Canucks fans are asking whether Filip Hronek is the name behind a report that the Blackhawks have first and second-round picks in play.
The question lands on a rough weekend in Vancouver. The Canucks lost 4-2 at Edmonton last night, their fifth straight defeat, and woke up Sunday at 3-15-1, 32nd in the NHL.
Taj relayed that Elliotte is reporting the Blackhawks have multiple first-round and second-round picks in play for a trade, and added that it's time to get Hronek to waive.
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Be clear about what's known. The post doesn't say Hronek is the target, and it doesn't name a package. The link between the Blackhawks' picks and the Canucks defenseman is the poster's idea, not a confirmed report.
Still, the idea isn't hard to follow. Hronek has 13 points in 19 games this season, including 1 goal, and a -14 rating on a team that has allowed 87 goals.
He also carries a heavy load. Hronek logged 29:50 against the Oilers on Saturday, with an assist and a -1, which says plenty about how thin Vancouver is on the back end.
His cap hit is $7.25 million, and the contract runs through 2031-32. Any team that wants him is taking on a long commitment for a 29-year-old.
Should the Canucks sell Hronek if the picks are real?
If a team is truly offering multiple first and second-round picks for him, general manager Ryan Johnson has to listen. A team sitting last in the league with a 1-9-0 mark over its last 10 needs draft capital far more than it needs to ride out the next seven seasons of that deal.
That's a bad-roster reality, not a knock on the player. Hronek has produced offense, and he plays big minutes without help. But picks like that don't come around often, and nobody on this roster is pushing the team up the standings right now.
There is also a practical issue. The post suggests Hronek would have to agree to a move, and nothing in our information confirms that. If it's true, the decision is his as much as Johnson's.
The Canucks host Philadelphia on Monday, with Manny Malhotra's group looking for a way out of the skid. Any trade news would likely break before or around that game.
Quick hits
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Gavin McKenna knew he was probably going to sit after his mistake against Montreal. The Maple Leafs weren't going to let him stew, and he has now shared what Jim Hiller told him.
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PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Sidney Crosby moved past Marcel Dionne into sixth on the NHL's all-time points list as the Penguins beat the Kings 5-2 last night. Sixth all-time, and he's still going.
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS: The Capitals beat the Panthers 4-3 yesterday and woke up Sunday one point behind the Rangers for third in the Metro. That's a real jump up the board.
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BUFFALO SABRES: Jack Rathbone cleared waivers, according to PuckPedia's list, and no team took the Sabres blueliner. Buffalo now turns its attention to Vegas.
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DETROIT RED WINGS: The Red Wings head to St. Louis on Tuesday trying to stop a three-game slide. Todd McLellan's group needs something to go right in a hurry.
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Should the Canucks trade Filip Hronek for multiple first and second-round picks?
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