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Canucks this week: Trade rumours worry everyone but Hughes as Michael Bublé gives stamp of approval
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Published Feb 07, 2025 • 22 minute read
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“We’ve been hurt so much, I’ve been hurt so much, it’s so easy to be so negative because we’ve been disappointed over 50 years. But I feel like, as a fan, I look at what we have, in the management group and I go ‘my god, we are in a really good place.’ We’re in a great place" Photo by Bruce Bennett /Getty ImagesI hate to start off the column with a quote from OilersNation, but Cam Lewis puts a bow on the week by surmising, “J.T. Miller was traded but that doesn’t mean the drama in Vancouver is finished.”
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We know who Cam works for but have to wonder who is paying some of these guys and are they speculating or just kicking the Canucks because they can? And yeah it is too soon.
Here is what the out-of-towners are saying this week.
Let’s start with not quite an ‘out-of-towner’ though he does live in Burnaby, Michael Bublé said about the Canucks and their retool on an appearance on local show Donnie and Dhali with Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal.
“Some people will argue [Pettersson] is a top-five, top-10 defensive defenceman in the league, and now you can see they’re starting to build from the D out, which I’ve really not seen much of as a Canuck fan. You can see, the last three games, how different it is out there,” he said. “It’s just a different team. And that’s without Quinn [Hughes].”
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As new-and-improved as this Canucks team looks now, Bublé did note that the trades, as well as the situations surrounding them, were somewhat tough to deal with. “You never know what’s going to happen, or what guys are going through,” he said. “It’s definitely frustrating.
“I walk by a poster in my basement almost daily, and it’s of me coaching and standing beside Elias Lindholm, Hughes, [Elias] Pettersson, J.T., and Thatcher [Demko], and it’s the All-Star Game. I just walk past it and go ‘oh, how did that happen?’”
It’s common knowledge that Bublé is close with the team, as many have pointed out his casual hangouts with many of the team’s stars. Close to a year ago, he was Hughes’ celebrity coach at the All-Star Game.
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“I wrote Thatcher last night, and told him I’m just happy for him, I know it means a lot,” he said, building on his friendships with the team. “He just loves the people here. It means a lot to him. He’s a really competitive guy, and I know they care.
“It’s a pretty cool thing to be a fan and get to know guys like that.”
The conversation soon turned back to Elias Pettersson, who Donnie and Dhali asked Bublé of his opinion on. More specifically, they questioned whether he thought Pettersson could get back to his previous form. Bublé merely responded by saying, “I think he’s an incredible defenceman. I really do.”
Speaking seriously, however, Bublé expressed his support for the forward. “I can see he’s turning it on, and he’s happy. He wants it real bad, he wants to show everybody, he wants to show the doubters, and he wants to do it for himself, for his coach, for his teammates.”
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The Burnaby icon reflected on some of the negatives that the fan base has experienced, and soon turned the conversation into a message for the fans.
“We’ve been hurt so much, I’ve been hurt so much, it’s so easy to be so negative because we’ve been disappointed over 50 years. But I feel like, as a fan, I look at what we have, in the management group and I go ‘my god, we are in a really good place.’ We’re in a great place. We have a group there who have a lot of integrity. I think they know what they’re doing. I love that they’re making moves to help us now. They’re expeditious with those moves. At the same time, they’re not throwing away our future.
“We’re going to be good.”
Others, around the NHL media sphere, weren’t quite as rosy about the Canucks future. Noted Vancouver critic, he’s trashed Canucks fans regularly, Frank Seravalli said the deal created more discord in the locker room.
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“A lot of players on Vancouver are very upset about the Miller trade, and that this wasn’t the move they wanted,” Frank Seravalli is reported as saying on SN960., I couldn’t verify that Seravalli said it but “the continuing chatter of a feud still present in the Canucks’ dressing room are spreading quickly,” online.
Ray Whitney, 1/4th of the @spittinchiclets podcast team took to X to say “If I’m a Vancouver Canuck fan I’m furious. They traded the wrong guy.”
