It has not been smooth sailing for the Vancouver Canucks this season. Far from it, in fact, as they have had to deal with multiple storms on multiple fronts, from injuries to top players like Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Filip Hronek, and Thatcher Demko to drama behind the scenes involving a rumoured feud between Pettersson and J.T. Miller even to trade rumours/speculation surrounding the two stars.
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Even though both Miller and Pettersson have publicly denied a rift exists, the noise has not gone away. If anything, it’s gotten louder, especially since general manager Patrik Allvin stirred the proverbial pot in an interview with Sportsnet’s Ian MacIntyre when he didn’t deny the possibility of trading Pettersson before his no-movement clause kicks in on July 1, 2025.
…Petey has shown up to this point that he is an extremely talented, quality player that could and should be a No. 1 centre. I believe in him. I believe that he’s capable. (But) he needs to mature and understand that there are certain expectations and it does not get easier. And you need to face the music when things don’t go well. Is it (a trade) possible? I guess I would say anything is possible.
Pettersson has definitely struggled since he signed his lucrative extension last season, scoring only 15 goals and 42 points in 54 games. Considering he’s the fifth-highest-paid player in the NHL at $11.6 million average annual value (AAV), the criticism is warranted as he’s not nearly lived up to the expectations that come with that price tag.
As for Miller, while his production has been off the charts since his extension kicked in on July 1, 2023 (43 goals, 128 points in 109 games), trading him over Pettersson would be the logical choice. But in reality, either of these stars could be moved, it’s just a matter of who management thinks is more valuable to keep around for the short and long term. Right now, the Canucks don’t need Pettersson’s permission, so they would have all 31 teams to choose from. Miller, on the other hand, would have to approve a trade, giving him substantial leverage over where he’s moved to, similar to the Ryan Kesler situation where he restricted then-general manager Jim Benning to two teams.
With all that said, here are my thoughts on a couple of trade proposals that have been floating around the internet (and even…
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