When Tyler Motte was acquired by the Vancouver Canucks at the 2018 trade deadline, it was difficult to find someone that liked the trade. Thomas Vanek was the one going the other way, and he had 41 points on the season and was a pleasant surprise for the team.
With yet another season going by the wayside, many fans thought that Jim Benning could find a suitor that would be willing to give up a high draft pick for the skilled Austrian. But given his poor stretch run and playoff history, no team was willing to give up that much in a trade.