Carson Soucy being shoppedDespite having a no-trade clause in his contract for this year The Canucks are looking to move Carson Soucy reported Elliotte Friedman, Tuesday on Sportsnet’s The FAN Hockey Show: “He got scratched the other night, and I think they’ve let people know he’d be available. They’re just remodelling their D right now. He’s had a tough year …
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“The way they looked the other night there probably is not a lot of room for him. What it says to me their overall vision is he’s going to get squeezed a bit here. … He can help someone. Calgary makes sense (he’s from Alberta), but the Flames want to see some Ilya Solovyov.“
Soucy is minus -15 with just two goals and six assists in 51 games this season. He is making $3.25 million for the season.
Brock Boeser jetting off to Winnipeg?“Sources indicate that many teams expect Brock Boeser to be available at the deadline barring a serious Canucks turnaround. If he does stay through this season, he’ll likely be available on July 1, and a healthy group will be vying for his services on a long-term deal — something the Canucks appear wary of doing at this time,” posted Cam Robinson on X.
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Robinson gives life to an article by Murat Ates of The Athletic in which he said: “It makes loads of sense to me that the Jets would still be interested in Boeser, whether on the trade market right now or as an unrestricted free agent this summer. I don’t view his no-trade list as a concern, either, given my understanding of Boeser’s relationships with Jets management.”
Finding a centre is a priority — Pierre LeBrun“The moment they lose J.T. Miller they want to go out and replace him. And obviously they got a good young player in Filip Chytil but the priority for Vancouver Canucks is to go find help at centre. Whether that happens before March 7 that would be a great bonus because they are still in a playoff race but the reality is bigger picture they are going to try to get that done before puck drop next fall,” says NHL insider Pierre LeBrun.
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“And yes Dylan Cousins … is among the type of player Vancouver is interested in. We know they had discussions with Buffalo that had to do more with Elias Pettersson. And we know Canucks have taken Pettersson off the market for now. They want to see how he responds after the J.T miller trade. Lets see if Vancouver can pick that up in a different form when it comes to Buffalo.”
Who Says No? Elias Pettersson to Buffalo for Cozens, Benson and a 1stThe Daily Faceoff asks Frank Seravalli if this is a good trade? “Is it an unprotected first round pick? If that is the deal I love this for Vancouver and would do this in a heartbeat. Pettersson could be something, we’ve seen him be something but we’ve seen a calendar year plus now of him being outscored by Brock Boeser.
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“I think Dylan Cousins still has a lot to prove but what it would do is reset the Vancouver Canucks cap table. You go from 11.6 to seven and change. It’s the first round pick that is super attractive from the Vancouver perspective. That Buffalo pick Is going to be really valuable. I would do this in a heartbeat if I was Vancouver.”
Philadelphia Flyers looking to acquire Pettersson?Frank Seravalli also talked about the Philadelphia Flyers needing a centre: “They are going to acquire a difference maker and in parenthesis my guess is that the centre that they’re targeting is Elias Pettersson. No one has said that out loud but I’m thinking that look let’s see what happens here in Vancouver. He’s on the clock for sure. He’s got make a difference and he’s got to show that he’s up to the $11.6 million level that they expect to be at.”
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Pittsburgh won the J.T. Miller Trade?Greg Wyshynski on the Daily Faceoff: “My thoughts are that Kyle Dubas won the J.T. Miller trade. Getting that Rangers pick that is unprotected for 2026 is great for what they gave up: two expiring contracts that weren’t going to be back for the Penguins. And then bringing on two players that … are both going to be functional players for the Penguins.”
Chris Johnston, TSN Hockey insider: “When you are trading a player who had a 100 point season last year and you look at that return like if you just were to take those two facts I mean it’s hard to argue they got enough in this trade …
“I think ultimately Canucks just got to a spot where they felt they needed to make a deal … from Vancouver’s end the fact they get that first round pick and they’re able to parlay it into some other players and you know they didn’t have to retain any salary was enough that they felt that they had to move. I mean but clearly Vancouver is banking on some addition by subtraction here. … if you say what’s Vancouver going to do next I think they are out there looking for a centre because even though they got one in Philip Chytle, that’s not a player of course even in the short term that’s replacing J.T. Miller in the lineup.”
