5 Potential Landing Spots for Canucks' Elias Pettersson

Wednesday, January 29, 2025 , , , , ,

The Vancouver Canucks are expected to trade both J.T Miller and Elias Pettersson before the trade deadline, March 7. President Jim Rutherford confirmed on Tuesday that 'there's no good solution' to keeping both players, and admitted he's working the phones.

Here's five teams to keep an eye on for Pettersson, as trade talks have picked up in a major way:

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres are getting serious for Pettersson, and word is the likes of Dylan Cozens, Owen Power and Bowen Byram are in play. The Canucks will insist that one of the trio be included in the deal, as Rutherford confirmed Vancouver isn't looking to rebuild and wants to re-tool on the fly, to ensure, captain Quinn Hughes stays with the team.

Utah HC

A bit of a wildcard in the trade rumor mills, Utah is looking for a gamebreaker and someone the team can build around up front. Pettersson is under contract for the foreseeable future and could the type of star power to their top-six, that owner Ryan Smith is looking for. They'll become the 'Yeti' next season, perhaps Pettersson will be there for the logo unveiling. 

New York Rangers

The Rangers prefer Miller over Pettersson, but haven't been able to give the Canucks the package they're looking for. Pettersson's trade protection doesn't kick in until next season, so he has no say in the matter of where he lands. Ended up in the Big Apple with the Rangers would be a great landing spot, and with both teams in desperate need to shake things up, it makes sense for them to do some level of business together.

New York Islanders

Keep an eye on Mat Barzal here, who is from B.C and could be open to changing teams. The Islanders offense has been dismal for years and adding Pettersson, who could bounce back in a major way under a new coach, could be exactly what the doctor ordered. It will be interesting to see if the Canucks are open to retaining any salary moving forward, and if they are, it could land them more than just Barzal here.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets are exceeding expectations this season and could be a dark horse on the trade market before early March. They have room to add Pettersson financially with ease, and have a slew of young talent that the Canucks could be interested in, including Kent Johnson. Nobody would have thought the Blue Jackets would be in a playoff spot heading into February, but they've quickly become the feel-good story of the NHL this year.

Photo credit: Bob Lee, Imagn Images
Go To: NFL Rumors | NBA Rumors | MLB Rumors