Canucks this week: Hockey world set alight by rumours of Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller rift

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The expectation going into this season with the Canucks tight up against the salary cap was that at some point a big trade would be made, with most thinking it would be to bolster the blue-line.

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But while the Canucks are close to their record from last season, the stuttering start to the season has fans frustrated and the rumour mill working overtime.

The rumour that has everyone buzzing this week was thrown out by Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast: “I want to stress this is purely in my head. Who says no? (Dylan) Cozens and Bowen (Byram from Buffalo Sabres) for (Elias) Pettersson.”

“One of the things Adams (Buffalo GM) has talked about is making a move that doesn’t make his team worse… Petterson, to me, makes them better.”

While rumours of big-name trades have been a thing since the NHL began, this particular one seems born in some high school drama. Do J.T. Miller and Pettersson dislike each other so much that it’s souring the whole team? That’s the tack that started social media smoking this week.

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And it doesn’t help that in the Wednesday night game against the Utah Hockey Club, Miller and Pettersson never took a shift together on the power play.

This has the NHL world weighing in on what’s ahead. Here’s what the rest of the league is saying about the Canucks this week.

Don’t let the inmates don’t run the asylum

Laurence Gilman, former assistant general manager of the Vancouver Canucks on the Sekeres & Price podcast:

“I would bring both principle parties, both players into my office with the coach and I would have them air it all out. Hear from one guy, hear from the other. One guy is your No. 1 centre, the other guy is your No. 2 centre. One guy is 26 the other guy is 32. Let’s have it out guys. What are your issues. I would hear them out…hear them both squawk at each other. And when they are done, I would say: Are you finished? Good. Now go do your $%@#^& job.

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“This organization isn’t trading either one of you….

“To me the notion that if they can’t get along one of them gets traded is a terrible, terrible strategy because the only thing that comes from that is losing. I’ve learned in this business, if you trade players because you are mad at them you’ll trade yourself right down to the bottom of the league… Everyone’s got problems, two ways to deal with them:  you either get rid of them or you solve them. It’s always better to solve your problem.

Is a trade imminent?

Pierre LeBrun seems to think so: “The Vancouver Canucks have been inconsistent so far this season, and Jim Rutherford’s appearance on HNIC’s After Hours over the weekend certainly gave one the impression they won’t sit on their hands, either.

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“League sources confirm that the Canucks are on the lookout for a top-four defenceman as well as a winger. And in keeping with Rutherford tradition, I would imagine GM Patrik Allvin would want to make a trade sooner than later and not wait until the March 7 deadline. He acquired Elias Lindholm on Jan. 31 last season, very much keeping with the Rutherford-esque style to get ahead of the deadline.

“Filip Hronek’s injury has been difficult to overcome, so that has fuelled the need to trade for a top-four D. Easier said than done, but I don’t think Vancouver will wait too long if it can find a fit.”

Trading for a puck-moving defenceman

Frank Seravalli on the DailyFace Off: “ I’m told the Canucks feel they have made some progress in their search for an impact defenceman and an efficient puck-mover. And there seems to be a heightened sense of urgency in the last 24-48 hours as to whether or not they may be able to get something done before the NHL trade freeze kicks in at midnight on Thursday.”

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Options on the table

Without full veracity of a Pettersson-Miller trade fulcrum, insiders everywhere are suggesting trades for the Canucks. Here The Hockey News goes in on a few of them:

“There have been some wild trade rumours involving the Canucks of late, including star centre Elias Pettersson and veteran J.T. Miller. We don’t think for a second that either Pettersson or Miller will be moved.

However, Vancouver still could make a move of note, with Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting the Canucks are looking for a defenceman while Hronek is injured. Perhaps that means bringing in veteran defenceman Ivan Provorov from the Columbus Blue Jackets, which Rick Dhaliwal also suggested.

Another move involving a D-man could be a trade that sends Vincent Desharnais out of town, as Desharnais has proven to be a poor fit since signing with Vancouver last summer.

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The Canucks are also reportedly still in the hunt for a winger, but their cap situation has them with only $1.91 million in cap space. That means any trade is almost assuredly going to be a money-in, money-out type of deal. But as the Canucks fight to rise to the top of the Pacific Division, they’ve got plenty of motivation to swing a swap to improve the overall quality of their lineup. ”

ESPN’s Rachel Doerrie, once a Canucks employee, has some trade thoughts about the Canucks, and not just with Pettersson.

“It is no secret the Canucks are looking for a young, puck-moving defenceman. Outside of Quinn Hughes, the Canucks struggle in transition. They struggle to defend the rush, and in moving the puck up ice from the back end.

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Meaningful talks between Brock Boeser’s camp and the Canucks have not made much progress, and Boeser is likely looking for a contract worth $8 million per year, coming off a 40-goal season. The reality of the NHL is that wingers, especially on expiring deals, do not garner the trade return that fans believe they are worth.

So what are the options?

The Canucks have had interest in Bowen Byram dating back a few seasons, and it isn’t a secret the something has to give in Buffalo. Byram has taken a step forward with the Sabres, playing top-four minutes and filling in on the power play in Rasmus Dahlin’s absence. He would be a good option for the Canucks’ second power-play unit.

