It was a trade that came together relatively quickly for the Vancouver Canucks.

And perhaps, there’s a reason for that.

Leading up to the NHL trade deadline, it had been reported that the Canucks were listening on Conor Garland, but really didn’t have much desire to trade him.

“I think a lot of what happened before the Olympic break, the Canucks were saying, ‘we’ll listen on Garland, but we don’t want to move him,’” CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal said Friday on Sportsnet 650’s Halford and Brough.

That changed during the February break.

The Canucks entered the Olympic break with a stranglehold on last place in the NHL. They clearly needed to try and sell players for draft picks, but their ability to do so was hampered by the barrage of underperforming veterans on the roster.

One player who seemed to be gaining traction on the trade market was Garland.

Dhaliwal reported following the trade that as many as eight teams were in on Garland, but four were pushing hard as negotiations entered the final stretch. He mentioned that three of those teams included the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins and of course, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The New York Islanders were in on it too, according to Dhaliwal, but they wanted the Canucks to take a player back.

Following the trade, both Dhaliwal and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed that there was one key figure who helped this deal reach the finish line.

“The agent involved here, who’s Judd Moldaver, really pushed for [the trade],” Friedman said on Sportsnet 650’s Halford and Brough.

This isn’t the first time this season that the agent has played a big part in the trade process. The same thing happened when the Canucks dealt Hughes.

In Hughes’ case, his agent, Pat Brisson, went as far as to say the Canucks treated their former captain as if he had a no-trade clause.

“The Canucks talked with Judd Muldaver,” Dhaliwal said. “Garland did not ask for a trade, but feelings were mutual from both sides about moving them. Moldaver played a big part in this trade, he really did.”

Vancouver also had J.P. Barry, the agent for Tyler Myers, heavily involved in the trade that saw him go to the Dallas Stars.

There could be some skepticism about a diminished trade return if the agent is playing a major role in the trade process, especially for players without trade protection.

However, the Canucks are doing themselves a favour to include powerful agents, like Brisson and Moldaver, in the trade process.

Because a team like the Canucks, who have signed numerous players to long-term extensions before trying to trade them, might not be endearing themselves to future free agents.

There are reasons why the Canucks might not be a prime free agency destination, from being the NHL’s worst team to high tax rates.

However, maintaining a good relationship with agents, something they’ve seemingly accomplished, could help them find players in the future.

While the reputation may have taken a hit with the fan base, it appears as though it’s not the case with player agents.