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Grades good, but need improvementESPN graded the Canucks trade business last week and were somewhat approving, but didn’t dish out top marks.
“New York RangersGrade: A-The Rangers might be many things this season. Boring sure isn’t one of them.
Can getting Miller be the move that helps the Rangers go from being five points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference in late January to landing a playoff spot by the end of regular season?
Miller provides the Rangers with another dimension they were lacking within their top nine. He probably could find a place in the top six either as a winger or somewhere down the middle. Either way, he creates possibilities that they just didn’t have before.
Miller gives them another two-way forward they could pair with Vincent Trocheck on the first line. Or he could be paired on the wing with Mika Zibanejad on the second line. But those aren’t the only options. There’s also the possibility the Rangers could play Miller down the middle to create a dynamic that has him, Trocheck and Zibanejad anchoring their top three lines.
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That’s one dimension. What he offers from an offensive consistency standpoint is another. Miller sat out games earlier this season but is still projected to finish with 57 points in 66 games. That’s an average of 0.86 points per game.
Artemi Panarin is the only Ranger who’s averaging more points per game this season. Miller is a candidate to play on the first-team power play unit considering he has 14 power play points, which would be third on the Rangers behind Panarin and Adam Fox.
Getting Miller goes well beyond what he could do for the Rangers this season. He’s in the second year of a seven-year contract that provides the Rangers with cost certainty ahead of an off-season where they face looming decisions.
Having cost certainty probably played a role in why they were comfortable moving on from Mancini after signing Will Borgen, who arrived in the Kakko trade, to a five-year deal worth $4.1 million a season.
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The money the Rangers committed to Borgen plus what they’ve added from Miller’s contract means they’re going to have what PuckPedia projects is $18.69 million available ahead of what should be a busy off-season. The Rangers have a six-player restricted free agent class led by Will Cuylle and K’Andre Miller, while Ryan Lindgren is a pending UFA after signing a one-year deal worth $4.5 million.
Vancouver CanucksGrade: B-NHL front offices are not a monolith. But they all value secrecy. So, when Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford confirmed there was a rift between Elias Pettersson and Miller, it made the possibility of a trade even more probable.
Of the two, Miller appeared to be the one who was going to leave. He’s older by five years and his $8 million annual cap hit was going to be easier to move than Pettersson’s $11.6 million.
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Miller has finished with more than 80 points in the past three seasons and is averaging 0.88 points per game this season. Pettersson has had two seasons in the past three in which he has finished with more than 80 points and is averaging 0.72 points per game this season.
Miller’s departure should hypothetically bring a resolution to the tension that was building within the Canucks’ organization. Figuring out if his departure can lead to Pettersson regaining offensive consistency while also trying to make the playoffs is another matter.
The situation facing the Canucks meant there was always a possibility they wouldn’t receive someone who could be a like-for-like replacement for Miller.
Now, the Canucks are in a position to trust Chytil with the demands that come with being a top-six centre.
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Promise has followed Chytil since he was drafted by the Rangers in the first round in 2017. There have been seasons when his potential surfaced such as when he had 22 goals and 45 points in 74 games in the 2022-23 season. But there have also been injuries that have made it hard for him to find consistency, including multiple documented concussions, one of which led to him sitting out 72 regular-season games last season.
The most ice time Chytil’s received through a full season came in his second year when he was averaging 14 minutes, 50 seconds. Miller was averaging close to 18 minutes this season but has averaged more than 19 minutes in every season he has played for the Canucks since arriving in 2019-20.
Miller was an important part of the Canucks penalty kill having logged more than 93 minutes of short-handed ice time per season over the past four seasons. Chytil has logged less than 15 minutes of short-handed ice time through his career, according to Natural Stat Trick.
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But the Canucks have also shown that newcomers can find success in a short time. They’ve seen it the past few seasons with Filip Hronek, Andrei Kuzmenko and with Jake DeBrusk, who is on pace for a career-high 28 goals this season.
What Chytil does provide the Canucks is additional cap space. He’s making $4.44 million annually, a savings of more than $3.5 million that could prove useful before the trade deadline. Chytil has two more years left on his contract and would be eligible for free agency after the 2026-27 season.
