is signed for the next three years after this season at a reasonable $3 million cap hit.
This means that there are reportedly several clubs interested in acquiring the forward, including the Pittsburgh Penguins who were mentioned by two NHL insiders today.
“I think there are some teams that are very interested, I think Pittsburgh would be one of those teams,” said Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast.
“He’s signed, and Pittsburgh makes a lot of sense.”
“Get the trade watch going, Penguins are really super interested,” added CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal on today’s episode of Donnie & Dhali.
The Penguins and Canucks have been rumoured as trade partners many times this season, and the situation with Höglander may finally be enough to get a deal over the line.
But what would be coming back the other way?
A likely target for the Canucks is 28-year-old defenceman Marcus Pettersson. He’s someone that the Western Conference team has been interested in before and would help reinforce a defence group that is hurting, especially with Filip Hronek out long-term.
While Pettersson isn’t the perfect fit — he’s left-handed and can struggle to move the puck — he would likely be the team’s third-best blueliner the moment he arrives. The Swedish player has 10 points in 26 games so far this year on a bad team.
The defenceman is a pending free agent costing $4 million against the cap this season, meaning the Canucks will need to get creative with their finances to fit him on the books.
While Höglander alone might not be enough to close a deal, adding another roster player, prospect, or pick is likely an attractive package for the Penguins.
The Penguins have taken on a few reclamation projects recently, and Höglander could be the next one. With each passing game, the pressure mounts on the Canucks to find a solution, and a trade could be an easy resolution to the situation.