How No-Movement Clauses Will Impact What Ryan Johnson Can Do As Canucks GM

The Vancouver Canucks have entered a new era with the naming of Ryan Johnson as General Manager. The 49-year-old will have his hands full, as there are some significant decisions that need to be made over the next few months. This includes how the roster will be constructed for the 2026-27 season and which players from last year's group will remain with the organization.

While there are calls within the market for experienced players to be moved for draft picks and prospects, that may not be possible. As of writing, Vancouver has seven players on the roster with no-movement clauses for next season, meaning a trade can't happen unless the player agrees to be moved. These seven players are Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, Kevin Lankinen and Thatcher Demko.

Before going further, it is important to note that Demko's no-movement clause kicks in on July 1. The reason is that his new three-year contract, which carries an AAV of $8 million, has not yet kicked in. While some may feel trading Demko is the best option, he may not have significant trade value due to his injury history over the past few seasons.

As for the other six, while there have been trade rumours, they will remain as is unless a player decides to waive. In the end, all six may decide that Vancouver is where they want to be, and that is something the market needs to accept. It may not be ideal, but this is the reality when the previous management regime made it a priority to attach either no-movement clauses or no-trade clauses to the long-term contracts signed.