It’s also the type of savings that could aid the Canucks in the off-season given Brock Boeser is in the final season of a contract that pays him $6.6 million annually.
Mancini, a fifth-round pick in 2022, provides the Canucks with another young defenceman in a system that already has Sawyer Mynio, Elias Pettersson and Tom Willander. Mancini had five points in 15 games for the Rangers before returning to the AHL where he has three goals and 10 points in 23 games.
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Canucks add Pettersson, O’Connor from PenguinsBecause one Friday evening trade wasn’t enough for the Vancouver Canucks.
They used the first-round pick they received from the J.T. Miller trade few hours earlier in another deal to get defenceman Marcus Pettersson from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Canucks also received forward Drew O’Connor with forward Danton Heinen, defenceman Vincent Desharnais, the rights to forward Melvin Fernström and the first-round pick going to Pittsburgh.
Let’s look at how both front offices fared.
Vancouver CanucksGrade: BCertain issues have been present throughout the Canucks season and finding a consistent partner for star captain Quinn Hughes was one of them.
Hughes logged 389 minutes in 5-on-5 play with Filip Hronek while also getting 333 minutes in 5-on-5 play alongside Tyler Myers, according to Natural Stat Trick. It’s a contrast from last season when Hronek and Hughes were nearly exclusive, logging close to 1,200 minutes together in 5-on-5 sequences.
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The thought is Pettersson provides Hughes with a partner that can establish cohesion.
Pettersson is more than just a top-pairing partner for Hughes. He strengthens their top four options while adding to a defensive structure that is in the top five in fewest shots allowed per 60 and fewest scoring chances allowed per 60, according to Natural Stat Trick. He also logged more than 200 short-handed minutes last season, which gives Canucks coach Rick Tocchet one more option on a penalty kill that ranks 13th.
Although Pettersson fills one void, what role could O’Connor play in helping the Canucks address the void left by Miller’s departure.
O’Connor gives them another top-nine, two-way forward who will likely replace Heinen on the Canucks’ PK. But O’Connor, who scored 16 goals and 33 points last season, has only six goals and 16 points in 53 games. He is projected to finish with nine goals and 25 points.
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It’s possible the Canucks could pair him on the second or third line next to Filip Chytil, who arrived in the Miller trade. If so, that gives them two players who’ve combined to score 36 points this season. Miller had 35 by himself, which raises questions about what this could look like from an offensive production standpoint for the Canucks.
Goals have been harder to come by than they were last season for the Canucks. They’re averaging the second-fewest shots per 60, the second-fewest scoring chances per 60 and rank 20th with 2.84 goals per game.
As for what it means in the bigger picture: The Canucks only took on an additional $705,000 in salary, and Pettersson and O’Connor are pending unrestricted free agents, whereas Heinen and Desharnais each had one more year remaining on their respective contracts.
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Pettersson and O’Connor will be part of a six-player UFA class that also features Brock Boeser and Kevin Lankinen.
PuckPedia projects the Canucks will have a little more than $11 million in deadline cap space which means they could still find more offensive reinforcements over the next several weeks.
Pittsburgh PenguinsGrade: BThey’re seven points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. But they’re five points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres for the fewest points in the East and tied for the eighth-fewest points in the NHL which could see them being a factor in the NHL draft lottery.
It’s what made receiving a first-round pick from the Canucks arguably the most important aspect of the trade. They now have two first-round picks and that could prove critical given the current state of the Penguins farm system.
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Pittsburgh has kept its first-round picks four times since 2013 and only twice since 2020. Having a pair of first-rounders might soften the fact the Penguins won’t pick again until the third round, where they currently have three picks.
What might be second-most-important detail is they were able to move on from Pettersson, who was previously their most expensive pending UFA, without having to fill their final retention spot.
Desharnais, who has a year remaining at $2 million, provides the Penguins with another third-pairing option who can also be used on their penalty kill, as he logged nearly 43 minutes of short-handed ice time this season and nearly 160 minutes last season with the Edmonton Oilers.