K’Andre Miller’s name has been floating around recently, and he is another player in whom the Canucks would have interest. Rick Tocchet likes big defencemen, and the Canucks have their own forest with all the trees on the back end. Miller will be 25 in January, and the 6-foot-5 blue-liner is a pending RFA with arbitration rights.”

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OK, so Boeser could be on the move as well. Doerrie does address the Pettersson rumours, and with suggested returns:

“Let’s make something very clear: I think this is a very bad idea and would not do it. But let’s ponder what the Canucks could get in return for a player of Pettersson’s calibre, if Vancouver wanted to solve the rumoured rift between Pettersson and J.T. Miller.

Pettersson is an elite player in the NHL who is under contract through 2031-32, with an annual cap hit of $11.6 million. His no-trade clause does not kick in until this coming July, meaning the Canucks can trade him without his approval (hello, PK Subban).

As noted above, Byram is a young, puck-moving defenceman who would likely become the Canucks’ second-best blueliner upon arrival. Alex Tuch is another player the Canucks would have interest in because he brings speed, size and skill at a very reasonable price. However, Tuch is a Western New York native, and the Sabres do not seem keen to move him.

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The player of interest instead is Dylan Cozens, a 23-year-old, right-handed centre with five years remaining on his current contract at an annual cap hit of $7.1 million. The cap numbers could work out as a wash, too; Byram needs a new contract this summer, and it is likely that he and Cozens would combine for a number in the neighbourhood of Pettersson’s $11.6 million per year.

If the Canucks were to trade Pettersson — and again, let me be clear in saying I do not think they should! — acquiring a second-line centre and top-four defenceman (both 23 years old) would be a fair return.”

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The Power Rankings and a pacifier

The Canucks are 14th in the The Hockey News weekly rankings. And it comes with a gift suggestion: “A pacifier — an eco-friendly one, because this is Vancouver — for everyone so we can all collectively stop talking about the Elias Pettersson-J.T. Miller rift and keep the Canucks focused on how to acquire a top-six forward and a top-four defenceman,” writes Jason Chen.

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In the TSN power rankings: The only Canadian team to drop in their rankings this week is the Vancouver Canucks, down a pair of spots from 15th to 17th. “A byproduct of how the Canucks attack, Vancouver ranks last in the NHL in scoring chances off the rush.”

Greg Wyshynski of ESPN puts the Canucks changes of making the playoffs at 79.1 per cent. He labels the cause for concern as: “The “duds,” as Tocchet has called them — inexplicably pedestrian efforts from a talented team. Tocchet said some of his players take half the game before they’re emotionally invested. Others are straight up “struggling to get emotionally invested in the game” at all, according to the coach.

“Some of this can probably be chalked up to regular-season malaise, but Tocchet felt compelled to call it out months before the playoffs. The West is intense. As the coach said, “You have to be jacked up to play the game. You have to be emotionally in the game.”

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ESPN’s fresh power rankings have the Canucks dropping a spot from 12th to 13th.

“The Canucks’ remarkable road resumé (10-2-2) is translating into an equally outstanding record as the straight-up favourite. They’ve lost only twice when backed by sportsbooks to win in 10 tries, including a narrow 3-2 defeat in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night.”

The Athletic also has the Canucks in the middle of the pack in their rankings.

“13. Vancouver Canucks, 16-10-6
Last week: 13
Sean’s ranking: 13
Dom’s ranking: 13

Quinn Hughes
2024 stats: 90GP 14-80-94, +29 Net Rating

The first half of 2024 was about Hughes sealing the deal on the first Norris Trophy of his career. Mission accomplished. The second half has been about laying the foundation for a second Norris — and maybe more. Hughes, as we’ve said a few times since October, should be in the MVP conversation.

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He’s leading the league’s defencemen in Net Rating for a second straight season at plus-10.7, a hair ahead of Cale Makar, and has closed the gap on Makar in the scoring race, too. He plays huge minutes and Vancouver wins them decisively. What more can you want?”

Despite Thatcher Demko’s play, Canucks lose OT thriller in Utah

Thomas Drance for The Athletic gives us three take-aways for the Utah win.

1. With the exception of the fourth goal Saturday against the Boston Bruins, in which Demko looked to be chasing and it cost him when a bad bounce went against him, the Canucks’ starter has been excellent in his four games since returning from a knee injury.

2. With his size, unique profile and ability to disrupt the opposition’s breakout on the forecheck, Dakota Joshua is such an X-factor for the Canucks when he’s on.

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3. Take Utah seriously.

Sherwood scores 1st NHL hat trick, Canucks defeat Avalanche

Sherwood completed the hat trick at 17:25 of the third period to make it 3-0, shooting into an empty net from just inside his own blue-line, writes Kevin Woodley for NHL.com

“I was just trying to take it in, having the whole arena (chanting is) something you dream of as a kid,” he said. “Those are the kind of moments that you work for and just kind of manifest and visualize, so I’m really thankful and grateful for them.”

Canucks demolished by Bruins as baffling home struggles continue: 3 take-aways

Thomas Drance for The Athletic: “The Boston Bruins showed up in Vancouver this week reeling from two consecutive lopsided losses and in need of a win to break their losing skid.

On Saturday night, the Bruins responded. They showed up and showed out at Rogers Arena, carving up Vancouver’s defensive structure, puncturing the Canucks off of the rush, generating scoring chances in bunches even when short-handed and demolishing the Canucks in a decisive 5-1 victory.”

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