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.
Related: Vancouver Canucks’ 3 Stars of December
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 here at The Hockey Writers) involving these two.
Mock Trade 1: J.T. Miller to Rangers For Mika Zibanejad & K’Andre Miller
The New York Rangers might be one of the only teams Miller would waive his no-movement clause to go to. Rumours of him returning to the team that drafted him go back to before he signed his extension with the Canucks when the last set of trade rumours involving the veteran forward occurred. GM Chris Drury wanted him at the 2022 Trade Deadline, but would not give up blueliner Braden Schneider in the deal. According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, he tried again recently when Miller went on his leave of absence, so the interest is definitely there (from ‘New York Rangers trade targets, Igor Shesterkin’s contract: What we’re hearing,’ The Athletic, 11/29/24).
The latest speculation comes from Nick Kypreos, who discussed Miller on his show Real Kyper & Bourne. He looked at two pieces going back to Vancouver, centre Mika Zibanejad and defenceman K’Andre Miller. This trade makes sense from a money standpoint as J.T. Miller is at $8 million AAV and Zibanejad is at $8.5 million AAV. They are also both 31 years old and have proven to be solid top-six players.
Zibanejad has struggled to return to the form that got him 91 points in 2022-23, but he still has seven straight 20-goal seasons and routinely puts up 50-70 points a season. While their personalities couldn’t be more different and the Canucks will lose Miller’s fire and emotional game, they will also remove the drama of his sometimes prickly way of dealing with his teammates. Zibenejad would adequately replace J.T. Miller’s production and likely would get along with Pettersson, as they have similar personalities.
As for the other piece in this trade, K’Andre Miller, he would probably endear himself to head coach Rick Tocchet right away. He would also add something the Canucks have been missing this season on the backend, someone else that can move the puck. The 6-foot-5 blueliner isn’t afraid to throw the body (614 career hits) or block shots (440 in his career), and he’s had two seasons with 30 or more points already.
Miller has struggled along with his team this season, but he’s proven to be a solid top-four defenceman and isn’t a stranger to 20-plus minutes a night logging an average of 21:20 over the 325 games he’s played in the NHL to this point. He still has a ton of potential and could be the answer to the second pair alongside top prospect Tom Willander in the near future. Imagine, Hughes and Hronek on the top pair, Willander and Miller on the second, and Carson Soucy and Tyler Myers rounding it out. Now that’s a defence corps a contender can be proud of.
Mock Trade 2: Elias Pettersson to Red Wings For Nate Danielson, J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen & 1st Round Pick
This trade proposal comes from Tony Wolak who covers the Red Wings for The Hockey Writers. He even mentioned adding a conditional first-rounder and one of Sebastian Cossa or Trey Augustine to sweeten the pot. While some Red Wings fans might see this as a massive overpay, that’s what it will take to get Pettersson out of Vancouver. In fact, I think something is missing from this proposal, a proven top-six centre that can replace Pettersson on the first/second line. J.T. Compher and Michael Rasmussen are serviceable forwards, but far from sure things when it comes to top-six production. Compher’s career-high is only 52 points set back in 2022-23 with the Colorado Avalanche and Rasmussen hasn’t cracked 20 goals or 40 points yet.
As for Nate Danielson, while I love him as a prospect, he hasn’t played in the NHL yet and has struggled to produce in the American Hockey League (AHL) with three goals and 19 points in 32 games so far. If he reaches the ceiling of a Bo Horvat then this trade could be worth it, but that’s a big “if”. I don’t think the Canucks should be gambling on a prospect as the centrepiece of a Pettersson trade, even if his potential is their former captain. Unfortunately, the Red Wings won’t be giving up Dylan Larkin any time soon, which is the guy they should be targeting for Pettersson.
The other piece I would be looking at is Axel Sandin Pellikka, the defender they could have had with the first-round pick they dealt to the Red Wings for Hronek. He is ripping up the World Juniors right now with four goals and nine points, and is showing shades of Hughes in his skating/edgework, which is something the Canucks need more of in their future. Willander and Sandin Pellikka on the same blue line? Yes, please.
Bottom line – Allvin should be asking for bigger fish than what Tony proposed.
Amidst the Noise, Canucks Embark on a Long Eastern Road Trip
The Canucks will try to silence all the noise and trade speculation as they embark on a crucial five-game eastern road trip that will take them through Montreal, Washington, Carolina, Toronto, and Winnipeg. We will see if anything comes of these trade rumours, but in the meantime, the Canucks need to focus on their play on the ice and getting healthy. This road trip will be tough to get points out of as every team other than the Montreal Canadiens are in the playoffs right now. And they are no pushover either as they are riding a 7-3-0 run and are only one point out of the final wild card spot in the East held by the Ottawa Senators.
