Don Cherry opines Elias Pettersson should leave Canucks for $1.1 billion NHL franchise amid rift with J.T. Miller

On The Don Cherry's Grapevine podcast, Don Cherry and his son Tom shared their thoughts on Elias Pettersson’s future with the Vancouver Canucks.

They discussed the tension between Pettersson and teammate J.T. Miller and suggested Pettersson should leave.

"I think the people from Vancouver, I think they're getting tired of hearing about J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. They're getting tired of it. Are they going to trade them?," Tom questioned. [3:12]

Despite having the fifth-highest cap hit this season ($11.6 million), Pettersson hasn’t lived up to expectations. He ranks 126th in points.

Cherry suggested that Pettersson should move to a new team, with the Buffalo Sabres, who are valued at $1.1 billion by Forbes, being a good choice.

"Nobody would want him - the third highest (paid player in the league) and (only) one good year. ... You never get back what you give away," Don Cherry said. "He should go to Buffalo. I’d just tell them to send him home. That's the only way you can (solve this), send him home."

This tension between Pettersson and Miller has been growing since October. Speculation increased when Miller took a 10-game leave of absence this season.

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Elliotte Friedman's statement on Buffalo's interest in Elias Pettersson

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman first reported that Elias Pettersson was close to being traded, with the Carolina Hurricanes being a possible destination.

However, the Hurricanes ended up making a different trade, signing Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche and Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks. Friedman also mentioned Buffalo showing strong interest in acquiring Pettersson.

"There was a time yesterday I thought that Pettersson was going to be a Carolina Hurricane," Friedman said.

"Obviously it didn't happen. I think those talks continue, and I believe that one of the teams that has really shown a lot of interest is Buffalo. There are others, but the Sabres are definitely in there."

This season, Elias Pettersson has 30 points with 11 goals. But in 22 losses, his production drops to 13 points with a -16 plus/minus rating.

The Canucks have a 21-17-10 record and have lost six of their last 10 games. The struggles, combined with the rumors of tensions between Pettersson and Miller, have led to speculation about a possible trade.