Conor Garland traded to Columbus as Canucks collect two draft picks ahead of deadline

The Vancouver Canucks have traded Conor Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets, a move that lands Vancouver a 2028 second-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick as the NHL trade deadline loomed. The deal concludes a flurry of interest from several teams in the hours before the March 6 trade deadline at noon PT.

Conor Garland: contract, production and the pick return

Conor Garland, who signed a six-year, $36 million extension last summer that begins this summer, will join Columbus under the new contract terms the acquiring club will assume. The deal carries an average annual value of $6 million and includes a no-movement clause for the first three years and a modified no-trade clause for the final three years, with those protections coming into effect on July 1, 2026.

This season Garland had 26 points in 50 games for Vancouver. Those numbers, paired with the timing of his contract protections, created urgency for the Canucks to move the winger before his no-movement protections took effect. Columbus exchanged a 2028 second-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick to secure Garland.

Vancouver Canucks: roster strategy, interest from multiple teams and timing

Vancouver’s decision to move Garland came amid a broader shift in roster direction announced earlier by team president Jim Rutherford. The organization had signaled a move toward the future, and that strategy was reflected in prior moves this week when the Canucks traded defenseman Tyler Myers. Management had indicated it planned to move at least one forward and one defenseman who were not pending free agents before the deadline.

Interest in Garland intensified in the final 24 hours before the deadline. Teams that pressed for his services included the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins. The Blue Jackets in particular increased their pursuit after losing winger Mason Marchment to injury, creating an immediate need for durable top-nine depth and long-term insurance under contract.

The timing matters because Garland’s contract protections kick in on July 1, making any trade before that date more straightforward for acquiring teams. With the trade deadline set for March 6 at noon PT, clubs had a narrow window to negotiate, and Vancouver moved while suitors were actively engaged.

Immediate consequences: Columbus' motive and Vancouver's next steps

Columbus, carrying an eye toward both immediate roster balance and longer-term security, added Garland as a potential insurance policy against upcoming free-agent uncertainty among its forwards. The Blue Jackets’ willingness to part with a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-round pick in 2026 underscores a valuation of Garland as a multi-year asset rather than a short-term rental.

For Vancouver, the return of two draft selections preserves future rebuilding resources. General manager Patrik Allvin is scheduled to address the media after the trade deadline; the team will be monitoring how the draft assets are used in the months ahead and how this move integrates with the earlier trade of Tyler Myers and the expected movement of other veterans.

What makes this notable is the compressed window teams faced to reconcile roster needs with contract realities: Garland’s forthcoming contract protections and the proximity of the deadline forced a rapid market for a player whose strengths are playmaking, speed and physical engagement along the boards. The deal resolves a long-running market discussion—whether Vancouver would move a veteran with term before the new contract constraints limited trade flexibility.

With the deadline passed, both clubs now move into the next phase: Columbus will integrate Garland into its lineup while Vancouver evaluates how to deploy the newly acquired draft capital as it advances its stated rebuild direction.