Canucks might sell low on $3 million trade target

The Vancouver Canucks certainly seem set to trade players away.

One name that hasn't come up a lot is Nils Hoglander.

He, though, might be an "under the radar" target for another team, according to The Athletic's Harman Dayal and Chris Johnston.

The 25-year old winger hasn't always gotten a chance to prove himself in Vancouver, but that doesn't mean another team would pass up the chance to unlock his potential.

"Höglander’s speed, forechecking tenacity and skill all point to a player who should be a consistent top-nine player, especially because his underlying play-driving metrics have always been strong, but his defensive warts have meant that his ice time and role have always been limited; the 15:27 per game he averaged in his rookie season under Green is by far the highest of his NHL career," The Athletic's duo writes.

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He was held out for more than a month at the start of this season, which hasn't helped his cause in carving out a role for the Canucks in this campaign.

They're also entering into sell mode, which could either create an opening for Hoglander to play more, or result in him getting sent away.

"This could present an interesting buy-low opportunity for a player who has long been an analytics darling and could shine with a change of scenery and a longer leash," The Athletic writes. "He plays with enough grit and energy that his game can translate well to a bottom-six role, although his contract, with two years remaining at a $3 million cap hit, is a tad expensive."

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This would just be one move of many for the Canucks. But in a landscape where most of the bigger names have been discussed, adding Hoglander to the mix is an interesting thought from The Athletic.

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