Heinen, who also has a year remaining at $2.25 million, could take over for O’Connor in the top nine while also filling his role on the Penguins’ penalty kill”
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Pettersson the leader? No, not that oneThe Hockey News thinks Marcus Pettersson is a big key to the deal for the Canucks.
“Pettersson’s relishing the idea of an extended playoff run in front of the rabid Vancouver fan base that showed up so strongly last spring.
Meanwhile, the organization understands that Pettersson is the right kind of veteran voice to help guide the players out of the tumult that has defined their last few months.”
“He’s a leader in the room,” said coach Rick Tocchet on Thursday, three games into Pettersson’s tenure in Vancouver. “It’s not just on the ice, it’s off the ice, why we signed him.”
On top of his familiarity with management, Pettersson’s former teammates also gave him a sense of what to expect from Tocchet, who served as an assistant to Mike Sullivan from 2014 to 2017, including the team’s two Stanley Cup wins. He’s also reunited with Kiefer Sherwood, a fellow rookie on the Anaheim Ducks back in 2018-19.
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“You’re growing the leadership, and it’s my job to create an environment where the players feel safe,” Tocchet said about Pettersson, who admitted his time in Pittsburgh has helped.
“What it looks like, is everybody has a voice,” Pettersson said. “Over time in Pittsburgh, I think that’s what was built with (Sidney Crosby) and those guys. And for sure, it’s something that they’re trying to build here. From what I’ve seen so far, it’s a great group of guys. Everybody has a voice, and everybody voices their opinion on plays and coverage and stuff like that. So it’s been a great experience for me so far.”
More business for AllvinSportsnet spoke to Canucks GM Patrik Allvin about the players he’s acquired, and if he’s done making moves.
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Chytil, one of the new additions, has captured the imagination of Canucks fans in his short stint with the team. Scoring a goal in his first game and essentially being a one-man entry on a team that has been accused of being a bit too reliant on the dump-and-chase has endeared him to the fan base.
“Our scouts have done a good job tracking and following players. In New York they’re a deep team, he didn’t get the opportunity to play more than third-line minutes,” Allvin said of Chytil. “(Rick) Tocchet has been able to give him more minutes and he has responded. We always knew he was a highly skilled and talented kid.”
It will be interesting to see how Chytil develops with more ice time — the Canucks clearly have a hole down the middle in their top-six with the departure of Miller — but if Chytil can thrive in more minutes there may be a world where he ends up as an internal solution.
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That being said, if possible the team will still likely be looking to fill that role, or an impact forward role in general, with some new found cap space.
“We created a little bit more flexibility with our cap space so we can definitely be involved in discussions around the league that we weren’t able to before,” Allvin said. “That being said, we know what we have and we have a lot of younger players in our system competing for spots. If it makes sense, we would be open and listen to see if there is a fit or not.”
As for the next steps, there’s still a realization the cupboard isn’t exactly overflowing:
“While the Canucks do have some internal prospects with promise, it’s hard to see many, outside of winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki, as realistic top-six options moving forward. That still leaves, at the very least, a hole at centre for the team, but with pending-UFA Brock Boeser’s status up in the air as well, the Canucks may be looking to fill a couple holes in their forward group.
Allvin didn’t commit one way or another when commenting on Boeser.
“I think we continue to evaluate the situation. It takes two sides to make it work. We’ve got respect for Brock and his agent … I’m pretty sure at some point we will find a solution.”
The Boeser decision is a pivotal one for Allvin. If they sign him, it will likely be upwards of $7-8 million AAV, and would lock him in as a member of the core for the remainder of this Canucks window. If they don’t sign him, they’re left with a gaping hole in the top-six and limited options to fill that.
The difficulty that comes with that decision is his fit with this team. Allvin has clearly put an emphasis on speed with the additions of Chytil and Drew O’Connor to the forward group, but speed is not a defining feature of Boeser’s game.”
Target PracticeThe Athletic have active trade targets on a Big Board, and the Canucks have the number three spot … but it’s Carson Soucy.
