In a trade that looks more like something you'd see in a dynasty fantasy league than between two NHL teams, the Vancouver Canucks have acquired Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland from the Arizona Coyotes for Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, Antoine Roussel, the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft (Dylan Guenther), a second-rounder next year and a seventh-round pick. The Coyotes also retain $1.2 million per season on the remainder of Ekman-Larsson's $8.25 million per season contract.

Whoa. The Canucks send three dead-weight contracts, which were all only a year away from expiring, for Ekman-Larsson, who has six years remaining on a highly undesirable contract. Reaction to this trade – particularly in the Vancouver market – has been polarized. The Canucks are clearly better today with the players they have acquired, but at what price down the road? Jim Benning is thinking about nothing except the season in front of him. There's no incentive for him to build for the future if he is in job preservation mode. It's playoffs or bust this coming season in a weak Pacific Division.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes continue to serve as a dumping ground for bad contracts of present and past players, stockpiling draft picks in the process. Andrew Ladd, Shayne Gostisbehere, and now Eriksson, Beagle, and Roussel. For now, Arizona is the Island of Misfit Toys in the middle of a desert. Their rebuild now starts with a first-round pick that they have ultimately recovered to make up for the one they forfeited for prospect testing violations.  

Garland should be considered the best player in the trade, so you could argue that if the bad contracts cancel each other out with Ekman-Larsson as the best player of that group, this trade is Garland for the draft picks. He should likely slot in on the second line with Bo Horvat and either Tanner Pearson or Nils Hoglander, assuming the Lotto Line of Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Brock Boeser is reunited. That's not a bad top 6, and it allows the Canucks to shop for more economical options for their bottom 6 while easing Vasili Podkolzin into the lineup. I don't think the trade helps or hurts Garland's value a ton, as he could receive slightly fewer minutes with perhaps slightly better linemates.

OEL will undoubtedly slot into the top 4 on defense, which as things stand is the most significant weakness on the Canucks roster. This trade also increases the likelihood that Nate Schmidt is traded. Schmidt is rumored to have requested a trade after his only season with the Canucks. Longtime Canuck Alex Edler will also test free agency, as will Travis Hamonic. So the Canucks are looking at a D with OEL, Tyler Myers, Quinn Hughes, and the inexperienced Jack Rathbone and Olli Juolevi. Further upgrades are clearly needed. OEL's value should not change, since he should still be used as a top-4 defenseman with second-unit power-play minutes.

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Players this helps, in order:

Gostisbehere (less likely to be a healthy scratch)

Horvat

Pearson

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Players this hurts, in order:

Nick Schmaltz (Garland's most frequent linemate in Arizona)

Hoglander (has played both wings for the Canucks)

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Fantasy owners are already weighing in on the Forum – give your take here!