Paul Cotter has become one of Vancouver's early bright spots, and Frank Seravalli already sees him as a player contenders will chase if the Canucks sell.
Seravalli named Cotter among his early predictions for in-demand deadline players, alongside Philadelphia's Nick Seeler and New Jersey's Brenden Dillon.
It's easy to see why. He has four goals and six points in seven games, with a power-play goal, a shorthanded goal and a game-winner.
He also plays with an edge. His "us against the world" mindset and standup celebration over Adin Hill showed a player who brings energy along with production.
The price makes him even more attractive. Cotter carries a $2,150,000 cap hit, the kind of number contenders can fit at the deadline.
The question is whether Vancouver sells at all. The Canucks are 2-5-0 after four straight losses, and the front office has preached development over wins.
Manny Malhotra's Canucks face a choice on Paul Cotter
Cotter is 26, young enough to fit a rebuild timeline. He isn't an aging rental who needs to be flipped for whatever the market offers.
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He has cooled off lately, without a goal in his last three games. That's normal for any scorer, but it also shows how quickly his value can move.
Vancouver has bigger trade questions too. Brock Boeser has been named as a candidate to rebuild his trade stock, and Elias Pettersson's name is still being monitored.
The Canucks should keep him. Cheap, productive 26-year-olds with real grit are exactly the players a rebuild needs to hold onto, rather than ship out for picks.
Selling him would be like selling the one tool in the garage you use every single day.
The deadline is a long way off. Vancouver visits the Islanders on Tuesday, still trying to snap its losing streak.
Seravalli says contenders will want him. The Canucks should make sure he's still wearing their sweater when the deadline passes.
Should the Canucks trade Paul Cotter at the deadline?
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