By: Trent Leith / November 24, 2025 Welcome to Trent’s Train of Thought, a series that, instead of diving deep into one topic, touches on several. This edition has thoughts on the soft launch of the rebuild.
The Canucks Are Soft Launching Their Rebuild
It feels like the final straw has been placed upon the camel’s back. I don’t know what the straw was, but it’s there now. It could have been the awful performance in Calgary, or it could have been Hughes making up his mind. But I think we are officially on rebuild watch.
First, Gary Mason comes out of nowhere to speculate on how the Canucks should consider a rebuild. And now, he is bracing the market for the loss of Hughes? Something smells fishy.
Then comes insider speculation on possible destinations. Sure, it comes regularly, but combined with everything else, it raises an eye more than normal. Then Monday night, we get a Friedge Bomb.
I think the Canucks are looking around and seeing other local teams grasp the attention of Vancouver sports fans, and other teams in the NHL leapfrog them and are thinking they might need to change their approach.
Don’t trade Hughes until the summer
If this rebuild happens, the best time to trade Hughes would be this summer. And that is for a few reasons. Sure, if you trade Hughes before the deadline, you can sell him to a team for that year’s playoff run. But here is the thing, one last chance to throw a Hail Mary contract offer to keep the greatest player to ever play for your team is worth more than extra assets you’d gain for selling him for that extra playoff run. It is not like teams will double their offer for that extra run; it’ll just add a sweetener. I want Hughes more than I want a sweetener.
If you wait until July 1st before you trade him, you have the chance to offer him a formal contract. You can drop $140M in his lap and make him say no. If Hughes waits until free agency to sign a new contract, due to the new CBA rules, he will only be able to sign for 6 years, so remove, give or take, $40M off that deal. Oh, and the salary structure flexibility will be less favourable, so say goodbye to those massive signing bonuses.
It’s one thing to say you’d walk away, but I bet you’ve never had $150,000,000 dropped in your lap.
If Hughes is Traded, We Still Have Fil…
…To trade as well. I know he has an NMC, but if the Canucks truly want to tear it down, he will want no part of that. Even with an NMC, he will fetch a massive return as well. In my opinion, Hronek is woefully underappreciated by fans. Including myself. And can we blame ourselves when he is usually on the ice with Quinn Hughes?
Hronek is quietly a quasi-number-one defenceman. He is on a long-term deal with a reasonable cap hit. And a right-hand shot to boot. Who wouldn’t want that?
As Daniel Wagner pointed out, when Hughes plays with Hronek this season, the Canucks are outscoring opponents 12-8. When Hughes plays away from Hronek, he is being outscored 11-4.
Hronek is good for 30-40 points with only PP2 deployment and, best of all, his incredible 100% faceoff win percentage. Hronek is currently 3rd in PK TOI and 2nd in PP TOI for defenders. He is a player who can truly play in all situations.
I have never been good at predicting possible returns, but what I can tell you, it would be huge, especially if Hronek gave the Canucks a long list of teams he’d be willing to go to.