There’s a newly revealed hurdle the Vancouver Canucks will need to navigate in trade talks with the New York Rangers.
Mika Zibanejad, who has been connected to the Canucks multiple times in trade rumours recently, reportedly does not want to come west. He has a full no-movement clause so he can control his destiny.
“Everybody’s got a right to change their minds and there could be more pressure points in various ways but as of today I’m told that Zibanejad does not want to go from the New York Rangers to the Vancouver Canucks,” said Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos.
The struggling Zibanejad has been connected to the Canucks as he makes a similar amount of money to J.T. Miller, costing $8.5 million against the cap compared to Miller’s $8 million. With the Canucks strongly considering trading one of their two feuding stars, swapping veteran centres makes a lot of sense and would make a trade easier.
However, the Canucks reportedly turned down a Zibanejad for Miller trade earlier this season so it doesn’t seem like they’re completely sold on the player either. Still, Zibanejad refusing to void his no-movement clause for Vancouver means that even if the teams find a deal they like with additional pieces, they’ll need the 31-year-old to change his mind.
Miller also has a full no-movement clause and thus can also veto any destinations the Canucks try and trade him to.
While at one point the Rangers forward was one of the most exciting offensive players to watch, he’s lost a step at this point in his career. He has just eight goals and 26 points in 41 games so far this season, and nine of those points have come on the power play.