Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller trade rumors aren't new in the news. While he was still the General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, Don Waddell was quoted as having said the following about the availability of Elias Pettersson from Vancouver before his massive 8-year, $11.6 million contract extension was signed back in March of 2024:
"We talk to a lot of teams. I respect the privacy of players and teams, so I can't comment on that."Don Waddell
Among a rumored rift in the locker room in Vancouver, related rumors of the Canucks taking calls on two of their top forwards, Pettersson and J.T. Miller (who is a native of East Palestina, Ohio); have been circulated by the NHL press.
If I were Don Waddell, I'd have been on the phone with Canucks General Manager Patrick Allvin yesterday to see what the asking price is for either of the two forwards yesterday.
There is a lot of value here.
When playing at his best, Elias Pettersson is perhaps a top-ten skater in the NHL. In his career-best season so far, he posted a 39-63-103 line with a +16 on a middling Vancouver team that finished outside of the Playoffs in the 2022-2023 campaign.
He's considered to be having a "down year" so far this season but has still managed 28 points in 34 games despite being only 26 years old. Pettersson is a dynamic and game-changing left-shot centerman at his peak, and he can impact all areas of the game at a high level.
Veteran forward and Ohio native J.T. Miller has been no slouch himself in the past few seasons. He put up an otherworldly 37-66-103 line and career-high +32 during the 2023-2024 campaign. Miller was primarily seen as a complement-type forward before his past few campaigns with Vancouver. However, before a recent slump, he had morphed himself into a high-end scoring winger who has been an essential part of the Cancuks core before a recent slump.
With the rumored rift between the two men perhaps insurmountable, what would it take for Don Waddell to get Pettersson or J.T. Miller from Vancouver? Let's explore some options on the next slide.