"No draft picks" were likely available because a majority of the other GMs know who they are dealing with in Vancouver.
I was about to say the same thing. Why offer up a draft pick when you could probably convince Jim Benning to take a player like Motte. Like this was to me, the least beneficial move.
1. Trade Vanek for draft pick(s)
2. No pick offered? Re-Sign Vanek to a 1 year extension, and try again next year [IIRC Vanek said he was willing to stay]
And yeah, Benning would still get some grief with option 2, but it's better than trading a quality NHL player for two nothing assets.
Even if Vanek told the Nucks that he wasn't coming back, no way no how, and zero teams were offering even a 4th or 5th round pick, you can still deal Vanek for a 21 or 22 year old player that you think has some potential.
But Tyler Motte has never looked good in any of the NHL games I've seen him in prior to Vancouver, and his underlying numbers have always been awful. So from an eye-test point of view, and an analtyical point of view, I'm sort of mind boggled about who saw what to deem this trade one worth doing.
And perhaps that is just it. Maybe the Canucks made this deal, simply to make a deal.