Arya News - The Vancouver Canucks still have J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson on their team despite the trade rumors and speculation continuing to generate.
J.T. Miller Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Approaching the weekend, it"s time to check in with this season"s favorite guessing game, “What will the Vancouver Canucks do with centers Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller?”
When we last looked at the Canucks, it was believed to be only a matter of time until they traded 31-year-old Miller, although it appeared only one team, the New York Rangers, made an offer for him. Meanwhile, the Canucks were said to be leaning toward retaining Pettersson but several clubs, including the Buffalo Sabres, reportedly expressed interest in the 26-year-old Swede.
On Tuesday, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford confirmed a rift existed between Pettersson and Miller. He said everyone worked on trying to find a long-term solution, including the two players, but the issue would resurface.
Rutherford admitted he didn"t see a good solution to keep the group together, connecting the rift to the Canucks" on-ice performance this season. He indicated the club was entertaining offers for Pettersson and Miller but acknowledged the difficulty of finding a suitable return for an elite player.
“We"ll have to do the best we can in trades,” he told the Globe and Mail . “Whatever assets you get in return, you may turn them into something else.”
TSN"s Darren Dreger reported the Canucks aren"t interested in low-ball offers, preferring a “respectable” return. Given Miller"s full no-movement clause, they"re prepared to wait for better offers in the off-season if nothing suitable materializes before the March 7 NHL trade deadline.
The Athletic"s Harman Dayal and Shayna Goldman observed the recent increase in trade rumors regarding Pettersson. They believe the Canucks prefer retaining Pettersson and trading Miller. However, interest in Miller is dwindling, while Pettersson could fetch a better return, partly because of his age and lack of no-trade protection this season.
Related: Why The Vancouver Canucks Should Consider Trading Miller And Pettersson
Dayal and Goldman included the Philadelphia Flyers among their list of potential destinations for Pettersson. However, their colleague Kevin Kurz suggests Miller might be a better fit, citing his experience, size and affordable contract.
On Thursday, TSN"s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Columbus Blue Jackets were among the clubs interested in Pettersson. Like the others, they wonder what type of player he is now, whether he"s still the scorer who earned an eight-year contract extension last season or the one who"s struggling this season.
LeBrun also indicated the potential suitors for both players are waiting to see if the Canucks lower their asking prices before getting more engaged in trade discussions.
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Related: The Wraparound: Breaking Down The Canucks" Internal Rift After Rutherford"s Comments
