The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired forward Conor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a 2028 second-round pick, club President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced today.
“Conor is a versatile player who brings great energy to the lineup every night and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome he and his family to Columbus,” said Waddell. “He has tremendous character, plays a reliable two-way game and will be an important part of our club now and in the future.”
Garland, 29, has registered 129 goals and 188 assists for 317 points with 242 penalty minutes, while averaging 16:02 of ice time in 535 career NHL games with the Canucks and Arizona Coyotes. He has also scored 21 game-winning goals and collected 23-48-71 on the power play. In five seasons in which he has played 68 or more games, he has averaged 19 goals and 47 points with two 20-goal (22-17-39 in 68 GP with Arizona, 2019-20; 20-27-47 in 82 GP with Vancouver, 2023-24) and 50-point campaigns (19-33-52 in 77 GP, 2021-22; 19-31-50 in 2024-25, 2024-25 with Vancouver). He has picked up 7-19-26 and 30 penalty minutes in 50 games with the Canucks this season.
Garland was selected by Arizona in the fifth round, 123rd overall, of the 2015 NHL Draft and made his NHL debut with the Coyotes in 2018-19, collecting 13-5-18 in 47 games that season. In three seasons in the desert, he tallied 47-49-96 and 58 penalty minutes in 164 games and set a career high in goals with 22-17-39 in 68 contests in 2019-20. Acquired by the Canucks in a trade on July 23, 2021, he has racked up 82-139-221, 184 penalty minutes and a cumulative +4 plus/minus rating in 371 contests over the past five seasons.
The 5-10, 165-pound native of Scituate, Massachusetts has played for Team USA at three IIHF World Championships (2021, 2023, 2025), serving as an alternate captain and being named a Top 3 Player on the team in the latter two tournaments and winning a gold medal in 2025 and bronze medal in 2021. Garland also played four seasons with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2012-16. He registered 104-224-328 and 218 penalty minutes in 206 career games, captured the Jean Beliveau Trophy as the league’s top scorer in 2015 and 2016, was the QMJHL’s Player of the Year in 2015, and a First All-Star Team selection in 2015 and 2016.
