It wasn’t quite the trade deadline deal Vancouver Canucks fans were expecting, but they did make a trade on Thursday.
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin traded long-tenured defenceman Jett Woo to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday in exchange for blueliner Jack Thompson.
“Jett was a key part of our AHL championship-winning team, and we would like to thank him for all that he has done for the Canucks organization,” Allvin said in a press release.
“Bringing in Jack will add to our organizational depth on the blueline, and we look forward to working with him in Abbotsford.”
Woo was originally drafted 37th overall by the Canucks in 2018. He was the second pick the Canucks made in that draft after selecting Quinn Hughes at seventh overall.
The 25-year-old defenceman never played a game for the Canucks. He played 293 career regular-season AHL games for the Canucks organization.
Woo was drafted by Jim Benning and the Canucks so that he could be a throwback, old-school defenceman who brought some physicality.
It never quite worked out that way, as Woo never really cemented himself as anything more than a serviceable AHL defender.
Jett Woo didn’t formally ask for a trade but no NHL games in Vancouver in 8 years, there was no path for him Vancouver, he was open to an opportunity elsewhere.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) March 5, 2026
In return, the Canucks got a younger blueliner.
Thompson, who’s a right-shot defenceman like Woo, is two years younger at 23 years old. He was drafted 93rd overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020.
This is the second time Thompson has been traded at the deadline. He was dealt from the Lightning to the Sharks back in 2024, along with a third-round pick, in exchange for Anthony Duclair and a seventh-rounder.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound defenceman has played 34 NHL games to date, with 31 of those coming with the Sharks last season. He picked up all four goals and 10 points of his NHL career back in 2024-25 with San Jose.
Don’t be surprised if Thompson gets a crack playing with the Canucks this season, considering the team just recalled 26-year-old Cole Clayton on Thursday, following the trade of Tyler Myers and the injury to Pierre-Olivier Joseph.
Clayton has never played an NHL game.
Both Woo and Thompson have contracts that expire at the end of this season. Woo will become a UFA, while Thompson is a restricted free agent.
The Canucks are saving a bit of money based on their minor-league contracts. According to PuckPedia, Woo makes $290,000 in the AHL this season, while Thompson makes $115,000.