“After acquiring Marcus Pettersson and signing him to a six-year extension, the Canucks have made the 6-foot-5 Soucy available on the trade market. Minutes are going to be tougher for him to come by after Vancouver’s retool. Soucy is a prototypical shutdown defender who has performed well in the playoffs for the Canucks and during his previous stop in Seattle. As a bonus, the left shot is comfortable playing on either side of the ice. Soucy will have a lot of say in where he lands because of a no-trade clause that runs through the end of the season.”
Brock on the blockIt appears there’s a lot of people looking at Boeser as the next player heading out of town.
“The Vancouver Canucks will search for a top-six centre and their uncertainty for eight years with Brock BoeserThomas Drance of The Athletic: The Vancouver Canucks didn’t really want to trade J.T. Miller as they couldn’t replace his on-ice production. Things must have been worse behind the scenes.
The Canucks have pulled forward Elias Pettersson off the trade market for now. His no-movement clause kicks in on July 1 and if things don’t turn around for him, it will be interesting to see what happens around the draft.
The biggest area of need for the Canucks going forward will be a top-line/top-six centre. If they can’t add one by the deadline, their search will go into the off-season. Contract talks between Brock Boeser and the Canucks have been quiet this season. They like him but seem a little unsure of eight years.”
Piling on Pettersson — O-Dog rips Elias Pettersson for being pissy“It’s time to man up and play and play damn good — because you are a damn good player. He’s so pissy for a year straight. Stop being pissy and play. That’s it. That’s all you got to do,” ranted Jeff O’Neill.
Mighty QuinnLost in all the drama and trade talk is the great season Quinn Hughes is having. The Hockey News acknowledges he’s the leader in the race for the Norris, but looks at the competition including his old foe Cale Makar and Shea Theodore.
“The Vancouver Canucks would be nowhere this season without the efforts of their captain, Quinn Hughes. While the defenceman could currently contest for the Hart Memorial Trophy, there’s also a chance he could win his second James Norris Memorial Trophy in a row. However, to do so, he’ll have to prove he deserves it more than his competition. ”
Power RankingsThe Canucks won two in a row, but dropped two spots in ESPN’s rankings, from 17 to 19.
“What’s super: The end of drama. It appears the saga is at an end, as J.T. Miller has been traded to the New York Rangers. The Vancouver Canucks and the hockey world can now seemingly move on, and the Canucks will certainly want to do that, as they find themselves in contention for a wild-card spot. Quinn Hughes has been playing lights-out, is a good bet for the Norris and will probably earn a chunk of Hart votes, too.”
In The Hockey News weekly rankings, the Canucks are up two plays for 21 to 19. “The Canucks aren’t out of the woods yet. Elias Pettersson needs to show every night that he can be a No. 1 centre or face the prospects of a trade as the Canucks retool their core. They are no doubt a less talented team without J.T. Miller, but perhaps a more cohesive dressing room can help build positive momentum. The scary question: Did the Canucks trade the right player?”
The Bleacher Report ranked the Canucks up one spot to 18th. “It’s an uptick in the recovery process for goalie Thatcher Demko, who missed the first two months recovering from a knee injury and struggled to find form upon returning but has won two of his last three starts while posting a .943 save percentage. A 3-0 shutout of Colorado on Tuesday was his first of the season and ninth of his career.”
In The TSN rankings: “The Vancouver Canucks are up five spots from 27th to 22nd this week. The Canucks are a much different team today than they were a week ago following a pair of big trades. J.T. Miller, Danton Heinen and Vincent Desharnais are out, Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, Marcus Pettersson, and Drew O’Connor are in. We’ll see if their revamped roster can remain competitive in the playoff race in the West.”
Sportsnet have the Canucks up two spots to 17 this week (Ranking on Feb. 2) and seem to be giving more advice than justification: Charge into the open market, jump on the trade calls and improve that blue-line.
How the Canucks got their groove backHere are three take-aways from Vancouver’s big win over Colorado, by Thomas Drance for The Athletic.
#1. Demko found his most dominant stretch of saves this season.
#2. Through his first two Canucks games, newly acquired centre Filip Chytil is playing hockey as if he feels 18 years old. The gifted centre, a zone entry monster, has brought a level of pace and creativity that Vancouver has been sorely lacking.
#3. The Avalanche lost control of their tempers and this game. They played like a team whose will had been broken by its opponent.
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