The Vancouver Canucks have had plenty of rumours surrounding them, with the most notable storyline being the reported rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. The Canucks have yet to trade either player, but it seems like a matter of time before one, or both, are moved. After the massive Mikko Rantanen trade between the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, and Colorado Avalanche was finalized, it was revealed the Hurricanes had attempted to acquire Miller and Pettersson from the Canucks, but couldn’t come to an agreement for either player. Now, Elliotte Friedman reports that the Buffalo Sabres are a team with serious interest in acquiring Pettersson.
Related: 5 Canucks Who Could Be On the Move Before the Trade Deadline
Pettersson, who is 26 years old, has scored 11 goals and added 19 assists for 30 points through 42 games this season, and was selected to represent his home country of Sweden at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Through 449 career games with the Canucks, he has scored 181 goals and added 261 assists for 442 points which comes out to a 0.98 points-per-game average. He has been viewed as an elite offensive producer who is having a slow 2024-25 campaign and could benefit from a change of scenery.
Pettersson is in the first year of a massive eight-year contract that has an $11.6 million annual cap hit. He does not have any trade protection until the 2025-26 season making him easier to trade this season than Miller, but contending teams trying to bring him in would have to deal with having retention on his deal, or else a trade becomes impossible. The Sabres are one of few teams that can fit his entire contract into their roster without moving money out, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they decided to take a swing for him. They need to try and get back into contention, and bringing in a superstar like Pettersson could help them do just that.
The Canucks may be willing to trade Pettersson, but the asking price won’t be cheap. Realistically, it will likely cost the Sabres a first-round pick, an NHL-ready prospect, and a roster player. I would assume Jiri Kulich, Zach Benson, John-Jason Peterka, Ryan McLeod, and Peyton Krebs are all players of interest for the Canucks that are realistic targets, but I also wonder if they would try to pry Dylan Cozens in return, who has established himself as a strong two-way forward and has term left on his contract.
Either way, a deal between the two teams is going to be complex. I would predict a trade package looks like Kulich, Peterka, Krebs, and a conditional first in exchange for Pettersson. The Sabres being able to fit Pettersson’s entire cap hit is a benefit for them and likely gives them an edge over any other team that has an interest in bringing him in. Pettersson likely fits right into the Sabres’ first line, and if they’re able to keep Cozens around, it is probably a combination of Pettersson, Cozens, and Tage Thompson, which would be one of the strongest lines in the NHL.
The Sabres want to get back into the playoffs, considering they haven’t played in the postseason since the 2010-11 season. Making a massive move like this shows their fans they are trying to get back into contention and it likely makes them a more enticing spot for players in free agency, allowing them to spend even more. They have the cap space available to be aggressive both on the trade market and in free agency next offseason, but time will tell if they pull the trigger on a monstrous move like this.
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