Canucks' Drew O'Connor: Moved in trade Friday

O'Connor and Marcus Pettersson were traded to the Canucks from the Penguins on Friday in exchange for Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais, Melvin Fernstrom and a conditional first-round pick.

O'Connor will be an addition for the Canucks' middle six, but he's not the highlight of the trade. The 26-year-old has produced 16 points, 82 shots on net, 51 hits, 40 blocked shots and a minus-14 rating over 53 appearances with the Penguins. O'Connor had 33 points in 79 outings in 2023-24, so perhaps a change of scenery will unlock a bit more offense. He could also play alongside fellow Friday trade acquisition Filip Chytil, who is a strong upgrade over the combination of Lars Eller, Cody Glass and Kevin Hayes that centered the third line in Pittsburgh.